Mason Wins TTCA 3A and Under State Team Tennis Championship for Second Straight Time

By James Hill

ENNIS - The Mason Punchers captured the TTCA 3A and Under State Team Tennis Championship for the second year in a row.

Mason edged the Vernon Lions 5-4 in the championship matchup which was moved from Waco to Ennis after the first three rounds because of inclement weather. Last year, Mason also beat Vernon for the team title.

A special rain format was utilized for the entire tournament: two boys singles, two girls singles, two boys doubles, two girls doubles, and one mixed doubles.

“It was a really unique weekend,” said Mason Coach Cade Smith. “We came in and we knew we had to make some changes in order to try to get this thing done with the weather, which is totally different.

“Each match of the tournament we felt like we were getting better and playing better. We jnew we had to peak here at the finals because we knew they were a great team.”

In the special format, tournament officials drew out of a hat to see which matches would be played first.

Vernon won both boys doubles matches and the teams split the girls tandem competition. Mason’s Heidi Smith and Russell Watson took the mixed doubles matchup.

Mason was victorious in boys No 1 singles, while there was a split in the two girls singles matches.

The clincher for the Punchers came at No. 2 singles as Mason’s Cade Dudney emerged as the winner. Dudney, a senior, was later named the Wilson Boys Most Valuable Player.

Mason junior Heidi Smith, the niece of the coach, was selected as the Wilson Girls Most Valuable Player.

The semifinals were a tight affair as Mason edged Franklin by a 5-4 score. Vernon was a 6-3 winner over Academy in the semis. Franklin beat Academy 5-3 in the third-place matchup.

Full results are available at www.texastenniscoaches.com under “Events.”

The TTCA also stages the 2A and Under State Team Championships, as well as the Private Schools Team Championship. For the first time in the nation, the TTCA hosted the inaugural Wheelchair High School State Championship.