CANEY BAY — Brantley County’s No. 1 seed Lady Herons captured their second straight GHSA state tennis title here Saturday rallying to beat seventh-seed Region 1 foe Jeff Davis 3-2 for the Class A Division 1 crown.
“After winning the boys’ championship and celebration, we as coaches had to reset and refocus in getting the girls ready to face a familiar foe,” said head coach Patrick Stieve.
The victory gave Brantley County High School a sweep of the tennis titles, a feat accomplished 43 previous times (32 by private schools) since GHSA formated to team tennis in 1995.
Westminster can accomplish the feat in Class 4A with a victory by the Lady Lions. The private school power has 10 sweeps.
It’s just the second sweep in 30 years (2020 not played) for a public school program in the smallest classification. Telfair County won both titles in 2019.
The Class A DI championship matchup was a rematch of the 2024 Class AA finals played in Rome with the Lady Herons notching a 3-2 victory. The Lady Yellow Jackets ousted BCHS in the 2023 semifinals with a 3-0 victory en route to winning the title.
Top-seed Brantley County, winners of 10 consecutive playoff rounds, knocked out regionmate Berrien, seeded 12th, 3-0 in the Wednesday, March 14 semifinals. BCHS improved to 2-3 in the semis.
The Lady Jackets advanced to the championship match with a 3-1 road win against secondseed Bleckley County.
Saturday’s title match was the second-ever state championship played on the BCHS campus following the first-ever earlier in the day with the Herons capturing an elusive state title against Bleckley County.
The semifinals and finals, scheduled a week earlier in Rome, were postponed because of impending severe weather Saturday, May 10. Both rounds were moved to campus sites around the state.
BCHS’s second title gave the school system three total in girls’ tennis. Hoboken’s Alma Chancey claimed the first winning 6-4, 6-0 for the 1956 Class C singles title.
Hoboken’s Carolyn Aldridge and Iva Lee Aldridge finished runnerup in the 1957 Class C doubles tournament falling 6-3, 6-2 in the finals. Carolyn Aldridge would also finish second ruing the 1958 Class C singles tournament losing 62, 4-6, 6-4).
Carolyn Aldridge and Dale Sheppard reached the 1956 Class C semifinals in doubles. Nahunta’s Mary Lou Ellis also reached the semis in the 1962 Class B tournament.
The Lady Herons’ Kim Tucker (1984) and Tannis Sloan (1991) each lost in the Class AA singles finals.
Brantley County’s seniors wrapped up their careers winning three middle school conference championships, two region runner-up finishes, two region titles and two state titles.
Championship No. 1 Lady Herons ...3 No. 7 Jeff Davis ........2
No. 1 singles player Brooklyn Wildes recorded a 6-1 decision in the third set against the Lady Yellow Jackets’ Cori Mims for the victory breaking a 2-all tie.
Wildes overcame a oneset deficit rally for the 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 win ending a twoplus hour marathon.
“She is one of our most decorated players in program history,” Stieve said. “Brooklyn clawed her way back into the match. She jumped to a 5-0 lead in the third set and closed it out. It was like the year before.
“Summer Colley and Chasadee Waldron rattled off 12 games in a row last year to give the Lady Herons their first title. It was a dramatic moment.” Raylee Strickland, who set the all-time school program record for career wins with 87, gave BCHS an early 1-0 lead beating Lila Walters 6-0, 6-2 at No. 2 singles.
Jeff Davis followed with a sweep of the doubles action needing a win at No. 1 singles or No. 3 singles for a second title in three years.
“Even down a set, both doubles teams found some momentum in the second set to gain leads,” said Stieve.
Brantley County’s No. 1 doubles team of Summer Colley and Bri Crews fell 6-4, 6-3 to Presley Cox and Ava Coleman. The No. 2 duo of Harlee Driggers and Savannah Carroll also fell 6-4, 6-3 to Skye Sellers and Caylin Carter.
The Lady Herons tied the match when No. 3 Haley Jane Smith recorded a 6-, 7-5 decision over Ryleigh King setting a new single-season win mark with her 31st.
Semifinals No. 1 Lady Herons ...3 No. 12 Berrien .........0
Brantley County dropped four games in sweeping the singles matches to clinch the victory.
Wildes blanked Joci Holbrook 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles. Strickland notched a 6-2, 6-1 decisions at No. 2 over Emmi Warren. Smith posted a 61, 6-0 win at No. 3 over Kayla Wiley.
The Lady Herons’ No. 1 doubles team of Summer Colley and Bri Crews was a set down 6-2 and tied at 3-all in the second set when the match was called. Driggers and Carroll lost the first set 6-3 and led 4-0 in the second when play was halted.
