SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Trenton Hayes and Cale Stephens capped their prep tennis careers with a memorable win.
And as a result, they took home some hardware.
A senior tandem from Webb City, Hayes and Stephens won the seventh-place match of the Class 2 doubles bracket on Friday at the MSHSAA state tennis tournament at Cooper Tennis Complex.
“For these two kids, a football player and a basketball player who don’t play tennis year-round, to come home with medals is a pretty significant accomplishment,” Webb City coach Stephany Kelley said. “They’ve worked really hard and they’re a fantastic team. They’re coachable. And top of that, they’re just great human beings. So that makes it extra satisfying that they’re state medalists.”
After going 2-1 on Thursday to secure a spot in the Friday’s medal round, Hayes and Stephens were guaranteed two matches on the final day of the 2021 campaign.
Hayes-Stephens suffered a 6-0, 6-1 setback to Ladue’s Mason Chyu-Weston Williams in Friday’s consolation semifinals.
But in the seventh-place match, the Cardinals defeated Grain Valley’s Carter and Kade Compton 2-6, 6-3, 10-8 in a hard-fought clash.
With that, Hayes and Stephens went out with a win.
“It’s a fabulous way to end their careers,” Kelley said. “They earned their way here, they showed they belonged here and we’re just stoked to have them going home with medals around their necks.”
In Thursday’s opening round, Kearney’s Kolby Smothers-Grant Woltkamp defeated Hayes-Stephens 6-2, 7-6.
The Cardinals’ duo stayed alive in the bracket by earning a 6-0, 6-0 win over Farmington’s Colton Woody and Maddox Waller-Brenneke in consolation action.
In the do or die consolation quarterfinals, Hayes-Stephens edged Smith-Cotton’s Andrew Matz-Michael Cho 6-4, 7-5.
And on Friday, they earned a come-from-behind win to end their prep careers on a positive note.
Kelley noted Hayes and Stephens improved steadily throughout the spring season, peaking at state.
“They had never played doubles together before this year,” Kelley said. “They clicked on the court. Their chemistry has been fantastic. They communicate well. Their skills complement each other. They were just a fantastic team.”
