KCHS spring teams win multiple state titles

The Fighting Irish capture their first baseball crown, dominate in tennis, and collect five track victories

Knoxville Catholic High School in May made the most of the annual TSSAA Spring Fling spring-sports championships.

Fighting Irish athletes came home with a number of Division II, Class AA state titles as the baseball team won its first-ever championship with a dramatic walkoff win, while Lady Irish tennis continued its dominance of team, singles, and doubles titles and the KCHS boys and girls track team saw two individuals combine for five state crowns.

Ian Hubbard’s two-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning scored Cade Avans with the gameending, championship-winning run for the Fighting Irish baseball team May 25 as it defeated Christ Presbyterian Academy 4-3 at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.

Maeve Thornton of KCHS won her third consecutive tennis singles state title, and Eleni Liakonis and Lillie Murphy captured their second straight doubles state championship. The Lady Irish team won its third title in a row.

In track and field, freshman Chloe Truss of Knoxville Catholic swept all three sprint events for a trio of state titles, and Fighting Irish sophomore Keegan Smith added to his career total with state championships in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs, all on May 24.

The Irish baseball team took a 3-1 lead over CPA in the bottom of the first inning in the finals, getting one run on an error and two runs on an RBI double by Ian and a single by Joey Lamattina.

Senior pitcher Daniel Parris, a University of Tennessee baseball signee, tossed six innings for the Irish (31-9) in the championship game and left with the game tied 3-3 after throwing 111 pitches and allowing six hits and two earned runs while striking out five and walking five.

The heroics started in the bottom of the seventh as Ben Sompayrac was hit by a pitch with one out.

Cade pinch-ran for Ben. With two outs, Hudson Lutterman singled to left, moving Cade to second. Cade and Hudson advanced a base on a wild pitch. Daniel was intentionally walked to load the bases before Ian singled to center to win the state title for KCHS. The walkoff hit made a winner out of relief pitcher Jacob Camfield, who pitched a scoreless top of the seventh.

Daniel said the state title for the Irish “is a really big honor to hold, one I can carry with me for the rest of my life.”

Knoxville Catholic’s schedule prepared them for the state-tourney run, Daniel said.

“It was a really tough season with the schedule we played. We played a really tough schedule. We’re really just happy to come out with a win. It was just an amazing season,” he said.

Daniel said he was glad the hero of the game was Ian.

“I couldn’t have picked out a better person to get the walkoff win. Ian’s one of my best friends, one of the nicest kids,” he said.

Daniel saluted Irish head coach Caleb Moore.

“I really love what he did. I love the coach that he is,” he said. “He is a coach who will come out any day, rain or shine, and help you on the field. Even if we don’t have practice that day, he’ll come out and help you with anything that you need.”

KCHS’s first baseball title is “extremely special,” Mr. Moore said, citing the campus’ two locations on Magnolia Avenue and currently Fox Lonas Road.

“For me personally to see what Knoxville Catholic has become from the days on Magnolia to what we are now on Fox Lonas is amazing. This team defied a lot of odds and some tough times this season to make history.

“Every game we played from the substate round to the championship game was close, so it didn’t really surprise me that we won it in dramatic fashion. I believe I aged a few years the last two weeks!”

Knoxville Catholic defeated Lipscomb Academy 6-4 in the winners’ bracket finals May 24 at Wilson Central High School in Lebanon after Daniel smacked a tworun homer to center field in the top of the seventh to break a 4-all tie.

Those were the first KCHS runs since the Irish opened the game with a four-run first inning. In that frame, Hudson stroked an RBI double, Daniel a run-scoring single, Mason Fields a sacrifice fly, and Ryan Theobald an RBI double.

The Irish began the tournament with a 2-0 shutout of CPA behind Ben’s two-hitter. Ben struck out six and walked only one in throwing 103 pitches for the win. Grant Tallent singled in Mason to start a two-run fifth inning that gave KCHS all the runs it would need. The second run scored after Daniel hit a ground ball to short that was misplayed, bringing home Grant.

Knoxville Catholic reached the state tourney in Murfreesboro after a two-game sweep at Baylor in the quarterfinals.

Knoxville Catholic tennis head coach Rusty Morris’ squad started the year ranked No. 1 in the nation in the Universal Tennis Ratings.

Maeve swept all three of her state-tournament singles opponents in straight sets at the Adams Tennis Complex in Murfreesboro, beginning with a 6-0, 6-0 shutout of Emma Huggins of Briarcrest in the quarterfinals May 25 and continuing with a 6-1, 6-0 triumph over Leah Tomichek of Brentwood Academy in the semifinals the same day before defeating Melanie Woodbury of Hutchison 6-2, 6-0 for the state title May 26.

Eleni and Lillie opened the state doubles quarterfinals with a 6-0, 6-0 sweep of Zoe Pelts and Olivia Evans of Hutchison on May 25. They swept Avery Franklin and Estelle Denker of Ensworth 6-0, 6-3 the same day, then defeated Sloane Proffitt and Gabby Czarnecki of Baylor 6-1, 6-2 for the championship May 26.

In the team title match May 24, the Lady Irish defeated Baylor 4-1, beating the Chattanooga school in the finals for the third consecutive year. Maeve (6-3, 6-1), Lillie (6-1, 6-1), and Gigi Sompayrac (6-0, 6-2) won their singles matches, while

By Dan McWilliams

Maeve and Gigi (8-5) and Eleni and Lillie (8-1) triumphed in doubles.

In the team semifinals May 23, the Lady Irish blanked Ensworth 4-0. Eleni (6-1, 6-0), Gigi (6-1, 6-0), and Payton Carroll (6-0, 6-0) swept their singles matches, and Maeve and Gigi (8-0) and Eleni and Lillie (8-2) easily won in doubles.

“The key to our success this year was the depth of the team, the No. 1 and 2 doubles teams, and the senior leadership,” Mr. Morris said.

“The top five singles players had no losses this season, and the top two doubles teams had no losses. When you can get the doubles point each match, then all we have to do is win three singles matches to win, and that is good for the team since the top five singles players did not lose this year. This is the third team title in a row, and the team is undefeated in three years with this year’s record of 180. The team was No. 1 in the nation according to UTR most of the year. We are currently No. 2.”

Maeve seldom lost a game in sweeping her singles opponents.

“Maeve was very dominant in her singles matches,” Mr. Morris said. “Maeve orchestrated each point and gave her opponent very few errors. She finished her high school career undefeated in singles and doubles.

“Eleni Liakonis and Lillie Murphy were tremendous in the tournament as they have been throughout their high school career. They have never been defeated as a team.”

Mr. Morris’ squad loses Maeve and Gigi but could be strong again in 2024.

“The outlook for the team is good,” Mr. Morris said. “We lose two seniors: Maeve Thornton, who will play for Furman, and Gigi Sompayrac, who will play for Anderson University. We have returning Lillie Murphy, Eleni Liakonis, and Payton Carroll, who all were undefeated this year. We also have returning Karenna Thurman and Pauline Schneiter, who both contributed this year. We also have reserve players Marianna Hurley, Logan Connatser, and Lauren Murphy, who we look forward to contributing next year.”

In track and field, freshman Chloe was the fastest in the 100 dash finals at 12 seconds flat, besting Jaloni Cambridge of Ensworth