Old and new champions
- Updated: March 5, 2022
Donoho’s girls hold serve in Red Wilder Invitational, Faith’s boys displace Oxford at the top of their game
By Dr. Jay Walker
Special to East Alabama Sports Today
When it comes to high school tennis in Calhoun County, some things change and some things remain the same.
Donoho’s girls tennis team winning? It’s what they do.
The Falcons swept all events in the Red Wilder Invitational Tournament at Oxford Lake this weekend to claim their seventh title in a row.
There is a regime change on the boys side, however. Faith Christian broke Oxford’s five-year stranglehold for its first boys county title since 2015.
The RWIT is the unofficial county tournament for the five schools that field tennis teams – Donoho, Faith Christian, Jacksonville, Oxford and Pleasant Valley.
Leading the way for Donoho’s girls was junior Claire Hillman, who won the No. 1 Singles for the fourth straight year. Hillman teamed with Lily Grace Draper to also win No. 1 Doubles.
The Lady Falcons (50 points) were followed by Oxford (16) and Faith Christian (12) in the team standings. Jacksonville and Pleasant Valley failed to score.
Faith’s boys, meanwhile, won Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 6 Singles on Saturday, plus Nos. 1 and 2 Doubles Friday evening to claim their title. The Lions finished with 38 points. Oxford (22) edged out Donoho for second (20). Jacksonville scored 4 and Pleasant Valley had 3.
The county Boys Singles Champion, however, is from Oxford, not Faith Christian. Freshman Kye McEwen upset reigning county champion and Faith junior Eli Mitchell 10-6 in the finals of No. 1 Singles.
Faith’s Mitchell and Josh Goode defeated Oxford’s McEwen and Anthony Calloway to claim the No. 1 Doubles title.
RED WILDER INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
GIRLS STANDINGS: Donoho 50, Oxford 16, Faith Christian 12, Jacksonville 0, Pleasant Valley 0
No. 1 Singles: Claire Hillman (D) d. Abigail Reimer (O), 10-1; Hillman (D) d. Chloe Cram (PV), 10-0; Meagan Ford (F) d. Mikaela Watkins (J), 10-1. Finals – Hillman (D) d. Ford (F), 10-0.
No. 2 Singles: Lily Grace Draper (D) d. Caroline Rogers (O), 10-1; Draper (D) d. Tyler Grace Reyes (J), 10-0; Alli Folsom (F) d. Mackenzley Hulsey (PV), 10-3. Finals – Draper (D) d. Folsom (F), 10-1.
No. 3 Singles: Lauren Holder (F) d. Braylee Humphrey (PV), 10-1; Mary Marshall Perry (D) d. Holder (F), 10-0; Ashley Paulson (O) d. Miniya Vann (J), 10-0. Finals – Perry (D) d. Holder (F), 10-3.
No. 4 Singles: Harper Pumroy (D) d. Rileigh Maye (PV), 10-0; Pumroy (D) d. Isabella Diaz (F), 10-0; Jasmine Brown (O) d. Sakura Inada (J), 10-4. Finals – Pumroy (D) d. Brown (O), 10-3.
No. 5 Singles: Annie Minish (F) d. Emily Cathey (J), 11-9; Blair Kitchen (D) d. Claire Maniscalco (O), 10-1. Finals – Kitchen (D) d. Minish (F), 10-0.
No. 6 Singles: Anne Marie Harris (D) d. Nyla Reyes (J), 10-0; Victoria Robinson (O) d. Kelsey Brown (F), 10-5. Finals – Harris (D) d. Robinson (O), 10-0.
BOYS STANDINGS: Faith Christian 38, Oxford 22, Donoho 20, Jacksonville 4, Pleasant Valley 3
No. 1 Singles: Eli Mitchell (F) d. Josh Hughes (PV), 10-0; Mitchell (F) d. Zach Cater (D), 10-3; Kye McEwen (O) d. Robert Trifas (J), 10-2. Finals – McEwen (O) d. Mitchell (F), 10-6.
No. 2 Singles: Parth Patel (O) d. Ryan Eubanks (PV), 10-0; Patel (O) d. Nate Smith (J), 10-1; Josh Goode (F) d. Rishi Reddy (D), 10-4. Finals – Goode (F) d. Patel (O), 10-1.
No. 3 Singles: Anthony Calloway (D) d. Alec Vess (PV), 10-4; Joshua Muse (F) d. Calloway (O), 10-5; Bruce Downey (D) d. Jack Dingler (J), 10-3. Finals – Joshua Muse (F) d. Downey (D), 10-7.
No. 4 Singles: Charlie Wright (J) d. Xander Johnson (PV), 10-1; Marshall Twigg (D) d. Wright (J), 10-5; Gavin Randall (F) d. Om Patel (O), 10-2. Finals – Randall (F) d. Twigg (D), 10-5.
No. 5 Singles: Garrett Orth (D) d. Aiden Lloyd (PV) 10-1; Orth (D) d. Luke Alvidrez (J), 10-4; Jackson Randall (O) d. Evan Smith (F), 10-3. Finals – Orth (D) d. Randall (O), 10-6.
No. 6 Singles: Charlie Stem (J) d. Undreah Watts (PV), 10-8; Aiden Elliott (F) d. Noah Brothers (O), 10-4. Finals – Elliott (F) d. Stem (J), 10-3.
On the cover: New county boys champion Faith Christian
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