HHS net squad finishes as champions in 3 of 4 divisions

The Henryetta Golden Knight varsity tennis team will send its entire 6-member team to this weekend’s Class 4A state tennis championships following their regional championship win Monday in Henryetta.

The Knights crowned regional champions in three divisions and a regional runner-up in the fourth division.

The Henryetta net squad finished Monday’s Class 4A regional tournament with a team total of 46 points with the Knights’ closest competition being the Byng Pirates, who finished as regional runner-up with 39 team points. Tecumseh was third overall with 29 points, followed by Harrah in fourth with 28.5 points and Wagoner in fifth with 27 points.

The remaining Top 10 teams at Monday’s regional tournament included Bristow in sixth with 26.5 points, Sperry in seventh with 25.5 points, Okmulgee in eighth with 16.5 points, Nowata in ninth with 14 points, and Perry in 10th with 12 points.

Ethan Lovell was the first HHS team member to punch his ticket to this weekend’s state tennis championships, capturing the regional championship in No. 1 Singles. Lovell began his journey towards a State berth with a first-round bye, then defeated Perry’s Alex Meier in straight sets (6-0, 6-0) in the quarterfinal round.

Lovell secured his spot at State with a straightset (6-0, 6-0) win over Bristow’s Josh Edens in the semifinals, then needed three sets to defeat Harrah’s Alex Peterson to take home the No. 1 Singles regional championship. Lovell dropped the opening set by a 6-3 margin, then rebounded by taking the final two sets by margins of 6-4 and 6-1, respectively, for the clean sweep.

The next Knight net squad member to earn a spot at State was Nick Hudson in No. 2 Singles. Hudson, after earning a first-round bye, swept through his regional tournament field, winning all three matches in straight sets to secure his spot in this weekend’s state tennis championships.

Hudson dispatched Sperry’s Ethan Brown in the quarterfinals with identical 6-1 outcomes, then secured his spot at State with a straight-set (7-5, 6-1) victory over Byng’s Hunter Murray in his semifinal match.

Hudson completed his regional championship sweep with a straight-set (6-0, 6-2) win over Harrah’s Christian Swan in the No. 2 Singles championship match.

The third regional championship medals handed out to Henryetta tennis players went to the No. 1 Doubles tandem of Sheldon Andrews and Brayden Jones.

After receiving a first-round bye, Andrews and Jones scored a straight-set (6-0, 6-0) win over Horn and Heister of Perry in the quarterfinals, then punched their ticket to this weekend’s state tennis championships by defeating the Wagoner team of Daley and McFarland in a 3-set battle (4-6, 6-2, 6-2) in the semifinal round.

In the No. 1 Doubles championship match, Andrews and Jones dropped the first set to Byng’s Goodman and Lacey by a 6-1 margin, then rebounded from the opening-set loss to take the final two sets by margins of 6-4 and 6-3, respectively, to capture the regional championship in No. 1 Doubles.

The No. 2 Doubles duo of Connor Matlock and Jayson Scott began their regional tournament action with a first-round bye, then defeated Nowata’s Fraunberger and Freeman in straight sets (7-5, 6-2) in the quarterfinal round.

Matlock and Scott secured their spot at State with a straight-set (6-1, 7-5) victory over Tecumseh’s Bone and Sack in their semifinal match.

The Henryetta duo saw their bid for a regional championship derailed in the championship match, falling in straight sets (6-1, 6-1) to Byng’s Mills and Ware to finish as regional runner-ups.

The Class 4A state tennis championships will get underway Friday at 8 a.m. at the Oklahoma City Tennis Center in Oklahoma City.

— Class 4A Regional Tournament Team Standings 1. Henryetta – 46 2. Byng – 39 3. Tecumseh – 29 4. Harrah – 28.5 5. Wagoner – 27 6. Bristow – 26.5 7. Sperry – 25.5 8. Okmulgee – 16.5 9. Nowata – 14 10. Perry – 12 — Henryetta Individual Results

No. 1 Singles – Ethan Lovell (Champion) First Round: received bye Quarterfinals: defeated Alex Meier (Perry); 6-0, 6-0 Semifinals: defeated Josh Edens (Bristow); 6-0, 6-0 Finals: defeated Alex Peterson (Harrah); 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 – No. 2 Singles – Nick Hudson (Champion) First Round: received bye Quarterfinals: defeated Ethan Brown (Sperry); 6-1, 6-1 Semifinals: defeated Hunter Murray (Byng); 7-5, 6-1 Finals: defeated Christian Swan (Harrah); 6-0, 6-2 – No. 1 Doubles – Sheldon Andrews and Brayden Jones (Champions) First Round: received bye Quarterfinals: defeated Horn/Heister (Perry); 6-0, 6-0 Semifinals: defeated Daley/McFarland (Wagoner); 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 Finals: defeated Goodman/Lacey (Byng); 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 – No. 2 Doubles – Connor Matlock and Jayson Scott (Runner-up) First Round: received bye Quarterfinals: defeated Fraunberger/Freeman (Nowata); 7-5, 6-2 Semifinals: defeated Bone/Sack (Tecumseh); 6-1, 7-5 Finals: lost to Mills/Ware (Byng); 6-1, 6-1