Chatham Charter loses to Mount Airy in NCHSAA 1A Dual-Team title match, finishes as state runner-up

Posted
Updated:

BURLINGTON — History was made for Chatham Charter School on a blustery morning at Burlington Tennis Complex last Saturday when the Knights’ women’s tennis team took the courts in the NCHSAA 1A Dual-Team Championship.

Coming into the match as a No. 5 seed, the Knights (14-8 overall) had nothing to lose as they prepared to meet the Mt. Airy Granite Bears (22-0), the tournament’s undefeated No. 1 seed and West Regional champion.

The wind was swirling as the athletes warmed up and tried to get as loose as they could in their unfamiliar bulky layers. Their spirits were high and they were energized, however, without any real trace of nervousness, according to head coach Kelly Eldridge.

“My girls came ready to play, with no sign of nerves or doubt,” said Eldridge. “I have been telling them all year that they have the talent and depth to go far into the season, and I think they finally believed me, because they were ready.”

Knights senior Rebecca Brookshire (team’s No. 5 singles player) and senior Emily Stecher (No. 6) jumped out to early leads in their first sets against Charlotte Hauser and Lily Morris, respectively, while senior Emery Eldridge (No. 2), still in a brace from her ankle injury at the East Regional Championship, stayed tight with her opponent, Ella Brant.

Matches started at 9:30 a.m. with temperatures in the low 40s, but that didn’t seem to affect the matches as much as the wind. Players on both sides appeared to have difficulty adjusting at first.

Eldridge knew that her team had never played in those conditions, so she tried to prepare them as best she could before the match started.

“I just told them to pay attention to the direction the wind was coming from and keep that in mind as they changed sides,” explained Eldridge. “And to be clear, weather wasn’t the deciding factor in the match. Mt. Airy is a very deep, talented team with a lot of finesse. Hats off to them for the way they played.”

Momentum started going Mt. Airy’s way as the Knights lost each of their first sets. With an eye on second sets, Knights senior Ashlyn Hart (No. 3) and Stecher were the Chatham Charter’s chance to force third sets for a shot to go to doubles. That hope ultimately ended as sophomore Elphie Spillman (No. 1), Eldridge and Hart lost their second sets, followed by Brookshire. Senior Lorelei Byrd (No. 4) ultimately lost her fight to come back, sealing Mt. Airy’s win in five matches.

“They gave it all they had and left everything out there on the courts,” Eldridge said. “They never gave up and they handled the match with grace and sportsmanship. I can’t even begin to express how proud I am of this team. I will use them as an example for years to come.”

During the presentation of trophies and medals, the team received their runner-up plaques and medals. Spillman was also awarded the NCHSAA Farm Bureau Sportsmanship Award for the Knights. As Eldridge looks back on the season, she can’t help but bring it back to Chatham.

“We have some great tennis going on in Chatham County right now, and I’m so glad these players and teams are seeing their hard work pay off and get the respect they deserve, especially after all the uncertainty with COVID,” she said. “Our schedule was exceptionally tough these past couple seasons because I wanted these players to be ready and I told them playing tough teams outside our conference, like Chatham Central, Research Triangle, Raleigh Charter, Union Pines and Gray Stone, would only help us. We saw that pay off this year. This season will forever be one of the best memories I’ll have as a tennis coach.”