FHSAA tennis finals are here: Jacksonville-area players take aim at state championships
The Florida High School Athletic Association opens the 2024 state tennis tournament Monday in Seminole County. See previews for Northeast Florida boys and girls teams.
Boys tennis state championships
CLASS 4A
When: Monday-Wednesday.
Where: Sanlando Park, Altamonte Springs.
Individual qualifiers: Singles, William Chaves, Nease; doubles, William Chaves & Aleks Gavrancic, Nease.
Glance: Nease's freshman combination of Chaves and Gavrancic is the only Northeast Florida presence in this draw. After a difficult start, the Panthers found a winning rhythm late in the season and look set to contend for years to come.
CLASS 2A
When: Monday-Wednesday.
Where: Red Bug Lake Park, Casselberry (team); Sylvan Lake Park, Sanford (individuals).
Individual qualifiers: singles, Jay Deering, Stanton; doubles, Jay Deering & Akhil Chedde, Stanton.
Team qualifiers: Bolles.
Glance: Depth has been the key for Bolles this year, faring particularly well at the fourth and fifth singles lines with senior Anik Desai and junior Luke Kunkle, while sophomore Michael Zhang has only one singles loss this year. Watch out, too, for the Stanton players in individual action after their Gateway Conference championship earlier in the month.
CLASS 3A
When: Wednesday-Friday.
Where: Sanlando Park, Altamonte Springs.
Individual qualifiers: singles, Zach Hyatt, Fleming Island; doubles, Zach Hyatt & Anthony Williams, Fleming Island; Jonas Boyd & Reef Davis, Fletcher.
Team qualifiers: Ponte Vedra.
Glance: State champions two years ago, the Sharks have their eyes on a return to the top. Though only slightly above .500, they've picked up a boost with the return of Jacob Raider at top-line singles to join proven veteran Grant Price, and team depth with John Grayson Havens, Christian Miller and Connor Vernon is also coming through. Fletcher's doubles pair helped the Senators to second in the Gateway Conference and Fleming Island's Hyatt has been near-perfect on the year.
CLASS 1A
When: Wednesday-Friday.
Where: Red Bug Lake Park, Casselberry (team); Sylvan Lake Park, Sanford (individuals).
Team qualifiers: Episcopal.
Glance: Untouchable so far, the Eagles have steamrolled through the season at 17-0. Can they win it all? They combine the experience of seniors Ford Rachels and Aidan Stefanides with freshmen Charlie Neal and Will Misner and seventh-grade sensation Owen Neal. Only Bolles, Ponte Vedra, Stanton and Tocoi Creek took more than one point against the Eagles in the regular season.
Girls tennis state championships
CLASS 4A
When: Monday-Wednesday.
Where: Sanlando Park, Altamonte Springs.
Team qualifiers: Nease.
Glance: The Panthers battled past Spruce Creek in an epic regional final, and as long as No. 1 singles star Kylie Kochis is 100 percent — she retired from regional singles due to injury — they've got a chance at a significant run. All of Nease's top five players are juniors or younger, and freshman Emily Sammons at No. 3 singles is coming off a terrific performance to win two tiebreakers over Spruce Creek.
CLASS 2A
When: Monday-Wednesday.
Where: Red Bug Lake Park, Casselberry (team); Sylvan Lake Park, Sanford (individuals).
Individual qualifiers: singles, Kyla Proctor, Jackson; doubles, Katie Wong & Emma Ferguson, Stanton.
Team qualifiers: Bolles.
Glance: State runners-up a year ago, the Bulldogs made the field after overcoming Stanton in a tight regional. The top of the Bolles lineup with senior Katrina Kirov and freshman Rafa Neel has been close to invincible. Gateway Conference winner Stanton is outstanding in doubles, with the Wong-Ferguson tandem losing only to Nease and Bolles during the season, and Jackson senior Proctor is getting another state tournament chance after four years of quality tennis for the Tigers.
CLASS 3A
When: Wednesday-Friday.
Where: Sanlando Park, Altamonte Springs.
Individual qualifiers: Singles, Kaylee Munson, Fletcher.
Team qualifiers: Ponte Vedra.
Glance: For Ponte Vedra, the keys are doubles and depth. They've smashed opponents at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles this year (Amy Cox and Ashley Larger are 12-1 together, with Madison Schramm-Santos and Cait Sheehan at 11-1) and they dominate the bottom singles lines, including a 15-2 mark for Rachel Marino at No. 5. They'll need that to continue in a tough Class 3A. In the individual tournament, Fletcher's Munson is continuing an excellent freshman year that included a Gateway runner-up finish.
CLASS 1A
When: Wednesday-Friday.
Where: Red Bug Lake Park, Casselberry (team); Sylvan Lake Park, Sanford (individuals).
Individual qualifiers: singles, Calli Berrang, St. Johns Country Day; doubles, Claire Caven & Saylor Clough, Providence.
Team qualifiers: Episcopal.
Glance: Only Stanton, Ponte Vedra and Nease have found a way past the Episcopal girls this year. This team is playing with grit, eliminating P.K. Yonge last Thursday with three tiebreakers. Junior Ella-Jane Eddy leads a consistent lineup with double-digit wins from No. 2 through No. 5 singles for Anabelle Rockwell, Grace Mitchell, Cora Anderson and Cate Taylor. St. Johns sophomore Berrang carries a 10-1 singles record into the state tournament, as does the Providence senior doubles pairing.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: High school tennis 2024: FHSAA state championship previews
