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Sparta Tennis Claims Region 3A Runner-Up; Warriors and Warriorettes Show Championship Character

SPARTA, TN — The White County Warriors and Warriorettes walked off the courts this week with more than just a trophy; they left with the respect of the region. In a hard-fought Region 3A final against the Signal Mountain Eagles, both Sparta squads secured the Runner-Up plaque, proving that while the scoreboard favored the opponent, the heart of the match belonged to White County.

Signal Mountain took the titles with a 5-0 win over the boys and a 4-0 victory over the girls. However, the final scores don’t tell the full story of a night defined by grit, defensive brilliance, and an unwavering commitment to sportsmanship in the face of adversity.

To view all Topher & Renee Goff's photos from District & Region, click this link to download from a Google Photos Album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/YVwK36TxqDUXs1cu7

Standout Performances at the #2 Spot

The highlight of the evening came from the #2 singles positions, where juniors Ethan Wiles and Tegan Rittenberry pushed their opponents to the limit.

  • Tegan Rittenberry: Faced with an aggressive offensive opponent, Rittenberry put on a defensive show. The highlight of her match was a stunning "thread-the-needle" passing shot; after sprinting 30 feet to reach a short-angled volley, she flicked a winner down the line that left the crowd in awe and her opponent applauding. Her high-speed, high-percentage first serve remained a weapon throughout the contest though she lost to an admirable opponent in the end.

  • Ethan Wiles: Wiles earned the distinction of being the only Warrior to take a set from his opponent on the night. Relying on smart drop shots and a relentless attack on second serves, Wiles dominated early with a 6-2 lead. He was inches away from a straight-sets victory, leading 5-3 at deuce, before a controversial call shifted the momentum. His all-court play and smart shot placement still held strong though eventually falling in a third set tiebreak.

Integrity Over Hooking - A Learning Opportunity

Two boys matches were marked by instances of "hooking"—a tennis term for when a player intentionally calls a ball "out" that is clearly inside the lines. For White County tennis spectators and administrators, this was the first time to see it obviously taking place, so the shock was understandable. The opposing coach admitted that this is a challenge he is actively working to correct. The practice, common in unofficiated junior & collegiate matches gaining national news attention in 2023.  It reached a boiling point when a ball landed inside the line on a match point, sparking an uproar from fans, coaches, and school officials who witnessed it three times in the night, later with one ball about a foot inside the line.  Even though video replay confirmed the winning shot for Ethan Wiles, the on-court call by the opposing player still stands in tennis, a sport governed by the calls of on court players.  

The situation required coaches from both schools to step in as line umpires for the remainder of two matches in which the controversial calls happened. Later one call was overturned by the Signal Mountain coach in favor of White County player. This shows the integrity of the Signal Mountain coaching staff. 

"Our players handled it with incredible maturity," the coach Topher noted. "While the calls were unsettling, our focus post-match was on forgiveness and moving forward. We play the right way, regardless of the circumstances. We also don't judge a whole team or program by the choices of a person or individual instances. We respect Signal Mountain coaches, players, and their program.  They are good at team tennis and definitely deserved the regional team wins."

Match Results

Region 3A Championship: Signal Mountain vs. White County

Boys Team Results (Signal Mountain 5, White County 0)

  • Singles #1: Signal Mountain def. John Durfee (WC) 6-0, 6-1

  • Singles #2: Signal Mountain def. Ethan Wiles (WC) 2-6, 7-6(7), 7-10

  • Singles #3: Signal Mountain def. Solomon Hawkins (WC) 6-0, 6-1

  • Singles #4: Signal Mountain def. Ben Brogden (WC) 6-4, 6-0

  • Singles #5: Signal Mountain def. Rhoane Whorton (WC) 6-1, 6-3

  • Doubles #1: John Durfee / Ethan Wiles (WC) vs. Signal Mountain 4-7 (DNF)

  • Doubles #2: Ben Brogden / Solomon Hawkins (WC) vs. Signal Mountain (DNF)

Girls Team Results (Signal Mountain 4, White County 0)

  • Singles #1: Signal Mountain def. Lorelei Bouldin (WC) 6-1, 6-1

  • Singles #2: Signal Mountain def. Tegan Rittenberry (WC) 6-2, 6-3

  • Singles #3: Signal Mountain def. Sadie Benningfield (WC) 6-0, 6-3

  • Singles #4: Signal Mountain def. Olivia Flaminio (WC) 6-2, 6-0

  • Singles #5: Katelyn Howard (WC) vs. Signal Mountain (DNF)

  • Doubles #1: Lorelei Bouldin / Sadie Benningfield (WC) vs. Signal Mountain (DNF)

  • Doubles #2: Tegan Rittenberry / Olivia Flaminio (WC) vs. Signal Mountain (DNF)

Deep Dive: The Issue of "Hooking" in Tennis - by Topher

I am a certified PTR professional tennis instructor as well as a certified tennis umpire for the USTA having served as a chair umpire for national championship USTA matches in Atlanta in 2025.  Let's be clear, in 99.9% of tennis, hooking isn't the case. Mistakes do happen and bad calls are more common at our level. I've only seen hooking blatantly obvious 3 times in my last 18 years of tennis coaching and umpiring.  So, let's not be quick to call anyone a hook or a cheater. Most often a bad call is simply a mistake. Even more often, those of us in the stands have too much emotion wrapped into a match and what looks like a bad call to us may be us spectators being wrong ourselves.  We are usually wrong. However, hooking does still happen in rare occasions. Last night, we saw that challenge and it was confirmed by the opposing coach that it is a problem he's actively working on. I apologize to the many fans, players, and administrators who were in attendance last night and saw it obviously happen on the near side of the court.  For those who are newer to our sport, this is a rare dark side due to our system of line-calling based on player integrity.

To be clear, as a coach, I won't tolerate intentional bad calls from my players regardless the stakes and retaliation bad calls are not allowed in our program. I will suspend a player that I think is intentionally hooking and they will default the match.  Developing a player into an accountable adult is more important than the score.

For fans and athletes interested in understanding the broader impact of officiating controversial hooking in the sport, the following resources discuss the growth of "hooking" and strategies for overcoming it that I approve of.  

The Correct Response: Forgiveness & Resilience

It’s a controversial F-word that is needed more in sports.  Forgiveness in sports, both self-forgiveness and forgiving others, is a critical performance tool that reduces anxiety, lowers stress, and improves mental health. It boosts athletic success by allowing athletes to move past mistakes, reducing negative emotions like anger and shame, and fostering better tennis chemistry. It acts as a "glue" to improve relationships and provides a crucial competitive edge by converting energy from rumination into focused effort.  Forgiveness is what helps build resilience in our athletes and is needed for their souls.  Forgiveness is what will help our White County athletes keep developing into those resilient athletes we will always be proud of.  

Moving Forward

For our Warrior and Warriorette tennis teams of 2026, your team season may have come to an end, but we, your coaches, fans, and school administrators are immensely proud of you.  

Now hold your head high and let’s battle in the Region 3 individual tournament on Monday! The Warriors and Warriorettes will compete next in the Region 3 Individual Tournament this Monday, May 4. Stand tall, Sparta!

To view all ​Topher ​& Renee Goff's photos from District & Region, click this link to download from a Google ​Photos Album:https://photos.app.goo.gl/YVwK36TxqDUXs1cu7


Milestone Moments for Ethan in April (If you guys didn't know, Ethan is my son!)


 
 
 

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