When Ollie Haines took to the tennis court in Lexington for the KHSAA Boys’ Singles State Tournament, it was nearly impossible to tell he was only an eighth grader. He didn’t shy away from the big stage, beating two seeded players en route to a quarterfinals finish and an All-State nod.
“Ollie was resilient today,” Owensboro catholic boys Head Coach Branden Haines said. “He got behind early and rightfully so, but after an hour in, he found it. Once he grabbed control, he didn’t let go. He was comfortable and confident down the stretch. It was big time for him to get the round of 16 match across the finish line. He beat two seeded players to get All-State, and that doesn’t happen every day in the sport.”
Having advanced to the round of 16 after finishing 2-0 at semi-state, Haines fell behind Corbin High School’s Nathaniel Hill 6-1, but stormed back to take the second set 6-2, before edging out his opponent 10-7 in a third set tiebreaker.
In the quarterfinals, Haines fell to Kentucky Country Day’s Charles Lewis, who was seeded third overall, 6-1, 6-1. Joining Haines in the round of 16 was the Aces doubles team of Joseph Merchant and Henry Haines, who lost a heartbreaker to Elizabethtown’s Nolan Parsons and Ben Hanson.
Haines and Merchant dropped the first set 6-2, but responded with a 6-2 win in the second set, before falling 10-7 in the third set tiebreakers.
“Joseph and Henry have been playing some of their best tennis coming into today,” Branden Haines said. “They split their first two sets and came up a couple points shy of winning. A couple of balls just didn’t go their way.”
Owensboro High School’s doubles team of John Clay Ford and Walker Gaddis was also in attendance, falling to Beechwoods Neel Reddy and Andrew Dunaway (6-3, 6-3).
“They had a great run, and I was proud to coach them,” Owensboro boys Head Coach Clay Ford said. “We couldn’t get it done today, but I thought we improved in each match we played. Walker has been fun to have on our team for so many years. He is going to accomplish great things in his next steps in life. I’m excited to see John Clay and the rest of our team improve before next season.”
Daviess County was represented by the singles players of Landon McDuffee and Jenna Faulkner, who both lost in the round of 16. McDuffee also lost to Kentucky Country Day’s Charles Lewis (6-0, 6-3), while Faulkner fell to Lexington Christian’s Katie Lankford (6-1, 6-0).
“Landon played great. He drew the No. 3 seed and had a tough match,” Daviess County Head Coach Dylan McDuffee said. “Once he got in the point, he could hang in there. He played much better in the second set. Jenna drew the No. 1 seed, and she left her heart out on the court. I am very proud of her. As an eighth grader, I think she can be a top contender one day.”
Both Daviess County’s girls’ team and Owensboro Catholic’s boys’ team will be back in action later this week for the KHSAA Team State Tournament.
