Flyers’ doubles tandem finishes as state runner-up in LHSAA tennis

STATE FINALISTS:  Sanders Graf (left) and Ravi Ahuja teamed to reach the boys’ Division III doubles championship match at the LHSAA Tennis Tournament, falling 6-4, 6-3. (Photo by JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports)

JOURNAL STAFF

MONROE – The Loyola Prep boys’ tennis program, highlighted by the state runner-up finish from the doubles pairing of Sanders Graf and Ravi Ahuja, came home in third place after the LHSAA Division III and IV Championships wrapped up Friday.

Graf/Ahuja won quarterfinal and semifinal matches Friday and played competitively in the state championship contest.

They rolled 6-1, 6-2 in the quarterfinals over Brinkman/Farque of St. Louis Catholic, then prevailed 6-3, 6-3 in the semis over Noah Beamon/Duke Stein of University Lab. In the state finals, Dillon Darby and Kai Reinauer of St. Louis Catholic battled to a 6-4, 6-3 victory over the Flyers’ tandem.

None of the other local quarterfinals qualifiers were able to advance to semifinal play on Friday.

Alexander Jayroe of Evangel reached boys’ singles quarterfinals, and Zaria Curry got to the girls’ singles quarters in Division IV.

Another Loyola doubles team, Bo Bowman and Gergor Ghali, also bowed in the quarterfinals in doubles action in Division III.

Results from semifinal and finals competition at the LHSAA Tennis Championships for Divisions III and IV:

Division III 

GIRLS 

Team scoring:

1. Newman, 11 ½

2. University, 10 ½ 

3. Sacred Heart – N.O., 10

4. tie, E.D. White, St. Louis Catholic, 6

5. Loyola, 4

6. tie, Catholic-N.I., Parkview Baptist, 3 

9. tie, Dunham, Menard, Notre Dame, 2

12. tie, Caldwell Parish, Jennings, Pope John Paul II, St. Thomas Aquinas, 1

SINGLES 

Semifinals: Mary Longmire, University d. Ava Onillion, Parkview 6-0, 6-0; Mariella Congeni, Sacred Heart-N.O. d. Joy Patten, E.D. White 6-0, 6-0. 

Finals: M. Longmire, University d. M. Congeni, Sacred Heart-N.O., 6-4, 6-4. 

DOUBLES 

Semifinals: Singer-Rodriguez, Sacred Heart-N.O. d. Payne-Phillips, Newman 6-4, 6-0; Cunningham-Gray, Newman d. Atkins-Buttross, St. Louis Catholic 6-4, 6-2. 

Finals: Cunningham-Gray, Newman d. Singer-Rodriguez, Sacred Heart-N.O. 6-1, 6-2. 

BOYS 

Team scoring:  

1. St. Louis Catholic, 13 ½ 

2. Newman, 11 ½ 

3. Loyola, 7 ½ 

4. University, 6

5. Acadiana Renaissance, 4 ½  

6. tie, Calvary, Dunham, Episcopal, Menard, 3

10. tie, Caldwell Parish, E.D. White, Lafayette Christian, 2 

13. tie, Pope John Paul II, St. Thomas Aquinas, Welsh, 1 

SINGLES 

Semifinals: Jett Nguyen, Acadiana-Renaissance d. Jackson Belcher, University, 6-3, 6-1; Carter Fayard, Newman d. Benjamin Reinauer, St. Louis Catholic, 6-3, 1-6, 6-2. 

Finals: C. Fayard, Newman d. J. Nguyen, Acadiana Renaissance 7-5, 3-6, 6-0. 

DOUBLES 

Semifinals: Sanders Graf-Ravi Ahuja, Loyola d. Noah Beamon-Duke Stein, University 6-3, 6-3; Dillon Darby-Kai Reinauer, St. Louis Catholic d. Mitchell Nelson-Archer VanDenburgh, Newman  6-1, 6-1. 

Finals: Darby-Reinauer, St. Louis Catholic d. Graf-Ahuja, Loyola 6-4, 6-3. 

Division IV  

GIRLS 

Team scoring:  

1. Louise McGehee, 12 

2. Christ Episcopal, 10

3. Oak Grove, 6 

4. tie, Episcopal-Acadiana, St. Frederick, 5

5. tie, Country Day-MP, Vermilion Catholic, 4

8. tie, Ascension Episcopal, Avoyelles Charter, Evangel, St. Mary’s, 3

12. St. Edmund, 2

13. tie, Cedar Creek, Claiborne Christian, Opelousas Catholic, Ouachita Christian, Westminster Christian, 1 

SINGLES 

Semifinals: Brooke Powers, Christ Episcopal d. Paras Odudu, St. Frederick 6-1, 6-0; Colette Prokop, Louise McGehee d. Jordan Dunbar, Avoyelles Charter 6-2, 6-0. 

Finals: Powers, Christ Episcopal d. Prokop, Louise McGehee 6-3, 6-0. 

DOUBLES 

Semifinals: Riley Burdett-Claire Luig, Christ Episcopal d. Alyssa McIntosh-Kenslee Gregory, Oak Grove 7-6, 6-4; Florence Dupuy-Ana King, Louise McGehee d. Emma Williams-Kinsley Sellers, Vermilion Catholic 6-0, 6-1. 

Finals: Dupuy-King, Louise McGehee d. Burdett-Luig, Christ Episcopal 6-4, 6-2. 

BOYS 

Team Scores:  

1. Christ Episcopal, 12

2. tie, Ascension Episcopal, St. Martin’s Episcopal, 6 ½ 

3. tie, St. Frederick, Vermilion Catholic, 5

6. tie, Forest, Ouachita Christian, 4

7. tie, Episcopal Acadiana, Houma Christian, St. Mary’s, 3

11. tie, Ascension Christian, Cedar Creek, Evangel, Country Day-MP, 2

15. tie, Avoyelles Charter, St. Edmund, Westminster Christian, 1

SINGLES 

Semifinals: Benjamin Chandler, Christ Episcopal d. Jesus Daiz, Houma Christian 6-3, 6-0; Patrick Laforge, St. Martin’s Episcopal d. Matthew Rhea, Christ Episcopal 6-1, 6-0.

Finals: LaForge, St. Martin’s Episcopal d. Chandler, Christ Episcopal 6-7, 7-6, 6-2.

DOUBLES 

Semifinals: Noah Trawick-David Daly, Ascension Episcopal d. Kolby Lipa-Aevin Howard, Ouachita Christian 6-2, 6-2; Dylan Burdett-Kai Harrison, Christ Episcopal d. Cutler Tuft-Dixon Tuft, St. Frederick 6-1, 6-0. 

Finals: Trawick-Daly, Ascension Episcopal d. Burdett-Harrison, Christ Episcopal 0-6, 6-2, 6-3.