Cougars win state championship without dropping a set

May 14—OKLAHOMA CITY — The Ada High School boy's tennis team didn't leave any doubt about who the best team in Class 4A was this spring.

The Cougars steamrolled to a Class 4A state title with a dominant run through the state tournament Friday and Saturday at the Oklahoma City Tennis Center.

How dominant was Ada on the way to the crown? The Cougars never lost a set on the way to winning the team title and capturing state titles in all four individual divisions. It was the 15th overall state championship for the storied Ada boys tennis program but the first title since 2019. That year, the Cougars had completed a rare four-peat.

"I don't have the words to describe how proud I am of this team," Ada head coach Terry Swopes told The Ada News. "For six years they have worked incredibly hard and have pushed each other on and off the court. and they literally saved the best for last."

Swopes believes it's the first time in history, an Ada team has swept through the state tournament.

The Cougars finished with 36 team points, easily out-distancing private-school power Tulsa Metro Christian, who settled for the runner-up with 21 points. Elk City finished third with 19 points followed by Casady with 18.

All six Ada High state qualifiers — Brady Bacon, Tate Danielson, Drew Lillard, Halston Redwine, Jackson Swopes and Anthony Towers — are seniors. and while the rest of Class 4A tennis won't miss those guys for a minute, the Cougar tennis team will have big shoes to fill. The official Ada High tennis roster lists two sophomores, two freshmen and zero juniors.

"I am going to miss them all greatly next year, but they left an amazing legacy for younger players to follow," Swopes said.

To add a little icing on the cake, the Cougars were also named the Class 4A State Academic champions.

No. 1 Singles

Halston Redwine captured the No. 1 Singles championship with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Austustine Huston of Mt. Saint Mary in the finals.

Redwine disposed of Alex Peterson of Harrah 6-2, 6-2 in a semifinal matchup.

Redwine won a pair of matches by identical scores of 6-0, and 6-1 on Friday. He defeated Zac Daley of Wagoner in the first round and topped Max Murry of Elk City in the quarterfinals.

Redwine finished the spring with a 23-3 overall record.

No. 2 Singles

Brady Bacon was sizzling in his No. 2 Singles championship matchup with Christian Huntley of Tulsa Metro Christian, pitching a 6-0, 6-0 shutout.

Bacon took down Jackson Ivester of Elk City 6-3, 6-0 in the semifinals.

Brady opened his state tournament with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Andreas Markey of Harding Charter in a first-round match and then blanked Jeret Stone of Rejoice Christian 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals.

He finished his stellar spring season with an 18-3 record.

No. 1 Doubles

Ada's No. 1 Doubles team of Tate Danielson and Jackson Swopes defeated Casady standouts Warner Hayhurst and Thatcher Wallis 6-1 in the opening set of their championship matchup and then held off the CHS duo 6-4 to claim the title.

They weren't tested much before that.

Danielson and Swopes pushed past Isaac Green and Jacob Medina of Pauls Valley 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals.

The Ada team opened the state tournament by shutting out Joel Ferguson and Kellan Glaven of Oklahoma Christian Academy 6-0, 6-0 and then breezed to a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Seth Bartels and Connor McCann of Tulsa Metro Christian in the quarterfinals.

Danielson and Swopes finished their senior campaign with an overall mark of 24-6.

No. 2 Doubles

No. 2 Doubles partners Drew Lillard and Anthony Towers had the toughest Saturday of the Ada bunch.

In the championship match, they defeated a talented team from Elk City — Spence Brewer and Rafe Coslow — 6-2, 6-4 to claim the title.

Lillard and Towers edged Bryce Hardy and Christian Whiteside of Tulsa Metro Christian 7-5 in a back-and-forth first set during their semifinal match before securing the victory with a 6-1 win in set No. 2.

Lillard and Towers had little trouble on Friday. They rolled to a 6-1, 6-0 opening round victory over Eli Redman and Paxton Smith of Oklahoma Christian Academy before blanking the Pauls Valley team of Angel Reyes and Max Villanueve 6-0, 6-0 in a quarterfinal matchup.

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May 10-11

BOYS

Class 4A State Tournament

At OKC Tennis Center

Team Standings

1. ADA 36

2. Metro Christian 21

3. Elk City 19

4. Casady 18

5. Mount Saint Mary 7

6. Harrah 6

tie Pauls Valley 6

tie Lincoln Christian 6

tie OCS 6

tie Tecumseh 6

11. Byng 5

12. Seminole 4

13. Douglass 3

14. Rejoice Christian 1

Ada Individual Results

SINGLES

1. Halston Redwine (Ada) def. Augustine Huston (Mt. Saint Mary) 6-3,6-2 (1st Place)

2. Brady Bacon (Ada) def. Christian Huntley (Metro Christian) 6-0,6-0 (1st Place)

DOUBLES

1. Tate Danielson/Jackson Swopes (Ada) def. Hayhurst/Wallis (Casady) 6-1,6-4 (1st Place)

2. Drew Lillard/Anthony Towers (Ada) def. Brewer/Coslow (Elk City) 6-2,6-4 (1st Place)