Lake Oconee Academy’s tennis teams are headed back to the Elite Eight round of the Class A Division II state tournament.
LOA blazed its way through the first two rounds of the state playoff brackets on a quest to win the state title.
Last week, the top-seeded LOA boys defeated No. 4 Irwin County 3-0 to advance. They next faced No. 2 seed Seminole County earlier this week, which had knocked them out of the playoffs last year.
The Titans dug deep and defeated the Indians 3-1 in a huge win. Miller Mercer lost the No. 1 singles match, but Wyatt Imhof won his at No. 2 singles. The doubles teams of Christian Moore and Henry Hynes, and Cole Sandoval and Quinton Anthony, also performed well, winning both of their matches to secure the victory.
LOA’s boys encountered unexpected challenges, with several players rising to help deliver a revenge win.
“It was a good win, especially after losing to them last year,” head coach Tom Imhof said. “I’m proud of all my guys.”
The Titans next face Trion or Wilcox County, hoping to make consecutive trips to the semifinals.
Meanwhile, the top-seeded LOA girls defeated No. 4 seed Charlton County 3-1 last week to advance. They then faced No. 2 seed Miller County earlier this week and won easily, securing a 3-0 victory over the Lady Pirates.
The defending state champion Lady Titans were flawless from top to bottom. They received strong performances from No. 2 singles player Elizabeth Moore, as well as the doubles teams, including Riley Payne, Jaime Beatty, Lainee Carter, and Mary Claire McCommons, with each winning points to secure the win.
“The girls performed well, played their best, and are now moving on to the next round,” Imhof said.
The Lady Titans of Region 8 are set to compete against Elite Scholars Academy, the top seed from Region 7, in the upcoming round.