Boys Tennis

The HSOT All-State boys tennis team for the 2023 season

HighSchoolOT's third annual all-state boys tennis team features six players making the team for a third time and eight others making it for the second time.Providence Day's Shaurya Bharadwaj is the first player to make the first team three straight seasons.

Posted 2023-07-04T12:50:15+00:00 - Updated 2023-07-05T03:06:42+00:00

Johnathan Baddour (Carrboro) vs. Griffin Lovern (Hickory) in the 3A boys dual-team tennis state championship at the Burlington Tennis Center on Saturday, May 20, 2023. (Photo By: Nick Stevens/HighSchoolOT)

HighSchoolOT's third-annual All-State boys tennis team features the best individual players across both associations.

There is a first, second, and third team with 12 players each (or two times the size of a usual lineup). Players were selected based on their singles play from throughout the year. Doubles competition was not a factor.

The N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association does not host an individual championship, so in-season competition was the main factor.

HighSchoolOT's final statewide and area code rankings for boys tennis

Providence Day's Shaurya Bharadwaj, Forsyth Country Day's Kendrick Lash, Pinecrest's Marshall Landry, Cedar Ridge's Josh Mayhew, Hickory's Griffin Lovern, and Cannon School's Isaac Szilagyi each made the team for the third straight season.

Bharadwaj has made the HSOT All-State first team in all three years, the only player to accomplish that feat.

The eight players making the team for the second time are: St. Stephens' Ajay Swisher, Apex Friendship's Arush Gupta, Leesville Road's Brayden Hakerem, Terry Sanford's Drew Hedgecoe, Arendell Parrott's J. Allen Smith, A.L. Brown's Jayden Wellman, Hough's Jesus Espinoza, and Langtree Charter's Nikhil Deshpande.

The team is listed below with NCHSAA finish (if qualified for the individual tournament) and win-loss record according to MaxPreps or other sources.

Previous all-state teams, final rankings

The 2023 HighSchoolOT All-State Boys Tennis Team

Josh Mayhew of Cedar Ridge in the NCHSAA 3A individual tennis singles state championships at the Burlington Tennis Center on Saturday, May 13, 2023. (Photo By: Nick Stevens/HighSchoolOT)

First Team

Johnathan Baddour, Carrboro (senior) — 3A doubles runner-up; 17-2
Shaurya Bharadwaj, Providence Day (junior) — 14-0
Ved Chotalia, Panther Creek (sophomore) — 4A doubles quarterfinalist; 14-0
Hayes Gilbert, Cape Fear Academy (junior) — 5-0
Drew Hedgecoe, Terry Sanford (sophomore) — 3A singles champ; 6-0
Hamilton Huitt, Covenant Day (sophomore) — 1-1
Ellis Klanduch, Lake Norman (senior) — 4A singles runner-up; 5-3; Hillsdale (D2) recruit
Marshall Landry, Pinecrest (senior) — 4A singles champ; 11-0; Mississippi State recruit
Griffin Lovern, Hickory (senior) — 3A doubles champ; 13-0; Queens recruit
Josh Mayhew, Cedar Ridge (senior) — 3A singles runner-up; 14-1
Isaac Szilagyi, Cannon School (junior) — 13-3
Jayden Wellman, A.L. Brown (senior) — 4A singles semifinalist; 11-1; Pfeiffer (D2) recruit

Augie Ballantine of New Hanover. Millbrook Exchange Park in Raleigh, NC hosted the 2023 NCHSAA 4A Boys Individual Tennis State Semifinals on Saturday May 13, 2023. (Photo: Evan Moesta/HighSchoolOT)

Second Team

Owen Akers, Carmel Christian (junior) — 3-2
Augie Ballantine, New Hanover (junior) — 4A singles semifinalist; 12-2
Andrew Chen, Charlotte Latin (sophomore) — 6-5
Matthew Dewey, Greensboro Day (senior) — 2-1
Jesus Espinoza, Hough (junior) — 4A singles quarterfinalist; 12-3
Renat Kramin, Providence Day (sophomore) — 17-1
Kendrick Lash, Forsyth Country Day (senior) — 6-2
J. Allen Smith, Arendell Parrott (senior) — 12-0
Paul Wang, Durham Academy (senior) — 14-6
Hank Williams, Forsyth Country Day (senior) — 15-2
Alexander Wood, Cary Academy (junior) — 7-2
Kyle Zhou, Northwest Guilford (senior) — 4A singles quarterfinalist; 21-2

William Drake of Greene Central. Ting Park in Holly Springs, NC hosted the 2023 NCHSAA 2A Boys Individual Tennis State Semifinals on Saturday May 13, 2023. (Photo: Evan Moesta/HighSchoolOT)

Third Team

Sam Agnew, Cardinal Gibbons (junior) — 4A doubles quarterfinalist; 18-6
Nate Bermeo, Eno River Academy (sophomore) — 1A doubles champ; 14-1
Billy Mac Clement, R-S Central (junior) — 2A singles semifinalist; 16-1
Nikhil Deshpande, Langtree Charter (sophomore) — 1A singles champ; 2-1
William Drake, Greene Central (junior) — 2A singles semifinalist; 16-4
Drake Gallian, West Henderson (junior) — 3A singles semifinalist; 19-1
Brayden Hakerem, Leesville Road (senior) — 4A singles qualifier; 16-4
Lukas Kolmel, A.C. Reynolds (sophomore) — 4A singles qualifier; 10-1
Phillip Moon, Holly Springs (junior) — 4A singles quarterfinalist; 9-4
Alphonso Sison, Franklin Academy (sophomore) — 2A singles champ; 13-1
Ajay Swisher, St. Stephens (senior) — 3A singles semifinalist; 13-3
Eli Welch, Jordan (junior) — 4A doubles quarterfinalist; 9-4

Jackson Grathwohl (Pine Lake Prep) in the 2A boys dual-team tennis state championship at the Burlington Tennis Center on Saturday, May 20, 2023. (Photo By: Nick Stevens/HighSchoolOT)

Honorable Mention

Ethan Garcia, Apex (sophomore) — 11-3
Jackson Grathwohl, Pine Lake Prep (freshman) — 2A singles quarterfinalist; 14-4
Arush Gupta, Apex Friendship (sophomore) — 4A singles qualifier; 13-5
Ryan Hill, Raleigh Charter (senior) — 2A singles runner-up; 16-5
George Kriek, Mount Airy (senior) — 1A singles runner-up; 19-3
Sid Patil, Green Level (senior) — 4A singles quarterfinalist; 8-6