Faith Academy boys tennis is state runner-up

CAPTION: Junior Jaden Turrentine finishes the 2024 season as the consolation champion of the Class 3A Region South tournament. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Faith Academy of Marble Falls boys tennis finished as the 2024 Class 3A state runners-up of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools April 17-18.

Waco Live Oak won the state title with 14.5 points. The Flames earned 14 points.

The Flames were led by Connor Evans at No. 1 singles, who won the individual silver medal after losing to Ike Davidson of Dallas Lutheran, the tournament’s No. 1 seed, 2-6, 0-6.

The state tournament was single elimination.

Faith Academy’s Grant Nagle, who was seeded No. 8, lost to Davidson in the first round 0-6, 1-6.

The boys doubles team of senior Micah Anderson and sophomore Luke Patterson lost in the quarterfinals, while freshmen Ever Bigtree and Brandon Wood lost in the first round.

Every Lady Flame lost in the first round.

A fun addition to the state tournament is a mixed doubles bracket, Faith head coach David Marsh said.

“It’s a total exhibition or fun deal for kids who didn’t qualify for state,” he said.

Jason Kennedy and Kate Green lost in the first round to Cornerstone Christian Academy.

The Flames won the Class 3A Region South tournament April 4 led by Evans, who won all four of his matches. He’s been playing the sport for eight years.

“He’s an exceptional athlete,” Marsh said. “He’s very coordinated and very quick. He was among the tops seeds.”

Nagle was the consolation champion with a 5-1 record.

“Grant did it the hard way,” the coach said. “Grant got beat by the young man Connor played in the final.”

In boys doubles, Anderson and Patterson finished third at the district tournament, while Bigtree and Wood finished fifth.

“(Bigtree and Wood) have a great future,” Marsh said.

In girls singles, Jaden Turrentine won the consolation championship.

“She also did it the hard way,” the coach said. “She drew the girl who was the eventual champion.”

The girls doubles team of Halley Offset and Alyana Reyes finished sixth.

Marsh believes the sophomore duo will only get better.

“I’m looking forward to that,” he said.

The team of Kate Green and Kamryn Warren “needed one more match to qualify for state,” the coach said. The team retired during the consolation championship because of fatigue.

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RESULTS

Class 3A state tournament of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools

Boys

Singles

Connor Evans def. Kai Moody (San Jacinto Christian Academy) 6-3, 6-0 in the first round; def. Caleb Tober 6-1, 6-0 in the second round; def. Christian Norwood (Bishop Gorman Catholic School) 6-4, 6-3; lost to Ike Davidson (Dallas Lutheran School) 2-6, 0-6.

Grant Nagle lost to Ike Davidson (Dallas Lutheran School) 0-6, 0-6 in the first round.

Doubles

Patterson and Anderson def. Yang and Martin (Trinity School of Midland) 6-2, 7-6 in the first round; lost to Manlove and Penniman (New Braunfels Christian Academy) 4-6, 0-6.

Bigtree and Wood lost to Kaczor and Belz (Trinity School of Midland) 7-6, 6-2

Girls

Singles

Jaden Turentine lost to Taylor Lewis (Lakehill Prep School) 1-6, 0-6 in the first round

Doubles

Reyes and Offutt lost to Pitts and Pahmiyer (Waco Live Oak), 2-6, 0-6

Mixed doubles

Kennedy and Green lost to Dorman and Ore 4-8

Class 3A Region South tournament

Boys

Singles

Connor Evans def. Sarim Rizvi (Keystone School) 8-1 in the second round; def. Nickel Evans (Houston St. Francis Episcopal) 8-5; def. Tyler Burton (Bryan Brazos Christian) 8-1; def. Blain Montgomery (San Marcos Academy) 8-3 in district championship

Grant Nagle def. Garfield Green (Lutheran High School) 8-0; lost to Caleb Tober (New Braunfels Christian Academy) 8-6; def. Truman Ford (Houston First Baptist Christian Academy) 8-3; def. Benjamin Eckel (New Braunfels Christian Academy) 8-6 in consolation championship

Doubles

Bigtree and Wood def. Diaz-Baez and Williams (Xavier Academy) 8-0 in the second round; lost to Blackstone and Harper (San Marcos Academy) 0-8 in the third round; def. McCollum and Leidy (New Braunfels Christian) 8-4; lost to Mikeska Carraway (Bryan Brazos Christian) 2-8

Patterson and Anderson def. Martinez and Webb (Lutheran High School) 8-5 in the second round; def. Mikeska and Carraway (Bryan Brazos Christian) 10-9 in the third round; lost to Manlike and Penman (New Braunfels Christian); lost to Blackstone and Harper 4-8 for third place

Girls

Singles

Jaden Turrentine lost to Zoe Wang (Keystone School) 1-8 in the second round; def. Lauren Gefriedes (First Baptist Christian Academy) 8-3 in the second round; def. May Dorsey (Northland Christian High School) 8-2; def. Ella Benavides (Houston St. Frances Episcopal) 8-2 for consolation championship

Doubles

Green and Warren lost to Mock Feigl (San Marcos Academy) 2-8 in the second round; def Sublette and Keshay (San Antonio Keystone School) 8-4 in the third round; def. Young and Benefiel (The Christian School at Castleberry) 8-3 in the fourth round; retired against Arnosky and Wu (Keystone School) 0-1 in consolation championship.

Offut and Reyes def. Arnosky and Wu (Keystone School) 8-0 in the second round; lost to Pierre and Canfield (Houston St. Francis Episcopal) 8-10; def. McReynolds and Riordan (Bryan Brazos Christian) 8-2; lost to Mock Feigl (San Marcos Academy) 6-8 to finish sixth

Junior High

Mason Invitational

Seventh grade

Boys

Singles

Silver medal — Asher Galyon

Girls

Singles

Consolation champion — Day Scott

Doubles

Bronze medalists — Gracie Robison and Grace Owens

Eighth grade

Mixed doubles

Bronze medalists — Ella Lewis and Beckett Rutter