Multiple area players earn titles at UIL State Tennis tournament
SAN ANTONIO — Vernon’s Kale Castleberry and boys doubles teams from Burkburnett and Quanah earned championships Friday at the UIL State Tournament.
After winning the Class 3A mixed title a year ago, Castleberry took down Wall’s Joseph Melone 6-4, 6-2 to wrap up his high school career as the 3A boys singles champion.
Meanwhile, Burkburnett’s Caden Coker and Owen Ruiz needed three sets in both the semifinals and finals to win the 4A boys doubles title. Quanah brothers Dwight DonJuan and Ahla DonJuan dropped the first set in their 2A boys doubles final, but also came back for gold.
Castleberry finished off a stellar high school career that included a 52-0 record in singles as a senior. After having already beaten Wall’s Joseph Melone three times this year, Castleberry took down Melone once more 6-4, 6-2 in the final at the Blossom Tennis Center.
“It’s hard to beat someone four times, and everybody usually gives Kale their best effort because they have nothing to lose,” said his mother, Vernon coach Carrie Castleberry. “He struggled a little bit, but finally got on a roll in the second set.”
Burkburnett coach Kelli Winn said Coker and Ruiz have been partners for the past seven years. That experience certainly helped multiple times at the Annemarie Tennis Center.
Coker, who advanced to state last year in singles, and Ruiz won a third set 7-5 against Wills Point in Thursday’s semifinals. The Bulldogs then knocked off Canyon Randall’s Daxon Betzen/Bryson Shelton for the second time in two weeks, capturing the 4A boys double title with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 victory.
“The championship match really tested our tenacity, fight and heart,” Winn said. “We couldn’t be more proud of them and feel so blessed to be part of their journey.”
Mason won three of the five Class 2A titles on Friday, but Quanah’s Dwight DonJuan and Ahla DonJuan kept that number from reaching four. They knocked off both Mason teams in the boys doubles draw, coming back from a 4-0 deficit in the third set of their semifinal.
In the finals, the DonJuans dropped the first set to Mason’s Keegan Ratliff and Carlton Schmidt before coming back for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory.
The area also had two doubles teams that came up short in their finals. Vernon’s boys doubles team of Jonathan Medina and Nevan Schur fell to Franklin’s William Porchazka and Joseh Berger 6-4, 6-1. That Franklin duo also knocked off Vernon’s other doubles team of seniors Matthew Goodrum and Christopher Martinez in the semis.
“Jonathan and Nevan are sophomores and they played really solid tennis in the semis,” coach Castleberry said. “We just couldn’t get a good start in the finals in either set.”
Benjamin’s Tallon Hayes and Valeria Zavala won two tightly contested Class A mixed doubles matches before falling to Barksdale Nueces Canyon 6-4, 7-5 in the final.
UIL STATE TOURNAMENT
Here are the area’s qualifiers for the UIL State Tennis Tournament which will be held Thursday and Friday at multiple sites in San Antonio.
Class 4A
Boys doubles
Quarterfinals
Caden Coker/Owen Ruiz, Burkburnett d. Westyn Hassell/Danny Ramirez, Jacksonville 6-3, 6-1
Semifinals
Coker/Ruiz d. Carson LaJone/Charleston Sanders, Wills Point 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
Championship
Coker/Ruiz d. Daxon Betzen/Bryson Shelton, Canyon Randall 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
Boys singles
Quarterfinals
Emilio Rodriguez, Lindale d. Arturo Moreno, Burkburnett 6-2, 6-2
Class 3A
Boys singles
Quarterfinals
Kell Castleberry, Vernon d. Tripp Burleson, Groesbeck 6-0, 6-3
Semifinals
Castleberry d. Alijah Miranda, Corpus Christi London 6-2, 6-0
Championship
Castleberry d. Joseph Melone, Wall 6-4, 6-2
Boys doubles
Quarterfinals
Jonathan Medina/Nevan Schur, Vernon d. Jeremiah Moncada/Abraham Martinez, Crystal City 6-1, 6-3
Christopher Martinez/Matthew Goodrum, Vernon d. Connor Wisser/Seth Morrison, Universal City Randolph 6-2, 6-1
Semifinals
Medina/Schur d. River Hernandez/Hunter Bruggman, Little River Academy 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3
William Porchazka/Joseph Berger, Franklin d. Martinez/Goodrum 6-3, 6-4
Championship
Porchazka/ Berger d, Medina/Schur 6-4, 6-1
Class 2A
Boys singles
Quarterfinals
Brittan Nance, San Augustine d. Layton McAdams, Seymour 6-2, 7-5
Boys doubles
Quarterfinals
Dwight DonJuan/Ahlai DonJuan, Quanah d. Harry Martinez/Cavan Armstong, Wolfe City 6-3, 6-2
Benedict Patanpantan/Francis Patanpantan, Hawley d. Abel Silvas/Anish Bhakta, Quanah 6-1, 5-7, 6-3
Semifinals
DonJuan/DonJuan d. Keltan Jordan/Cade Dudney, Mason 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
Championship
Don.Juan/DonJuan d. Keegan Ratliff/Carlton Schmidt, Mason 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
Class A
Boys singles
Quarterfinals
John Arnim, Austwell-Tivoli d. Hadly Hand, Henrietta Midway 6-0, 6-1
Boys doubles
Quarterfinals
Luke Leavelle/Austin Leavelle, Utopia d. Austin Hernandez/Cooper Carroll, Crowell 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
Girls doubles
Quarterfinals
BK Behrens/Kenzie White, Borden County d. Kaydence Carney/Sage Bearden, Crowell (no score posted)
Mixed doubles
Quarterfinals
Tallon Hayes/Valeria Zavala, Benjamin d. Julia Bailey/Anthony Flores, Ector 7-6 (4), 6-4
Ethan Villanueva/Alena Aquirre, Balmorhea d. Isaac King/Mattie Dollar, Newcastle 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
Semifinals
Hayes/Zavala d. Toryan Childers/Diezel Ramirez, Patton Spring 7-5, 6-3
Championship
Gabriella Luce/Charlie Perez, Barksdale Nueces Canyon d. Hayes/Zavala 6-4, 7-5
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Multiple area players earn titles at UIL State Tennis tournament
