Westwood wins third straight boys’ tennis championship

MACON — The Westwood boys tennis team join an exclusive group of athletes on Fuller Street with 3 consecutive state championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Only the girls track team can boast of accomplishing this feat four times in a row with State Titles in 1986–89.

The Wildcats went into the GISA AA Tournament as region champions from Region 3. The eight-team tournament, held at John Drew Tennis Center, seeded the top two teams from GISA’s four regions. Play began for Westwood boys with a match against Robert Toombs Academy of Lyons who were seeded as No. 2 from Region 2. In state team tennis, each team plays 5 lines of tennis: singles 1, 2, 3; doubles 1 & 2. Once a team wins 3 lines, play is suspended on the remaining two courts and the winning team advances to the next round. singles No. 1 Cole Pollock and Greyson Shiver at singles No. 3 achieved shutout wins over their opponents. doubles No. 1 Phen Rubendall and Brooks Tucker also did not allow any games against Miller/ McMillian team.

Once these three wins of 6-0, 6-0 were completed, play was halted for singles No. 2 Walt Cochran who won his first set even after breaking strings in two tennis racquets. The No. 2 doubles team of Albert Stringer and Brantley Shiver had completed their first set of 6-3 when Westwood was declared winner.

In the semifinal round, the Westwood boys faced the No. 1 region champions from Region 4. Brentwood boys team proved to be much more aggressive competitors on the court. Westwood doubles No. 1 team (Rubendall/Tucker) claimed the first victory followed by the doubles No. 2 team (Stringer/Shiver). Then singles No. 1 (Pollock) defeated Wynn Andrews to put Westwood in the final championship round.

Saint Andrews from Savannah has the No. 1 singles player in the GISA AA, Jack Wylly. The senior’s ranking according to tennisrecruiting.net is No. 6 player in Georgia and No. 116 in nation. The strength of their team was at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, thus placing pressure on the Wildcats at both doubles and No. 3 singles to secure the win. The first win in the final round came again from the doubles No. 1 duo of Rubendall/Tucker with a 6-1; 6-1 score over Bilyeu/Longwater. Senior Albert Stringer and Sophomore Brantley Shiver at No. 2 doubles overpowered their opponents, Devey/Nichols with score of 6-0;6-1.

The Westwood fans were now watching two courts of play needing only one win for the state championship. Walt Cochran, No. 2 singles, was in a tight battle with Samuel Roland-Mills. Senior Greyson Shiver, No. 3 singles was also in a close match with very long rallies against opponent Joe Kinsey. The game ended in a dynamic overhead shot by Shiver at the net to seal the state championship title for the Westwood Wildcats for the third year in a row.

The Lady Wildcats tennis team went into the tournament as No. 2 seed in Region 2 facing off in the first round with the talented No. 1 ranked team from Saint Andrews. Three wins were gained from Senior Gracie Pollock at No. 3 singles with a 6-3, 6-3 score over Sydney Bacon. Erin Smith and Laura Beth Collins had a revenge match against their No. 1 doubles team that forced them out in a tie-break last week in the Individual State tournament in a 3-set loss. The score this time was 6-3, 6-1 which gained another win for the Wildcats. The No. 2 doubles team of Peyton Worsham and Vivi Collins won 7-5, 6-2 to advance the team to the semifinal round.

Oak Mountain Academy’s Lady Warriors gained the win with two tight matches going into 3rd set tie breakers.

Senior Lauren Allen, in her final match as a Wildcat, won in an impressive two set win over Kenzie Reed.

Laura Beth Tucker