Lehi Sports
Falcon netters upset LP, end 2nd in region meet
Beky Beaton / Lehi Free Press
The Skyridge boys tennis team was seeded No. 3 going into the Region 3 tournament, hosted by Corner Canyon High School in Draper on April 23 and 24. However, they topped the No. 2 Knights in the semifinals and then finished second in the tournament behind defending state champion American Fork.
During the hotly-contested league season, the Cavemen earned a 30-12 record and a combined 68.93 seeding points to get the top spot. Lone Peak had a 33-9 mark but was second with 65.86 points, while the Falcons had a 22-20 record and 62.19 points.
Skyridge’s depth won the day for them as they escaped the Knights 4-3 to advance to the championship match. They gave the state title holders a run for the money too, but American Fork closed out the event with a 4-3 victory.
In the semifinal, Lone Peak’s Cash Dowdle prevailed over Falcon freshman Mack Mandelaris 6-0, 7-6 (7-2) in the First Singles bracket. However, in No. 2 Singles, junior Crew Mandelaris got the better of Jonah Hansen 6-2, 6-3 to even the tally.
In Third Singles, Knight Levi Johnson defeated junior Cam Higginbotham 6-4, 6-3 to get another point for his team. At No. 4 Singles, Skyridge responded again as junior Parker Swope battled through a long match against Luke Perliss and pulled out the win 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.
Lone Peak’s Cache Garner and Luke Miller combined to tally a win in First Doubles 6-2, 6-0 over sophomore Michael Sperry and freshman JJ Lewis. That was the end of their victories though since the Falcons competed successfully in the other two doubles pairings.
In the No. 2 spot, senior Ben Schmidt and junior Jace Peck crafted a 6-3, 0-6, 6-4 victory over Ashton Cahoon and Everett Lee. In Third Doubles, it was freshman Walker Johnson and senior Sam Droubay surviving a tough bout 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) over Bode Rogers and Max Berry.
In the region title match, the Cavemen won the first three singles bouts but then needed to garner a win at No. 3 Doubles to reclaim the region title.
Braeden Johnson prevailed over Mack Mandelaris 6-1, 6-2 in the No. 1 spot while Camden Johnson retired Crew Mandelaris 6-0, 6-1 at Second Singles in a double battle of brothers. Matt Davis topped Higginbotham 6-1, 6-0 in No. 3 Singles.
Skyridge started their string of victories at Fourth Singles when Droubay beat Anson Gifford 6-4, 6-0. In No. 1 Doubles, Sperry and Lewis took out Sam Fairbanks and Drew Jacobsmeyer 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, while Schmidt and Peck got the 6-3,7-5 win over Phil Steed and Cade Egbert at Second Doubles.
Johnson and Swope lost to Broxton Barron and Jackson Ricks 6-4, 6-1 in the No. 3 Doubles bracket to finish the event.
The 6A tournament seedings will be posted on Thursday morning (Apr. 30). The first round will be played at Brighton High School on Saturday (May 2).
The competition will then move to Liberty Park in Salt Lake City, where the second and quarterfinal rounds will be contested next Thursday (May 7) and the semifinals and finals will be played next Saturday (May 9).
Photos by Sam Penrod.
