On Tuesday, April 8, the Trojan tennis teams traveled to Eatonton for the Region 4 A Division 1 tournament at Putnam County High School. The teams that qualified for both boys’ and girls’ brackets were from Lamar County, Putnam County, Monticello, and Social Circle.
The tournament followed a best-of-five format, meaning each team matchup consisted of five individual matches—three singles and two doubles. For a team to advance, a team needed to win at least three out of the five. Each individual match was played in a best-of-three set format, with a 10-point tiebreaker used in place of a full third set when necessary.
Girls Round 1: Lamar County vs. Putnam County
The Lamar County girls opened the morning with a matchup against the hosting Putnam County War Eagles. One of the most impressive performers of the day was Adalynn Williams at the Singles 1 position. After dropping the first set 1–6, Williams bounced back faster than a basket of tortilla chips at a Mexican restaurant. She shut out her opponent 6–0 in the second set to force a tiebreak, and that momentum carried her to a 10–6 victory in the last set. This was the winning match that allowed Lamar County to advance to the championship.
Another key win came from the always-steady Brailey Grubbs at Singles 3. Grubbs took care of business with a 6–2, 6–4 victory, giving the Lady Trojans another crucial point.
Lamar County’s Doubles 1 team also came through in a tight contest. Taryn Dender and Kylee Kington battled to win the first set 7–6 and followed it up with a 6–4 victory in the second. The dynamic duo turned on the magic when it mattered most, sealing a hard-earned win to contribute to Lamar County getting the victory.
Boys Round 1: Lamar County vs. Monticello
The boys’ team began their quest for success against Jasper County, setting the stage for a rematch of a tightly contested match from a cold night earlier in the regular season. But this was a new day, and the Trojans came to the tournament with a fresh vision.
One of the day’s most thrilling wins came from talented Singles 1 player, Hayes McBroom. Facing the same opponent who had defeated him in a regular season tiebreaker, McBroom dropped the first set 1–6 but refused to give up. He came back to win the second set in a tiebreaker, 7–6, then finished the job with a clutch 10–7 win in the final set tiebreak.
Another solid win came from Logan Christian, Lamar County’s Singles 3 player. Christian’s previous battle against Monticello was a nail-biter, which he also lost in a tie-breaker. However, he flipped the script by defeating his opponent.
The Trojans’ Doubles 1 team had a solid win, as well. This team consists of Carter McDaniel and Josiah Rainey. Both have become much more consistent as the season has progressed.
Girls Region Championship: Lamar County vs. Social Circle
In the championship round against the Social Circle girls, Brailey Grubbs came through once again at Singles 3. The Doubles 1 team of Kylee Kington and Taryn Dender added another win with exceptional ball placement and sharp net play that kept their opponents off balance. This gave Lamar County two of its three needed wins to earn the first-place trophy.
Adalynn Williams, once again, played her heart out at Singles 1. After falling behind early, she battled back to force a tiebreaker, showing the same tenacity that carried her through the first round. The win in the tiebreaker went to Social Circle, which felt more like a heartbreaker for many in attendance. Lamar County lost this match 10–8.
Now the championship round was tied at two matches. Only the Doubles 2 matchup was left to determine a region champion.
Lamar County’s Addison Swatts and Caroline Gardner found themselves in the most emotionally charged match of the day. After splitting the first two sets with the Redskins, the entire tournament hinged on a 10-point tiebreaker. The atmosphere was electric. Every point carried weight, and spectators and teammates from both schools gathered courtside.
The duo battled through the pressure. The region title was sealed when Swatts delivered a clutch shot from near the net, sending the ball to the right side, just out of her opponent’s reach. The crowd erupted as players and fans realized the Lady Trojans had just clinched the Region 4-A Division I Championship.
Both Swatts and Gardner felt the weight of the moment but rose to the occasion. “I knew that if I didn’t win, we didn’t win,” said Swatts, reflecting on the match. Gardner added, “I couldn’t let my team down.”
Boys Region Championship: Lamar County vs. Social Circle
The boys came up just short of the championship trophy, but their runner-up finish still earned them well-deserved hardware.
Hayes McBroom had another stellar performance, winning in a tiebreaker with a score of 10-8.
Josiah Rainey and Carter McDaniel did not get to finish their match, even though they were ahead at the time the Social Circle boys clinched the region title.
What is next?
The Georgia High School Association will finalize brackets once all regions in the classification report their tournament results.
Grant Turner is the editor of the Barnesville Buzz and an educator, coach, and writer based in Barnesville, Georgia. He shares stories that bridge community, faith, and personal growth. In addition to teaching and coaching, Grant is Director of Musical Worship and a Sunday School teacher at New Hope Baptist Church in Zebulon, Georgia. He lives in Barnesville with his wife, Haley.
