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CCC BOYS DENIED PLAYOFF

 
Published April 5, 2014|Updated April 7, 2014

With Berkeley Prep having wrapped up the boys team title during the Class A, District 7 tournament at Hillsborough Community College, the last bit of drama revolved around the battle for second place.

Clearwater Central Catholic needed a victory from its No. 1 doubles tandem of Parker Hayslett and Tyler Berning to force a head-to-head team tiebreaker with Tampa Prep on Saturday.

The Terrapins' Nicolas de Quesada and Danny Palmer made sure the extra day of tennis wouldn't be required.

Palmer and de Quesada rallied from a set down to win 4-6, 6-4, 10-8, earning an automatic berth to the state tournament and locking up second place for Tampa Prep (20 points).

Berkeley Prep, buoyed by depth, won the team title with 23 points. The district title is Berkeley Prep's first since 2010.

At the top singles position, Hayslett, powered by a strong serve, defeated Berkeley Prep's Gray Aloian 6-4, 6-3.

Palmer was the Terrapins' lone champion, defeating Berning 6-2, 6-2 at No. 2 singles.

In the girls competition, Tampa Prep (25 points) defeated CCC (20) in the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 singles finals for its first team title since 2008. Izabelle Baskette (No. 2) beat Yang Chen 3-6, 6-2, 10-8; Yasmine Hamzah (3) was a 6-2, 6-2 winner over Chen Yang and Meaghan DaSilva (4) beat Delaney Abood 6-2, 6-4. Baskette teamed with Paige Leavy to beat CCC's Chen and Isabella Dohse 6-0, 6-2 and win at No. 1 doubles.

Academy at the Lakes freshman Cheyenne Lilienthal rallied from a set down and a 2-0 deficit in the second set to defeat Leavy 3-6, 6-2, 10-5 in the No. 1 singles final. Berkeley Prep's Maddie James defeated CCC's Bella Collares-Williams 6-4, 7-5 at No. 5 singles.