The Jackson Academy Raiders tennis team hosted the Madison-Ridgeland Academy Patriots at their Raider Park campus in Jackson, Miss., on Thursday, April 18, 2024.

By Robert Wilson
Photos by Chris Todd

       Mary Rebecca Barry Jeffries had a brilliant playing career at Jackson Academy, winning six consecutive MAIS girls singles state tennis championships in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

       Now, the former collegiate player at the University of Missouri is having an outstanding start as a tennis coach at JA.

       She won her second MAIS Class 6A regular season championship in her three years at JA with a 7-2 victory over Madison-Ridgeland Academy Thursday afternoon at JA’s Raider Courts in Northeast Jackson.

       The Raiders needed a trio of come-from-behind, three-set victories from both of its boys doubles teams and its mixed doubles team to keep their conference winning streak going.

       All three teams lost their first sets but rebounded to win the crucial matches to help JA win the team match.

       JA junior Willis Thigpen and sophomore Breck Hines rallied to defeat MRA seniors Judson Meredith and Jack Madden 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (5-7), 10-5 in No. 1 boys doubles. 

JA junior Matt Thomas and sophomore Cam Walker came back to defeat MRA junior Beau Guest and senior Max Zuluaga 1-6, 6-3, 12-10 in No. 2 boys doubles. 

JA freshman Nick Jones and sophomore Rimes Dehmer fought back to defeat MRA eighth-grader Hudson Griffin and junior Maddie Powell 4-6, 6-4, 10-3 in mixed doubles.

       “I was very proud of my kids,” said Jeffries, who has a 14-1 record in 6A regular season matches in her three seasons as head coach. “This game is so mental. I tell the kids that the game is 80 percent mental and 20 percent physical. I have some talented kids, but they weren’t playing up to their potential in the first set. I told them to settle down, be confident and play your game. Block out all the distractions and focus on your game and stay in your game. They turned it around and started playing well and made some clutch shots in the second set and in the tiebreakers.” 

       JA won in straight sets in its other four victories.

       JA senior Lucy Lee defeated MRA eighth-grader Ella Eatherly 6-0, 6-0 in No. 1 girls singles to finish undefeated in 6A league play. 

       JA eighth-grader Gloria Helen Scott defeated MRA freshman Anna Morgan Anderson 6-0, 6-1 in No. 2 girls singles.

JA junior Ellie Hogue and eighth-grader Carolina Walker (Cam’s sister) defeated MRA senior Kenzie Mooney and eighth-grader Taylor Agent 6-3, 6-2 in No. 1 girls doubles. 

JA senior Landry Lester and senior Mary Hampton Walker defeated MRA junior Lanie Philips and eighth-grader Maggie Francis 6-0, 6-0 in No. 2 girls doubles. 

MRA won both its matches in boys singles.

       MRA senior Will Hooks – the three-time defending 6A state champion – defeated JA senior Sam Chustz 6-4, 6-3 at No. 1 boys singles. Hooks hasn’t lost a match in four years of his high school career and has lost only one set this season (to Jackson Prep senior Lytle Moore). Hooks – who had a No. 47 national Tennis RPI rating and a No. 80 national recruiting rating in 2019 for his age group, according to Tennis Recruiting Network – hasn’t decided on his college plans yet.

MRA freshman Evan Holt defeated JA sophomore William Wright Scott 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2 boys singles.

       “Will is very athletic and skilled,” said MRA coach Jay Stroble, whose team finished 3-2 in league play, including a 5-4 win over Prep for the first time in school history. “He has great hands, great feet, and is a great competitor. Since he stopped playing basketball (in the 11th grade), Will has worked hard on his tennis, and been dedicated to it. Evan has been a starter since the sixth grade and has worked hard and plays almost every day. He is eaten up with it and loves it. He’s levelheaded.”

       Both teams will play in the MAIS Class 6A state tournament next Thursday at Ridgeland Tennis Center.

       JA – which has a 9-3 overall record this season (losses to MHSAA Class 7A Madison Central and Tupelo and 6A Oxford) – has won the girls state title eight consecutive times, not counting the covid year of 2020. Emily Buchanan led the Lady Raiders to the state title last season, winning her fifth state singles crown. Buchanan is now playing for Division II Dallas Baptist, but JA still is the favorite to win the girls side.

       MRA edged JA by a ½ point to win the boys state title last season.

       “It’s going to be close in both girls and boys,” Jeffries said. “It’s going to be a great tournament. There aren’t going to be any easy matches. I was so proud of Sam and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do next week in the state along with the rest of my players. He plays soccer and has only been out here with us since February.”