Sports

Southland boys tennis wins fifth consecutive region title

• The Raiders end the threat from Deerfield early on the final day of the GISA Region 3-AAA boys and girls tennis tourney.

Derek Barichello

ALBANY — Southland boys tennis coach Jimmy Thaxton had to sweat this one out.

On the final day of the Region 3-AAA tennis tournament at Darton College, the four-time defending champion Raiders needed to win one of the final two matches of the tournament to top Deerfield-Windsor, despite the fact his team — at this stage in the tournament — is usually sitting at the top with Deerfield-Windsor’s girls, which had already clinched their fifth consecutive region title a day before.

Thanks to Southland’s Brandon Vann, Thaxton didn’t have to wait long Tuesday.

“Yes!” was all that could be heard from Thaxton the second Vann defeated DWS’ Tyler Mason in the singles consolation match to secure the title, clinching Southland’s fifth consecutive title. “I don’t think I took an easy breath the last two hours. I really wanted it. It always feels more gratifying when you have to scrap for it.”

Though it was Vann who clinched it, most of Tuesday’s crowd gathered around the No. 1 singles championship to see Southland’s Chris Bird take on good friend Brett Nobles of Deerfield. The duo split matches during the regular season, with the tournament championship serving as the ultimate tiebreak.

But in the end after two tough sets, the glory was Bird’s.

After 2 1/2 hours and — despite Bird falling behind, 5-4, in the first set and then 3-0 in the second — he went on to win 7-5, 7-6 in a tiebreaker.

After losing to Nobles for his first time ever a week ago, Bird felt some nerves heading into the match.

“I feel like a weight has been taken off my back,” Bird said. “Since it’s my senior year and I’ve won it the last two years, I felt like I had to win.”

Bird was not alone.

When the match started and with the boys region title still up for grabs, Nobles knew if he could win, the Knights likely could go a long way to stealing a region title away from the Raiders.

“I felt that pressure at first, but (DWS boys and girls) coach (Meredith) Gruhl told me to take care of myself and not worry about anything else,” Nobles said. “Honestly, he just outplayed me. And if I had to lose to anybody, it’d be him.”

Earlier in the day, Southland’s five-time region champion doubles team of Tripp Parker and Justin Davis defeated Deerfield’s Graham Davis/Tommy Forrestal for the title.

With the team championship clinched, Thaxton finally relaxed and looked ahead to the state playoffs. In the past four seasons, the Raiders have lost in the GISA Class Final Four twice and in the championship, also twice.

“We’ll learn a lot this coming Monday,” said Thaxton of the GISA individual state tournament in Tifton, where the top four finishers from Tuesday’s region tournament on the boys and girls side will advance to play.

The team state tournament won’t be held until April 30 in Augusta, meaning Monday’s individual tournament will give all teams their first look at the competition throughout the state.

Added Thaxton: “We have an experienced group of kids but we don’t know much about the other regions until we see them in the individuals tournament.”

It’s the same outlook for Gruhl’s Lady Knights, with one big difference: Deerfield’s girls have won three of the past four state titles and know what it takes to get back.

Leading the charge in singles for DWS was No. 1 Sonya Belakhlef, who won her second consecutive region title, this time without giving up a single game after beating teammate Sarah Schatz, while the doubles duo of Taylor Hawke and Haley Fulford — which was the only DWS team to win an individual state title last year — lost its first four games of the tournament, but went on to defeat teammates Kelly Hoopes and Sarah Kitchen.

“I’ll take my team against anybody,” said Gruhl, whose team has a chance to be the first, boys or girls, in school history to win three state titles in a row. “We’ve won it back-to-back and I wouldn’t swap them. We’ll see Monday the kind of girls we’re up against and mix up the best lineup to get our three wins.”

With the girls’ business-like attitude in place, Deerfield’s boys’ near-win had most of Gruhl’s attention on the afternoon — and still had her smiling at day’s end.

“We applied the pressure,” Gruhl said. “They didn’t leave here without a challenge and that hasn’t always been true, so I’m proud of them.”

FRIENDS — NOT FOES

It all depended on the location Monday. When either Southfield or Deerfield’s players were on the court, it was a fierce competition, but off the court it was shared hugs, handshakes and photographs, giving Tuesday’s final day of competition a feeling of a family reunion – a “tennis” family that is.

“Our kids are friends with their kids,” Gruhl said. “It’s just like Jimmy (Thaxton) and I. I have a lot of respect for him and we’re friends off the court but when a match is going on, we’ll battle.”

FAMILY TIES

If it felt like a family reunion to Thaxton that’s because it was. His grandson Graham Davis plays on Deerfield, while his other grandson Brandon Vann plays on Southland.

“It’s one big tennis family,” Thaxton said, laughing.

A FASHION STATEMENT?

Deerfield No. 1 Belakhlef might just be too cool for school.

For the past two days — one of which was mostly overcast — the two-time region singles champ wore fashionable sunglasses for the second day inrow Tuesday, an unusual look for any tennis player.

Was the sun that strong?

Or maybe a good luck charm?

How about a superstition?

“No,” Belakhlef replied when asked about the glasses. “I just like to wear ’em.”

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