Patriots in action at state tennis championships
MOBILE – For the first time in program history, both the boys and girls tennis teams from Bob Jones advanced to and scored points in the same season at the 81st annual AHSAA State Tennis Championships held at the Mobile Tennis Center, but only the boys No. 2 doubles team of Strikar Kaki and Joseph Park made the championship finals.
The Kaki-Park doubles team used incredible comebacks in their first two matches losing the first set in each match.
In their opener, the Patriots’ team lost the first set 2-6 to the team of Vincent Ball and Ronin Bryce of Foley High, but rallied to win the second set 7-6 forcing a third set playoff where Kaki and Park posted a 10-2 score and advancement to the next round. In round two, again the Patriots’ twosome lost the opening set. This time the opening 4-6 score went to Auburn’s Holtz Basquin and Camden Coburn, before moving to a 7-5 second set win and then a 10-7 third set victory.
In the No. 2 finals, dropping the first set 2-6, Kaki and Park posted with what looked like another comefrom- behind power match, but fell just shy falling to the team from Vestavia Hills of Andrew Pipkin and John Brooks Harris 5-7.
The 2026 tennis season was closed out with Huntsville winning the overall girls team title, their fifth overall and first since 2015, while Vestavia Hills took the boys championship Blue Map Trophy for the fifth year in a row and 11th overall.
