By Lee Davis
Journal Sports Writer
One of Alabama’s greatest sports dynasties reasserted itself last weekend. And another dynasty seems to be getting a head of steam.
The Mountain Brook girls’ tennis team staged a last day rally to win its 26th Class 6A state championship at Mobile’s Copeland Cox Tennis Center.
Coach Susan Farlow’s team finished with 64 points to slip past runner-up Huntsville’s 57 total and defending champion Vestavia Hills’ 56 score.
“When we won No. 2 and 3 doubles, we started feeling better about things,” Farlow said. “But it still wasn’t over.”
Meanwhile, the Vestavia boys were doing pretty well with the dynasty thing, too. The Rebels won their fourth consecutive Class 6A title. Vestavia scored 85 points to easily outdistance runner-up Mountain Brook’s 61 total.
“We played hard all day,” Vestavia coach Adam Kolasa said. “We had big expectations and pulled through. When you execute your strategy to perfection, it’s a good feeling. We had great teamwork. Everyone was pulling for each other.”
The Mountain Brook girls won four of the six singles finals and two of the three doubles championships.
Carlee Petro defeated Huntsville’s Emma Burgess for the No. 1 title, Olivia Howe defeated Huntsville’s Emily Grace Forbes for the No. 3 crown, Lil Kilgore defeated Huntsville’s Renee Melkerson for the No. 5 seed and Elinor Anthony defeated Huntsville’s Laura Walker for the No. 6 title.
Vestavia’s Hannah Nelson handled Decatur’s Anna-Quinn Weaver for the No. 2 title. The Rebels’ Rebecca Pearlman was defeated by Huntsville’s Audrea Walker for the No. 4 championship.
In doubles, Mountain Brook won two of the three seeds.
Howe and Kilgore defeated Vestavia’s Kristen Jebeles and Harper Anderson for the No. 2 seed victory. Sarah Cooper and Kat Sours overcame Vestavia’s Bailey Hymer and Pearlman for the No. 3 spot.
Spain Park’s duo of Daryn Ellison and Kendal Holladay defeated Vestavia’s Haley Harmon and Nelson in the No. 1 doubles.
“What makes high school tennis great is the fact that it’s a team sport,” Farlow said. “The kids play as individuals but play for a team. Every win is important at this stage.”
The Vestavia boys claimed victory in four of the six singles seed finals.
Ziqi Wange defeated Bob Jones’ Vince Rettke in the No. 1 finals, Cabel Cantrell defeated Huntsville’s Anthony Pelegrini in the No. 2 singles, Jack Patton defeated Mountain Brook’s Yates Jackson in the No. 4 seed and Brian Akhtar defeated Will Cook in the No. 5 finals.
Mountain Brook’s Ben Shearer defeated Vestavia’s John Morson in the No. 3 finals. The Spartans’ David Faulkner defeated the Rebels’ Paul Taylor in the No. 5 finals.
In the doubles finals, Wang and Cantrell overcame Mountain Brook’s Jacob Weinacker and Shearer in the No. 1 seed. Morson and Patton defeated Huntsville’s Pelegrini and Cook in the No. 2 seed. Akhtar and Taylor defeated Mountain Brook’s Will Hargrove and Faulkner in the No. 3 seed.
