HHH girls earn 3rd straight state tennis title

When Scott Nichols took over as coach of the Hilton Head High girls tennis team this fall, he immediately knew he had a starting singles lineup that could compete with any team in the state. And just in case he didn't, all he had to do was check the recent results -- the Seahawks were coming off back-to-back Class 3-A state titles.

But there was still something lacking, he thought, from making the program as dominant as it could be -- doubles play. So his first step as the team's new coach was to use the team's practices to establish doubles teams that could perform just as strongly as the Seahawks' singles players.

Job well done.

The Seahawks used a pair of doubles victories to come from behind to defeat J.L. Mann, 4-3, in the Class 3-A state championship Saturday at Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter. Hilton Head High trailed 3-2 after the completion of five singles matches but Lindsey Burke and Sabrina Drammis teamed for a win at No. 1 doubles, as did Megan Farrell and Haley Thompson at No. 2 doubles.

"During the year, Coach always talked about preparing for the doubles. In the end, it totally showed it counted," Farrell said in a phone interview Saturday afternoon. "When it came down to both of those matches, we knew we had a lot of pressure. Winning it was incredibly fulfilling."

The Seahawks (17-1) were only able to get to that point when No. 3 singles player Jasmyn Howell pulled off a win against Lindsey Gregory to make the overall match score 3-2. Howell won her singles match -- the last singles match to be completed --6-4, 7-5.

Drammis gave Hilton Head High its other singles victory at No. 2 against Emily Erickson.

"I know how it feels to be in that position with the pressure on," Burke said. "We were going to be proud of her no matter what. She fought so hard. She really deserved that win."

But the Seahawks still had to pull off both doubles courts to earn their three-peat. They did so with relative ease after getting off to fast starts on each court.

Burke and Drammis won their match 6-1, 7-6; Thompson and Farrell won 6-1, 6-4. The combination handed J.L. Mann (17-1) its first loss of the season.

"Seriously, once I saw the girls take the court, I knew we were going to win both doubles," Nichols said. "I had the confidence. I knew we had it."

Nichols had that confidence despite the Seahawks having little experience in playing meaningful doubles matches. Hilton Head High breezed through the Lower State playoffs with three 6-0 victories.

The Seahawks also had the majority of the crowd against them Saturday, Nichols said, as J.L. Mann brought a large following to the championship match.

"There were a lot of emotions out there," Nichols said. "... We hung in there and did what we had to do. It was exciting, it was tough. But we did it."

HILTON HEAD HIGH 4, J.L. MANN 3

Singles: No. 1 Maria Hesketh (JLM) def. Lindsey Burke 6-4, 6-4; No. 2 Sabrina Drammis (HHH) def. Emily Erickson 6-1, 6-2; No. 3 Jasmyn Howell (HHH) def. Lindsey Gregory 6-4, 7-5; No. 4 Abigail Gregory (JLM) def. Logan Danzell 6-0, 6-2; No. 5 Chandler Blackwell (JLM) def. Sydnee Wheeler 6-4, 7-5.

Doubles: No. 1 Burke/Drammis (HHH) def. Hesketh/Erickson 6-1, 7-6 (8-6); No. 2 Megan Farrell/Haley Thompson (HHH) def. Anna Lashkerr/Merrit Byrd 6-1, 6-4.