Victories over McAlester help Ada finish third

Jeff Cali, The Ada News, Okla.
·3 min read

May 6—The No. 1 Doubles third-place match pitting Ada freshmen Jackson Swopes and Tate Danielson against the McAlester combo of Alhtoba Haynes and Dustin Wall most definitely had an Ada-McAlester vibe to it.

With the second set tied at 1-1, Wall called a shot by Danielson long. Swopes didn't see it that way.

"But you hit it. Are you sure it was out?" Swopes said as more of a statement than a question.

Wall stuck to his story and the McAlester squad looked like they had stolen the momentum after Ada had won the first set 6-4.

But the controversial call seemed to motivate the Ada duo — and Swopes confirmed it after the match. The Cougars scored eight of the next nine points and won three games in a row en route to a 6-4 victory in the second set to complete the sweep.

That Cougar victory helped Ada finish third the tough 16-team Ada TennisTournament Tuesday at the Ada Tennis Center. Quite a feat considering two starters — Noah Watkins and Wyatt Brown — were out with sickness and injury.

"That's not bad considering we had to use a makeshift lineup," said Ada head coach Terry Swopes.

Henryetta won the team title with 60 points, followed by Duncan with 51 and Ada with 49.

McAlester and Shawnee ended up tied for fifth place with 44 points apiece.

Norman North followed in sixth place with 43 points and the Byng High School tennis squad finished seven with 40 points.

There was also an Ada-McAlester matchup in No. 2 Singles finals, but that battle didn't contain nearly the drama. Ada's Halston Redwine and Boady Ross strolled past McAlester's Rhylan Riddel and Vaughn Stachmus 6-1, 6-0. There were several games in the second set that went to deuce, but the Cougars wouldn't let the Buffaloes score.

Ada freshman Drew Lillard dived into the No. 1 Singles division and fared well. He battled all the way to the championship match before dropping a 6-0, 6-0 decision to Ayden Andrews of Henryetta.

In an all-Ada matchup in No. 2 Singles, freshman Brady Bacon turned back Trenton Hensley 6-3, 6-1 for ninth place.

The Ada II No. 2 Doubles team of Daxton Dorman and Anthony Towers dropped a 7-5, 6-3 decision to Hughes and Lin of Duncan and finished 10th.

The Cougars host a Class 5A Regional Tournament next Monday at the Ada Tennis Center. Other schools included in that regional are rivals Ardmore and McAlester, Crossings Christian, Del City, Sapulpa and Tahlequah.

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Ada High Tennis Tournament

Team Standings

1. Henryetta 60

2. Duncan 51

3. Ada 49

4. McAlester 44

tie Shawnee 44

6. Norman North 43

7. Byng 40

8. Carl Albert 35

9. Guthrie 25

10. Seminole 15

tie Ardmore 15

12. Ada II 13

13. McAlester II 7

tie Duncan II 7

15. Byng II 6

16. Shawnee II 2

Ada individual Results

SINGLES

1. Ayden Andrews (Henryetta) def. Drew Lillard (Ada) 6-0,6-0 (1st Place)

2. Brady Bacon (Ada II) def. Trenton Hensley (Ada) 6-3,6-1 (9th Place)

DOUBLES

1. Tate Danielson/Jackson Swopes (Ada) def. Haynes/Wall (McAlester) 6-4,6-4 (3rd Place)

2. Halston Redwine/Boady Ross (Ada) def. Riddell/Stachmus (McAlester) 6-1,6-0 (1st Place)

2. Hughes/Lin (Duncan II) def. Daxton Dorman/Anthony Towers (Ada II) 7-5,6-3 (9th Place)