Covington Catholic needed just one word to describe Thursday’s KHSAA boys state tennis finals.
Sweep.
Alex Yeager wrapped up his high school career at the University of Kentucky by taking the singles title over Landon Ecarma of Christian Academy-Louisville, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 1-0 (12-10). Kalei Christensen and Blake Hussey won the doubles over Walker Bush and Aditya Shah of Louisville St. Xavier, 6-1, 7-6 (7-1).
What Yeager, Christensen and Hussey did brought CovCath assistant coach Jared Haught to joyful tears
“I’m just so proud of them,” Haught said. “They’ve worked so hard for years.”
CovCath head coach Al Hertsenberg said the whole team made the day “special.”
“They’ve been awesome all year,” Hertsenberg said.
Yeager, who’s headed for Drake University, joined his dad, Jason Yeager, as a state champion. (Jason won in 1990 as a senior at Dixie Heights.)
“I think it’s a great accomplishment, and you know, it’s a good resume booster,” Alex Yeager said.
For Christensen, Thursday was bittersweet. Next week’s team tournament at Sayre will be the end of his competitive career.
“It was the perfect ending to Alex and my individual careers,” Christensen said. “I mean, I can’t write a story better than that. It was just amazing to see it all come to life.
Blake Hussey continued a tradition of family success that includes his mom, Kara Molony-Hussey, aunts Lyndsey Molony-Maynard and Molly Molony Greene, Austin Hussey and older brother Brady Hussey, who recently transferred from Dayton to North Carolina-Wilmington.
I feel like most people say you feel pressure from trying to live up to the names and everything,” Blake Hussey said. “But I don’t really look at it as pressure. I look at it more as opportunity.”
Yeager’s 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (10-3) semifinal win over Colby Berson of Louisville Collegiate wasn’t easy. He trailed Berson in the 10-point super tiebreaker, 3-2, before his 8-0 run.
“I just started picking bigger targets, swinging harder, and just playing smart,” Yeager said.
Two more Colonels, Will Tribble and Jacob Kramer, reached the semifinals before falling to Bush and Shah, 6-4, 6-2.
Hussey and Christensen started their day with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Louisville St. Xavier’s Jacob Ray and Thomas Elliott. The strategy against Bush and Shah was to keep the ball in the middle of the court to create more room for error and avoid hitting shots wide.
“If you’re going to make a mistake, hit it long,” Hertsenberg said.
Yeager’s goal was to pressure Ecarma’s backhand. It worked early – he took a 3-0 first-set lead.
“But don’t rely on that,” Hertsenberg said. “For Alex, it’s just a matter of keeping it deep.”
Yeager took an 8-4 lead in the super tiebreaker.
“Alex said he was cramping, but he was able to fight through that,” Hertsenberg said.
CovCath’s bid for a third straight team title won’t be easy. The Colonels meet St. Xavier at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday at Sayre Athletic Complex.
In the girls team tournament at UK, Notre Dame meets Johnson Central at 10:15 a.m.
Yeager, Christensen and Hussey even finished with colorful nicknames: Alexander the Great (Yeager), Captain Crunch (Christensen) and Captain Flash (Hussey).
“Yeah, it’s It’s great to go out on top, especially with the whole team with me, so it was awesome,” Christensen said.