Lauderdale County Girls Secure Second Straight 1A/3A Tennis Championship, Tuscaloosa Academy & Covenant Christian Boys Vie For Boys Title 

MOBILE, AL – The 80th AHSAA State Tennis Championships concluded Tuesday at the Mobile Tennis Center, with thrilling performances in the 1A/3A and 6A divisions. Lauderdale County’s girls claimed their second consecutive 1A/3A championship, while Tuscaloosa Academy and Covenant Christian’s boys will face off in a playoff to decide the 1A/3A boys’ champion on Wednesday. 

Boys’ 1A/3A Tie-Breaker Set for Wednesday 

The 1A/3A boys’ championship ended in a 52-52 tie between Tuscaloosa Academy and Covenant Christian. The tie-breaker playoff will take place on Wednesday, beginning at 9 a.m. at Mobile Tennis Center. The winner will be determined by three matches, pitting each team’s No. 1 and No. 6 singles players against each other and concluding with a No. 2 doubles match. 

Covenant Christian held a narrow lead at 52-50 after singles finals wins from Tucker McWilliams (No. 3), Zack Bell (No. 4), and Carson Spain (No. 5). Tuscaloosa Academy’s defending No. 1 singles champion Johni Kneer (11-1) secured a dramatic 6-4, 5-7, 10-5 victory over Ryen Walker (16-1) from Whitesburg Christian, tying the overall score and forcing the playoff. Lauderdale County finished third overall with 41 points. 

Lauderdale County Girls Dominate 

The Lauderdale County girls’ tennis team earned their second straight 1A/3A state title with an impressive 56 points, outpacing runner-up St. Luke’s Episcopal, which finished with 39. Shoals Christian and Whitesburg Christian tied for third with 29 points each. 

Lauderdale County claimed three individual singles titles through Ivey Tinker (No. 4), Allie Brown (No. 5), and Olivia Garner (No. 6). Notably, St. Luke’s Episcopal junior Ella Bentley extended her dominance by capturing her third consecutive No. 1 singles championship, defeating Amaia Vargas from Pike Liberal Arts, 6-0, 7-5. Bentley also paired with Lauren Watson to win the No. 1 doubles title, adding to St. Luke’s strong performance. 

Tuscaloosa Academy’s Johni Kneer wins his second straight 1A/3A Boys’ No. 1 singles title – forcing a playoff for the team crown. (AHSAA PHOTO / David Holtsford)
Additional Highlights 

Class 6A: Mountain Brook swept both the boys’ and girls’ titles in the 6A division, winning their 200th state championship in school history and further cementing their reputation as a perennial powerhouse in Alabama high school tennis. 

Complete Results 

Complete team and individual results for Tuesday’s matches are available on the AHSAA website. Visit the following links for detailed brackets:

Upcoming Events 

The AHSAA Class 4A/5A and 7A boys’ and girls’ tennis championships will take place Thursday and Friday, April 24-25, at Mobile Tennis Center. 

AHSAA 1A/3A Girls’ Final Standings 
  1. Lauderdale County – 56 
  2. St. Luke’s Episcopal – 39 
  3. Shoals Christian – 29 
  4. Whitesburg Christian – 29 
  5. University Charter School – 21 
  6. Glenwood – 19 
  7. T.R. Miller – 17 
  8. Mars Hill Bible – 11 
  9. Lee-Scott Academy – 9 
  10. Tuscaloosa Academy – 8 
  11. Pike Liberal Arts – 6 
  12. Victory Christian – 3 
  13. Decatur Heritage – 0 
  14. Westbrook Christian – 0 
AHSAA 1A/3A Boys’ Final Standings 
  1. Tuscaloosa Academy – 52 (tie) 
  2. Covenant Christian – 52 (tie) 
  3. Lauderdale County – 41 
  4. Whitesburg Christian – 37 
  5. Bayside Academy – 24 
  6. Westminster-Oak Mountain – 21 
  7. Lee-Scott Academy – 16 
  8. Northside Methodist – 16 
  9. Excel – 11 
  10. Shoals Christian – 7 
  11. Westbrook Christian – 3 
  12. Cullman Christian – 0 
  13. T.R. Miller – 0 
  14. Alabama Christian – 0

FEATURED IMAGE: St. Luke’s Episcopal junior Ella Bentley claims her third straight No. 1 singles title Tuesday at Mobile Tennis Center.  (AHSAA PHOTO / David Holtsford)

PrepsNet

PrepsNet
High School Sports Live Here.