O’FALLON – Edwardsville extended its grip on the Southwestern Conference boys tennis title, sweeping every flight of the league tournament May 15-16 at O’Fallon High School for the team championship.
The Tigers finished with 12 wins in the six-team event, ahead of Belleville West and O’Fallon with eight each and Belleville East with seven. Alton and Collinsville each posted three wins.
Edwardsville head coach Dave Lipe said the team “continues to improve. We didn’t lose a match all season in one of the toughest tennis conferences in the state.”
The Tigers won all three doubles flights at O’Fallon on Thursday before completing the singles sweep on Friday at O’Fallon and Belleville East.
Edwardsville freshman Jake Brinker captured the No. 1 singles title with a 6-0, 6-1 win over O’Fallon’s Derek Guetterman. Brandon Wong also won the championship at No. 2 singles, highlighted with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over O’Fallon’s Will Peterson.
In other singles finals, Edwardsville’s Isaac Chleboun won the No. 3 title over Belleville East’s Marshall Harris 6-1, 6-1. John Almos captured the No. 4 title with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Alton’s Joe Ventimiglia. Schaefer Bates won at No. 5, beating O’Fallon’s Dylan Carter 6-1, 6-0, and Lucas Rudd won at No. 6, topping O’Fallon’s Caleb White 6-3, 6-3.
Edwardsville also claimed all three doubles championships. Bates and Chleboun won the No. 1 doubles title match 6-3, 6-2 over Belleville West’s Landon Kinder and Jay Naylor. Brinker and Wong won at No. 2 doubles 6-0, 6-2 over O’Fallon’s Carter and Guettermann. Almos and Rudd won the No. 3 doubles title 6-4, 6-2 over O’Fallon’s Cole Gallagher and Cooper Baskett.
The Class 2A O’Fallon Sectional is scheduled for May 22-23.
