BY Jeff Cali- The Ada News
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Ada High School boys tennis team put an exclamation point on a tough 2021 spring season with a fourth-place finish at the Class 5A State Tournament held last weekend at the Oklahoma City Tennis Center.
Crossings Christian captured the 5A state title with 29 points, followed by Carl Albert with 22 and Heritage Hall with 19. Ada and Claremore both collected 14 points each.
“I thought the boys had an outstanding season. I was extremely proud of them,” said Ada head coach Terry Swopes. “They had to deal with a lot of adversity this season, from health concerns and injuries to changing locations right in the middle of regionals.”
Swopes said he was forced to trot out a ton of different lineups — more than he ever remembers during an Ada High season — throughout the spring campaign.
“They had to play multiple positions all season,” Swopes said. “Every single one of them handled it and stepped up. And five of them were rookies when it came to high school tennis.”
The Cougars were also crowned the 2021 Class 5A State Academic champions.
“All things considered, when you finish in the Top 5 in Class 5A and win the academic state championship, that’s a pretty good season,” Swopes said.
The Cougars captured a pair of third-place victories Saturday at the state tournament in No. 1 Doubles and No. 2 Doubles.
Halston Redwine and Noah Watkins – Ada’s only senior — started their Saturday off with a 6-2, 6-4 loss to Graham Clark and Parker Dillon of Crossings Christian in a No. 1 Doubles semifinals match.
Redwine and Watkins then disposed of Brinn Davis Nick Johnson of Duncan 6-2,6-4 in the third-place match.
In No. 2 Doubles, Ada partners Tate Danielson and Jackson Swopes dropped a 6-2, 6-0 decision to Carl Albert’s Jackson Bales and Tyler Shaw in the semifinals. Danielson and Swopes followed with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-0 victory over the Claremore combo of Parker Green and Beau Parsons in a long third-place match.
Boady Ross of Ada won a pair of matches on Saturday in No. 2 Singles. He opened the day by defeating Aaron Dotson of rival McAlester 6-2, 6-3 in the consolation quarterfinals and then outlasted Duke Brim of Heritage Hall 7-5,7-6 in a tense battle for seventh place.
In No. 1 Singles, Neel Guatam of Durant got the best of Ada’s Wyatt Brown 6-0,6-1 Saturday in a consolation quarterfinals matchup.
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The Results
BOYS
CLASS 5A STATE
May 14-15
At OKC Tennis Center
Team Standings
1. Crossings Christian 29
2. Carl Albert 22
3. Heritage Hall 19
4. ADA 14
tie Claremore 14
6. Lawton Ike 13
7. Duncan 12
8. Riverfield 6
9. Durant 4
10. Ardmore 3
tie Pryor 3
tie Tulsa Edison 3
13. McAlester 2
tie Guthrie 2
tie Tahlequah 2
Other participants with no scores: Shawnee, Bishop McGuinness, Collinsville, Altus,
Piedmont, Lawton Mac and Skiatook.
Ada Individual Results
SINGLES
1. Neel Guatam (Durant) def. Wyatt Brown (Ada) 6-0,6-1 Saturday Consolation Quarterfinals
2. Boady Ross (Ada) def. Duke Brim (Heritage Hall) 7-5,7-6 (7th Place)
DOUBLES
1. Halston Redwine/Noah Watkins (Ada) def. Brinn Davis/Nick Johnson (Duncan) 6-2,6-4 (3rd Place)
2. Tate Danielson/Jackson Swopes (Ada) def. Parker Green/Beau Parsons (Claremore) 6-2,4-6,6-0 (3rd Place)
