Both varsity teams from Starr’s Mill played in the Blue Angels Southern Tennis Invitational in Pensacola the first weekend in March. Against teams from all over the Southeast – including state champions from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Georgia – the boys won the tournament title and the girls finished fifth.
Both squads opened the event by defeating Leon High of Tallahassee, then they turned around and played a second Friday night match against Oxford High of Mississippi, a multiple state champion. The boys won and the girls lost.
In the boys’ semifinals against Pensacola Catholic, the Panthers pulled out a 5-4 win to earn a chance to play for the championship They prevailed in the final round over two-time Georgia champion Brookwood High from Snellville.
The boys were led all weekend by Dubie Dubin, Shaaz Peerani, John Hunter, Davis Wall, Noah McPherson, Max Yelken, Cambron Kelly, Corey Soper, Chris Sellers and Drew Dohany.
The girls fell to the Silver Bracket and took fifth place with a win over The Bolles School from Jacksonville. They were led by Elena Wernecke, Sydney Soto, Erin Hunter, Mary Katherine Lloyd, Olivia Walker, Megan Fox, Caroline Kingsley, Megan Beck and Danni Vivas.
Going into this weekend’s play at the Deco Turf Southern Invitational in Chattanooga, the boys are 9-0 and the girls are 6-2.
