SALT LAKE CITY — Waterford edged past the rest of the 2A field Saturday afternoon, claiming a third consecutive boys state tennis championship.
Ravens senior Christian Heath gave his team crucial points heading down the final stretch of the tournament, besting Grand senior Alec Tatton 6-1, 6-4.
“A championship feels awesome. It’s a lot of hard work all season long,” admitted Heath after his championship tilt. “You’ve got to give a lot of thanks to our coaches because they pushed us all season long. Also, I’ve got to thank my teammates because we worked really hard and pressed each other the best we could.”
Two undefeated players were on showcase for the first singles title match, with Waterford junior Quinn Pritchett and Grand senior Elijah Stock clashing for a third consecutive year in the tournament.
Stock’s luck ran out after a 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6) victory over Rowland Hall’s Aaron Friedman in the semifinals, crashing out of the tournament with a second place finish behind Pritchett’s 6-0, 6-4 title win.
Wasatch Academy sophomore Lucas Hafner persevered for the second singles title Saturday afternoon, clinching the title with an impressive 6-3, 6-1 victory over Manti junior Davis Hardy.
Grand managed to secure a second-place finish in the 2A field, which could have ended differently with a pair of Red Devils in position to earn critical points.
In the end, Waterford was the superior opponent to the Red Devils as the final score sheet proves.
“Our focus was a point at a time, and if you lose one move on and forget about it,” said Heath. “It was really important for me to win a state championship, and I know all my teammates wanted to share the feeling.”