QHS takes top two spots in doubles bracket to repeat as Western Bix 6 boys tennis champions

QUINCY — With Rock Island Alleman’s Nick Patrick expected to capture his fourth straight Western Big 6 Conference singles tennis championship, Quincy High School coach Mike Terry chose to put most of his team’s eggs into the doubles basket.

The move paid off.

Patrick won the singles title as expected, winning all four matches without losing a game, but the Blue Devils had the top two doubles teams in the 16-team bracket played at Moline High School. That allowed Quincy to win the team title with 16 points, followed by Alleman with 13 points.

Drake Dodd and Kael Holzgrafe, the No. 4 seed in the tournament, upset the top seed, Leo Acker and Chase Baird from Alleman 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals, then defeated teammates and No. 2 seed Ethan Stark and Surya Reddy in the championship match 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.

The title is the second in a row for the Blue Devils and the sixth in Terry’s career.

Terry said it’s the first time in his coaching career that Quincy has had the top two doubles teams in the conference.

“Here’s the thing. Ethan Stark hurt his ankle, and he was out for three weeks the middle of our season and missed some really important matches in that period,” Terry said. “We switched doubles teams around, and Kale played with Surya, but their results just weren’t there. Now I think we’re set.

“I’m pretty sure we’ll keep our strength in doubles next weekend.”

That’s when the Blue Devils play in the nine-team Class 2A sectional tournament at Edwardsville.

Dodd and Holzgrafe had a scare in the first round, defeating Geneseo’s Jacob Nelson and Carter French 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, before cruising 6-1, 6-2 past Ngun Shwe and Hankirat Singh from United Township in the quarterfinals.

Stark and Reddy only lost five games in winning their first three matches.

In singles play, Arrow Crist defeated Vincent Ikrami of Galesburg 6-0, 6-0, in the first round before losing 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6) to fourth-seeded Nate Cruz-Olivares in the quarterfinals.

Marshall Mayfield lost his first-round match 6-1, 6-4 to Aron Rivera of Sterling.