State tennis tournament: Wharton boys claim 3A crown

Can the Wharton boys claim the Class 3A state tennis title? Will the Plant girls continue their remarkable postseason run with a stunning upset at state? And can local individuals Andy Hersh (Newsome, singles), Jamie Mera (Chamberlain, singles, doubles), Jen Miller (Chamberlain, doubles) and Joel Samaha (Plant, singles) keep up their stellar play and keep their championship dreams alive?

We'll find out today.

I'm here in Altamonte Springs to follow the action. I'll be updating this blog (in the comments section; just scroll down for the latest) throughout the day every time I hear of another significant result. Matches involving local players are being contested at a few different sites so try to bear with me.

Play has just started ... I'll be back soon with some updates.

--KEITH NIEBUHR

Comments

Joel Samaha of Plant lost to the Kid from Nease 6-4, 6-2

[Mary]

Who won the overall 3A #1 singles match on Friday?

[Keith Niebuhr]

Wharton has done it.
The Wildcats are the 3A state champs

The No. 2 doubles team just won easily

[Keith Niebuhr]

Wharton No. 2 doubles just won the first set 6-2 after having been down 2-1. One set away from sole possession of the 3A state championship. Wildcats can feel it.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Andy ... you're in the running. That's all I'll say right now

[Keith Niebuhr]

The girls team competition is over in 3A...

St. Thomas Aquinas won with 17 points.
Plant was the runnerup with 9

Great season for the Panthers, who will return all five starters next year. Look out for this group in '09.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Wharton has lost at No. 1 doubles.

current standings ...
WHARTON .... 12
STA .... 11
Nease .... 11

If Wharton wins the No. 2 doubles final it is over. That will start shortly

[Keith Niebuhr]

Good news if you are a Wharton fan ... with its win at No. 2 doubles the cats can do no worse than a tie for first.

also ... the Wharton No. 1 doubles team took the second set to draw even. A win would end it

[Andy]

Hi Keith
Its Andy...looks like player of the year isnt like for me if Samaha/Hersh/or Wharton wins huh?

[Keith Niebuhr]

Joel Samaha of Plant has won the 3A individual singles title. He beat Hersh 6-3 in the third set. Great match by both. Samaha will play for the overall singles championship tomorow.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Wharton has won 6-3, 6-3 at No. 2 doubles ... to reach the finals.
Give a hand to Mitch Wong and Alex Bartholomew

current standings
Wharton ... 12
STA ... 11
Nease ... 10

Wildcats are in the driver's seat

[Keith Niebuhr]

Wharton just won the first set at No. 2 doubles

[Keith Niebuhr]

Second set to Samaha 6-0.
Hersh is receiving treatment for cramps .. a few mnutes ago he also had an ankle taped

[Keith Niebuhr]

Wharton just dropped the first set at No. 1 singles. The Wildcats seem to have lost some of their mojo today.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Jamie Mera of Chamberlain is the 4A individual sigles champ. She will play for the overall title tomorrow against Stanford recruit Courtney Clayton of St. Thomas Aquinas. Mera just won 6-3, 6-3

[Keith Niebuhr]

Wow ... great first set in the Samaha-Hersh match .... Hersh takes it 7-5

[Keith Nieburhr]

The Plant girls have not quit ...
The No. 1 doubles team of Li and La Puente has just won ....

[Keith Niebuhr]

-Jamie Mera of Chamberlain is up a set.
-Both Wharton doubles matches are underway
-Samaha and Hersh are tied at 5-all in the first set

[Keith Niebuhr]

Right now we have three locals on the court playing for individual singles titles ....

3A boys: Joel Samaha of Plant vs. Andy Hersh of Newsome
3A girls: Jamie Mera of Chamberlain

[Keith Niebuhr]

Wharton has 2 double teams left
STA has 2
Nease has 1

[Keith Niebuhr]

Mitch Wong of Wharton has just lost at No. 2 singles in the finals. It's his first defeat of the season. What this means is that the state championship will be decided by what happens in doubles. That will get underway in about an hour. Wharton has two doubles teams left. If both go 2-0 the Wildcats will be the champs. The current standings are:

Wharton ... 11
St Thomas ... 11
Nease .... 10

[ALAn]

How many left for wharton and st thomas

[Keith Niebuhr]

Current boys standings ..
WHARTON ... 11
St. Thomas .... 11
Nease .... 8

[Keith Niebuhr]

More good news for the locals ....Andy Hersh of Newsome has reached the 3A individual finals. He rallied strong to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. Next up, he will play Plant's Joel Samaha in the final. The winner of that match will play for the overall singles title.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Solange La Puente of the Plant girls squad was just knocked off in the No. 2 finals. Plant still has two doubles teams alive but its chances of winning the team title are all but over.

[Alan]

What are the team totals on the girls and boys sides. who is left playing for the local teams

[Keith Niebuhr]

Wharton has just suffered its first setback. Bryant Fuller fell in the finals at No. 5 singles. Fuller made a nice run here before coming up short today.

[Keith Niebur]

Rohit Navelkar of Wharton has just picked up a point at No. 4 by winning the final 6-2, 6-1. Wharton is still in the team lead.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Jamie Mera of Chamberlain has won 6-2, 6-1 to reach the 3A individual girls final. She also made it there in 2005 -- and won. Mera is a Missouri Tigers recruit.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Plant's No. 1 on the girls team, Amber Li, has just lost in the finals to an opponent from Ft. Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas ... the only squad ahead of Plant in the team standings. The deck is really stacked against the Panthers now.

[Keith Niebuhr]

Great start for Plant's Joel Samaha. He just advanced to the 3A individual final after crushing his semifinal opponent 6-0, 6-1. The final will be later today.