Caps to play for title

Broughton, Chapel Hill and Durham Science & Math advanced to Saturday's N.C. High School Athletic Association 4-A, 3-A and 1-A dual-team tennis championships with semifinal road wins on Thursday.

Broughton (19-0) defeated previously unbeaten Greenville Rose (13-1) by a 5-1 margin. Chapel Hill (16-5), the No. 2 seed from the Carolina 3-A Conference, claimed its fourth straight road win by defeating Wilson Fike 6-0.

Undefeated Durham Science & Math defeated Williamston 6-0.

Broughton and Chapel Hill will play in classification championships at the Burlington Tennis Center.

The Caps won five of six singles matches in straight sets. Broughton coach David Rose thought the quick start, four of the five winning teams lost two or fewer games, was a big factor.

"Rose is a great team," Rose said. "It wouldn't be undefeated and in the state semifinals if it wasn't. But I think we may have demoralized it a little bit by the way we came out. We were very focused and really played well from the start. That made a big difference."

Katie Davidson won 6-2, 6-1 at No. 2. Katie Kane, half of the state 4-A doubles combination, won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 3. Freshman Lauren Robertson won 6-4, 6-2, freshman Kelsey Boole won 6-1, 7-6, and senior Camille Runyans won 6-2, 6-0 at Nos. 4 through 6.

No. 1 Hamilton Lovett lost to Lauren Frazier, a state singles semifinalist, 6-2, 6-3.

If Broughton wins the state title, Rose said it will be with its depth.

"I think our depth is our greatest strength," he said. "I expect we'll be playing Charlotte Myers Park in the finals. Coaches all over the state have told me all year that Myers Park is the team to beat. But I think we'll have a chance in every match.

"If we can pull off a win, I think this team's hallmark will be its depth."

Tigers sweep: Chapel Hill coach Nick Walker said the Tigers' 6-0 victory at Wilson Fike actually started on Tuesday when Chapel Hill upset favored Cardinal Gibbons.

"We just picked up from where we left off," Walker said of the 6-3 quarterfinal victory. "That match against Gibbons was a tremendous match, and it was very emotional. The match took three and a half hours, and we came away with a lot of momentum. I had hoped that we would keep that same focus, and we did."

Gibbons defeated Chapel Hill in matches 5-4 and 6-2 during the season and claimed the Carolina 3-A title, thus dropping the Tigers to the second seed and sending them on road trips to Eastern Wayne, Thomasville Ledford, Gibbons and Fike..

Despite sweeping all the singles matches, it wasn't easy.

Tori Helpingstine took the No. 1 singles match 7-5, 7-5. Kelsey Wrenn won at No. 6, 1-6, 6-4, 10-3.

Helpingstine and Hannah Kimbrough won the 3-A state doubles championship last weekend, and Walker said they had been on a tear since.

"They are just playing great," he said.

Walker said he was pleased that his team would have the experience of playing in a state dual-team championship.

"The NCHSAA does a tremendous job of making it a very special event for the players," he said. "I am especially glad that our seniors will have a chance to experience this.

"These girls have won some big matches before, but getting to the state finals as a team is something really special."

Durham Science & Math stays perfect: Durham Science & Math pushed its record to 17-0 with its 6-0 win at Williamston.

"Williamston played a tough match, but we played well," Science & Math coach Richard McClenny said. "Our girls are just doing a good job now."

Lydia Vales battled to a 5-7, 7-5, 1-0 victory at No. 3 singles, but Teresa Pincus, Laura Outlaw, Nelessa Lewis, Lydia Allen and Meredith Armstrong won in straight sets.

Science & Math will play at noon in the 1-A championship match in Burlington.

Carrboro ousted: Greene Central (22-6) rolled past Carrboro 9-0 in the 2-A Eastern final.

"I was very proud of my girls today," Greene coach Donald Clark said. "We came out very sharp and held off a second set rally by a good Carrboro team.

"Our goal from day one has been to get to Burlington for the state finals, and this team has worked very hard to make that goal."

Greene Central has a deceptive record.

It lost twice to Eastern 3-A semifinalist Cardinal Gibbons, twice to 3-A Eastern finalist Wilson Fike and once to 4-A finalist Broughton.

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