Chasing championships: FPD's girls and Stratford boys take perfect season into GHSA championships

May 8, 2021 Central Georgia Sports Report

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Playing for and winning state championships is pretty much the normal at Stratford, where the boys have won four of the last five GHSA Class A Private state titles.

FPD is working to get to that point, and has reached the final step to truly start that process.

FPD’s girls will be in action early Saturday morning in the GHSA state tennis championship at Berry College in Rome. Girls action starts at 9 p.m.

Stratford’s boys will take the courts at 1 p.m.

The undefeated Vikings have knocked off Savannah Country Day and Walker 3-0 and Brookstone 3-2 in the postseason to reach the finals.

FPD has waited the 2020 canceled year to get past the 3-0 loss at home to Walker (the 2018 champ) in the 2019 semifinals, its best finish. That followed first-round losses in 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2017.

The Vikings’ expected lineup is a mix of experience, except for juniors, but major success. Seniors Kennedi Jones (14-1 in singles) and McKenzie Gleaton/Savannah Terrell (the 13-2 doubles team) are the veterans.

Natalie Griffin (17-0) is a sophomore, as is No. 2 doubles Abby Gayle Moody (10-0). And there are freshmen 16-1 Yvonne Shannon and doubles half Kiya Israel.

Mt. Paran is also looking for its first GHSA girls title.

“They’re the 2 seed out of a very strong Region 7,” FPD head coach Derek Lashley said. “Their lineup is stacked at singles to where they’ve won all their matches from the singles lineup.”

Stratford’s boys are also undefeated at 19-0, a perfect record for the third straight year.

And the Eagles have a lineup broad in experience, with two seniors, one junior, two sophomores and two freshmen as part of a versatile lineup.

All three likely singles starters are undefeated: senior Thomas Brewer at 15-0, senior Will Fackler at 7-0, and freshman Cam Douthit at 16-0.

Douthit stepped up in place of senior Fackler, who missed about five weeks.

Junior Ayush Patel and sophomore Ishaan Narsinghani team up, as do sophomore Liam Fickling and freshman Jude Burgess. Patel is 12-1 in doubles and came up big in some postseason singles, and Narsinghani is filling in for Gunn Bush, who is participating in sectional track.

“We’re playing a tough Wesleyan School, who we know has a strong singles and doubles lineup,” Stratford head coach Jaime Kaplan said. “They have not lost a postseason match on their way to the finals.”

Stratford beat Wesleyan in a 2019 semifinal, and the Wolves lost to runner-up Paideia in the 2018 second round and was a first-round out in 2017.

GHSA Tennis

Saturday

Rome Tennis Center

Girls (9 a.m.)

Class 7A

Walton vs. Lambert

Class 6A

Johns Creek vs. Cambridge

Class 5A

McIntosh vs. Northview

Class 4A

North Oconee vs. Marist

Class 3A

Westminster vs. Greater Atlanta Christian

Class 2A

Pace Academy vs. Lovett

Class A Public

Irwin County vs. Telfair County

Class A Private

Mount Paran vs. First Presbyterian

Boys (1 p.m.)

Class 7A

North Gwinnett vs. Lambert