CANEY BAY — Brantley County High School’s Lady Herons and Herons are headed to the “Final Four” Saturday.
Both BCHS programs, seeded first in their respective Clasa A Division I brackets, are making a fourth consecutive trip to the semifinals. Both the semis and finals ares being played May 10 at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College.
The Lady Herons (205) have dropped just one match in beating 32ndseed Dublin (5-0), 16thseed Thomasville (3-0) and eighth-seed ACE Charter of Macon (3-1) all at home.
The match with ACE Charters came in the “Elite 8”.
Brantley County will face a familiar foe in Region 1 member Berrien, a 12th-seed, in one semifinal. Sixth-seed Armuchee will face seventh-seed Jeff Davis, a 3-1 winner over second-seed Bleckley County.
The Lady Yellow Jackets’ win gives Region 1 three teams in the semifinals.
The Herons (24-2) have not dropped a match beating 32d-seed Coosa 3-0, 17th-seed Commerce 3-0 and eighth-seed Rabun County 5-0 in an “Elite 8” matchup.
BCHS meets up with fifth-seed Model in one semifinal pairing. Thirdseed Bleckley County tangles with seventh-seed ACE Charter in the other matchup.
‘Elite 8’ No. 1 Lady Herons ...3 No. 8 ACE Charter....1
Brantley County clinched the match winning all three singles matches to turn back the Lady Gryphons.
Brooklyn Wildes posted a 7-5, 6-0 victory at No. 1 singles over Manleen Saini. Rylee Strickland blanked Manveer Saini at No. 2 winning 6-0, 6-0. Haley Jane Smith notched a 6-2, 6-0 victory at No. 3 against Elizabeth Mills.
Summer Colley and Bri Crews were even at 1apiece at No. 1 doubles losing the first set 6-2 and winning the second set 62 against Virginia Register and Samantha Lee. The No. 2 duo of Harlee Driggers and Savannah Carroll fell 6-0, 6-2 to Kaitlyn Dixon and Rynn Murphy.
Quarterfinals No. 1 Herons............3 No. 17 Commerce ....0
A win in singles action and a sweep of the doubles matches losing just three games lifted Brantley County past the Tigers.
Patrick O’Quinn posted a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 2 singles against Gavin Rogers. Both Rohan Davis and Owen Spradley were up one set and leading in the second when their matches were pulled. Davis held a 6-2, 4-1 lead at No. 1 over Will Harden while Spradely was up 6-3, 3-2 at No. 3 against Dante Smith-Hernandez.
The No. 1 doubles tandem of Tucker O’Quinn and Jayce Chapman recorded a 6-2, 6-1 decision against Mason Brown and Jackson Brown. The No. 2 team of Evan Payne and Jett Florey rolled 6-0, 6-0 over Boston brown and Jude Forrester.
‘Elite 8’ No. 1 Herons............5 No. 8 Rabun Co. ......0
The Herons captured five straight-set victories in knocking off Rabun Co.
Davis turned back Lleyton Phillip 6-0, 6-3 at No. 1 with Spradley winning by identical scores against Travis Keener at No. 3. Patrick O’Quinn downed Landan Bedingfield 6-1, 61 at No. 2.
The No. 1 doubles team of Tucker O’Quinn and Chapman knocked off Robbie Fountain and Brady Darnell 6-2, 6-1. The No. 2 duo of Payne and Florey notched a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Braylon Kelly and Andrew Conner.
