VALDOSTA — Brantley County’s Herons made it five region titles in a row beating Jeff Davis 3-0 in the Region 1 championship match here Tuesday at McKey Park to earn the top seed in the Georgia Power Rankings.
The Herons (21-2), who posted an 8-0 region record and have tied the program record for most wins, opened the tournament with a 3-0 victory over fourth-seed Berrien followed by the championship win over the second- seed Yellow Jackets.
BCHS has won 12 of the last 15 region tournaments it has participated in. The Herons, who have lost just three region matches dating back to the 2011 season, were a region runner-up in 2014 and 2019. The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID epidemic.
Brantley County is led by the senior class foursome of Patrick and Tucker O’Quinn, Rohan Davis and Dalton Howell. The O’Quinns and Davis join two other alums of winning seven consecutive middle school conference championships and region titles in program history.
Brantley County opens state tournament play against 32nd-seed Coosa. Regionmate Berrien, the 16th seed, is in the same quadrant and faces No. 17 Commerce.
Jeff Davis, seeded sixth, faces region foe Fitzgerald, the No. 27 seed. Bacon County, the 14th seed, is hosting region opponent Worth County, seeded 19th. Thomasville, the No. 21 seed, travels to 12th-seed Bremen.
Semifinals Herons ....................3 Berrien ...................0
Two 6-0, 6-0 victories in doubles action and a victory at No. 1 singles lifted Brantley County past the Rebels.
The No. 1 tandem of Tucker O’Quinn and Jayce Chapman had no trouble with Andrew Flowers and Cayden Echols. The No. 2 team of Evan Payne and Jeff Florey followed suit against Stoney Cooper and Caleb Farris. Payne and Florey need 12 minutes to win the first set and 14 to finish off the second set.
Davis posted a 6-2, 6-0 victory over connor Fender. Patrick O’Quinn was leading 6-0, 3-2 at No. 2 singles against Rowan Mathis when the match was stopped. Owen Spradley, who woud set the single season win total mark of 22 victories in the finals, led Eli Soeffer 6-0, 5-1 at No. 3 when the match was stopped.
Finals Herons ....................3 Jeff Davis ................0
The Herons’ doubles teams once again made quick work of the opposition clinching the victory with Spradley’s win at No. 3 singles.
Tucker O’Quinn and Chapman posted a 6-2, 60 victory at No. 1 doubles over Kenny Newton and Chandler Henry. Florey and Payne went one better at No. 2 beating Bentley Poe and Asher Mims 6-1, 6-0.
Spradley knocked off Gaidon Diaz 6-0, 6-1 for the win. Davis trailed 2-6, 4-3 against Daniel Mims at No. 1 while Patrick O’Quinn was lead 6-3, 3-0 at No. 2 against Bryce Woods when the matches were called.
