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Red Wilder repeats

Donoho’s girls, Oxford’s boys win titles in Red Wilder Invitational; Donoho’s Walker wins sixth girls crown

Oxford’s boys won their fifth straight Red Wilder Invitational title. On the cover, Donoho’s girls team has won six in a row. (Photos by Brant Locklier)

By Brant Locklier
East Alabama Sports Today

OXFORD – Things do not change very much at the Red Wilder Tennis Tournament. It is the unofficial county tournament and the Oxford boys and Donoho girls have dominated it.

Both programs have new coaches this year – Jeremy Stanford at Oxford and Hayley Loeken at Donoho – but the results were much the same as the teams squared off at the Oxford Tennis Complex this weekend.

The Oxford boys rolled to their fifth title in a row with 35 points, while Faith came up with 20 points and Donoho finished with five.

On the girls side, Donoho accumulated 53 points to take its sixth straight title. Oxford was second with 30, followed by Faith Christian (15) and Jacksonville (13).

The Oxford boys won five titles – three during Saturday’s singles – while Faith broke through with two championships. The winners were Josh Whaley, Cade Hilbun, Blake Ramsay and Whaley-Hilbun and Ramsay-Kye McEwen in doubles.

“I thought they were very consistent from top to bottom,” Stanford said.

Faith’s Eli Mitchell won his first championship in his fourth attempt. Mitchell is just a sophomore and has put on a lot of height and weight since that first attempt as a seventh-grader playing at No. 6 singles.

This year he plays No. 1 singles and he won both of his matches 10-1. He and partner Josh Goode on the No. 1 doubles title on Friday.

“Eli has worked and worked,” said coach and father Tim Mitchell. “We are proud of the resiliency of Eli and all the kids out here throughout the COVID. It has been a joy to watch his growth since the seventh grade. Not only with his work ethic but his spirit on the court.”

“I have worked a lot on my serve since last year and my coach, Charley Rivera, has helped me a lot,” Eli said. “My opponents played hard and it was a good day.”

The Donoho girls continued their dominance winning eight of the tournament’s nine titles – all three doubles and five of the Saturday singles.

Donoho’s only senior, Claire Walker, won her sixth straight individual championship.

“I am very excited because it helped the team winagain,” Walker said. “It is hard to believe since my seventh-grade year we have won the County. It has just been an amazing.”

Fellow teammates, sophomores and 2019 state champions, Claire Hillman and Lily Grace Draper, won County titles Saturday. They were their fourth straight titles.

Donoho’s six-time individual champion Claire Walker holds the trophy for her team’s sixth straight county title. (Photo by Brant Locklier)


Here are the results from Saturday’s Singles Day:

GIRLS
Team scores: Donoho 53, Oxford 30, Faith Christian, Jacksonville 13, Pleasant Valley 0.

No. 1 Singles:  Claire Hillman (D) d. Meagan Ford (F), 10-1; Hillman (D) d. Maci Meadows (PV), 10-0; Andrea Trifas (J) d. Jaylon Santivasci (O), 10-0; Finals – Hillman (D) d. Trifas (J), 10-3.

No. 2 Singles:  Anna Duke (J) d. Bailey Schultz (PV), 10-5; Duke (J) d. Lauren Holder (F), 10-6; L.G. Draper (D) d. Abigail Reiner (O), 10-3; Finals – Draper (D) d. Duke (J), 10-0.

No. 3 Singles: Mikaela Watkins (J) d. Chloe Cram (PV), 10-6; Jasmine Brown (O) d. Watkins (J), 10-1; Mary Marshall Perry (D) d. Sara Kats (F), 10-0; Finals – Perry (D) d. Brown (O), 10-2.

No. 4 Singles: Channing Gallahar (O) d. Tyler Grace Reyes (J), 10-1; Harper Pumroy (D) d. Gallahar (O), 10-3; Allie Fulsom (F) d. McKenzley Hulsey (PV), 10-0; Finals – Pumroy (D) d. Fulsom (F), 10-4.

No. 5 Singles:  Isabella Diaz (F) d. Miniya Vann (J), 10-5; Diaz (F) d. Rebecca Travis (PV), 10-2; Claire Walker (D) d. Sophia Gillilan (O), 10-2; Finals – Walker (D) d. Diaz (F), 10-5.

No. 6 Singles: Ashley Paulson (O) d. Blair Kitchens (D), 10-2; Paulson (O) d. Braylee Humphrey (PV), 10-0; Annie Minish (F) d. Sarah Francis (J), 11-10 (7-3); Finals – Paulson (O) d. Minish (F), 10-0.

BOYS
Team scores: Oxford 35, Faith Christian 20, Donoho 5, Pleasant Valley 0.

No. 1 Singles:  Eli Mitchell (F) d. Andrew Johnson (PV), 10-1; Dev Patel (O) d. Garrett Ortho (D), 10-1; Finals – Mitchell (F) d. Patel (O), 10-1.

No. 2 Singles: Josh Goode (F) d. Zack Cater (D), 10-1; Jay Patel (O) d. Knox Taylor (PV), 10-5; Finals – Good (F) d. Patel (O), 10-6.

No. 3 Singles: Gavin Randall (F) d. Alec Vess (PV), 10-2; Josh Whaley (O) d. Lucas Elliott (D), 10-0; Finals – Whaley (O) d. Randall (F), 10-1.

No. 4 Singles: Cade Hilbun (O) d. Joshua Muse (F), 10-1; Cainan Stacks (D) d. Undreah Watts (PV), 10-0; Finals – Hilbun (O) d. Stacks (D), 10-0.

No. 5 Singles: Evan Smith (F) d. Aiden Lloyd (PV), 10-0; Sam Ballard (D) d. Shiv Patel (O), 10-2; Finals – Ballard (D) d. Smith (F), 10-2.

No. 6 Singles: Aiden Elliott (F) d. Bruce Downey (D), default; Finals – Blake Ramsey (O) d. Elliott (F), 10-0.

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