One of the most impressive feats this spring by a Chattanooga-area prep athlete came courtesy of Arts & Sciences senior Ethan Porterfield.
When Porterfield was not covering tons of ground on the tennis court or serving up an ace, the Patriots’ two-sport star was leading the way on the baseball diamond, pitching complete games and hitting home runs in a 23-win season.
With a powerful arm and swing, Porterfield won the TSSAA Class 1A singles state championship as the NAIA University of Tennessee-Southern signee finished off a perfect 17-0 season.
Porterfield outscored his state singles competition 37-16, on his way to winning six of seven sets to become the first state champion in boys tennis for the Patriots since 2004. His outstanding performance on the tennis court this season earned him the Times Free Press Best of Preps Guerry Boys Tennis Award along with a spot on the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s all-state tennis teams, which were announced Friday.
As an all-district selection in baseball, he led CSAS by hitting .443 with four home runs and 27 RBIs to go along with a .542 on-base percentage. Porterfield was also the team’s ace with a 2.19 ERA over 63 2/3 innings in which he had 70 strikeouts opposed to 20 walks.
The Chattanooga area had 11 boys and girls tennis players in total named to the TSWA all-state tennis teams.
McCallie had four all-state selections — singles state champion Juozas Cioladas, senior classmate and state runner-up Gabe Getz and the doubles state champion duo of junior Henry Imorde and sophomore Sean Clark. Those four not only helped the Blue Tornado win their fifth consecutive Division II-AA team title, but also helped the state’s most dominant tennis program secure the triple crown as it swept the team, singles and doubles titles for the first time since 1977.
Leading the girls’ contingent is Signal Mountain freshman Ananya Panicker, who won the Best of Preps Bartlett Award for girls tennis after producing a spectacular state championship run, where she outscored her Class 1A state competition 36-7 and made easy work in the finals match with a 6-0, 6-1 victory.
Also earning all-state honors were the Baylor state championship-winning doubles tandem of senior Helen Guerry and sophomore Sloane Proffitt and runners-up Maud Fiorello and Addie Tabibiazar of GPS.
Silverdale Baptist junior singles standout Gabi Fernandes also made the all-state team after a run to the Division II-A final four.
Staff Photo by Matt Hamilton / CSAS senior Ethan Porterfield not only won a TSSAA Division I Class A tennis singles state championship this spring, he was also a star on the baseball diamond for the Patriots.TSWA All-State Tennis Teams
BOYS TENNIS
Class 1A
Singles: Ethan Porterfield, CSAS, Sr.; Olin Johnson, Obion County, Jr.; John Wilkes, Merrol Hyde, So.; Neal Childress, Moore County, Jr.
Doubles: Graham Mefford, So./Kyrylo Hnatusko, Sr., University School-Johnson City; Sam Frank, Sr./Carter Terry, Jr., Fairview
Class 2A
Singles: Rich LaLance, Siegel, Jr.; Elliot Parker, Hume-Fogg, So.; Latteo Lecito, Marshall County, Sr.; Emery Corpstein, Dobyns Bennett, So.
Doubles: Drew Miller, Jr./Stephen Smith, Jr., Brentwood; Daniel Haddadin, Sr./Shreeyan Papireddy, Jr., Science Hill
Division II-A
Singles: Jack Veazey, Jackson Christian, So.; Sathvik Nath, Lausanne Collegiate, Jr.; Saawan Duvvuri, University School of Nashville, So.; Quinn Campbell, Christian Academy of Knoxville, Jr.
Doubles: Preston Miller, Sr./Jack Wilkerson, Sr., University School of Jackson; Tristan Scallion, Sr./Andrew Lawrence, Sr., University School of Jackson
Division II-AA
Singles: Juozas Cioladas, McCallie, Sr.; Gabe Getz, McCallie, Sr.; J.J. Lynch, Pope John Paul II, So.; Gabe Ungab, Memphis University School, Sr.
Doubles: Sean Clark, So./Henry Imorde, Jr., McCallie; Martin Grier, Sr./Daniel Torre, Jr.-Montgomery Bell Academy
GIRLS TENNIS
Class 1A
Singles: Ananya Panicker, Signal Mountain, Fr.; Libby Konig, Summertown, Sr.; Jenna Bush, Cannon County, Sr.; Logan Foster, Merrol Hyde, 8th grade
Doubles: Emma Perry, Jr./Annalee Kelly, So., Summertown; Molly Kizer, Sr./Shelby Bondurant, Sr., Union City
Class 2A
Singles: Evelyn Risner, Brentwood, Jr.; Ozge Yuksel, Blackman, Sr.; Riley Cassity, Farragut, Sr.; Adeleine Moore, Cookeville, Sr.
Doubles: Trinity Moore, Jr./Ellyson Kovacs, Sr., Tennessee High; Katie Rohr, Sr./Leah Stransky, Sr., Cookeville
Division II-A
Singles: Allie Faulkner, CAK, Jr.; Noor Sandhu, Lausanne Collegiate, Fr.; Lily Duong, University School of Nashville, 8th grade; Gabi Fernandes, Silverdale Baptist, Jr.
Doubles: Brooke Franklin, 8th grade/Shelby Franklin, Jr., Franklin Road Academy; Hayden Craig, So./Madeline Craig, Sr., University School of Jackson
Division II-AA
Singles: Lilly Murphy, Knox Catholic, Jr.; Melanie Woodbury, Hutchison, Sr.; Payton Tomichek, Brentwood Academy, Sr.; Avery Franklin, Ensworth, So.
Doubles: Helen Guerry, Sr./Sloane Proffitt, So., Baylor; Maud Fiorello, So./Addie Tabibiazar, Fr., GPS
Contact Patrick MacCoon at [email protected].
