There’s another milestone that Orange men’s tennis coach Justin Webb can include on his long list of accolades.
In the first time of the history of the program, the Orange men’s tennis team has won a match in the 3A State Dual Team playoffs.
Plus, it had an added flair of drama against a Central Conference rival.
Tied at four matches apiece, Orange’s doubles team of Ryan Jouannet and Jackson Coleman defeated Samuel Wolff and Matthew Coble 8-6 to send the Panthers on to the second round of the NCHSAA 3A State Dual Team Men’s Tennis Tournament on Monday night.
Every other match was finished and all the players gathered around to watch one court at the Burlington Tennis Center to see how the night would play out. Jouaneet and Coleman stared elimination right in the face. They trailed 5-6 (teams must win eight games in high school doubles matches) and love-40, but clawed back to win the final three games.
Williams had swept its two regular season matches against Orange on March 6 and March 18, winning 5-4 each time.
On both occasions, Williams won four singles matches and the #3 doubles match.
On Monday night, Jouannet turned the tables. He won his singles match against Aydin Shabata 6-3, 6-2, along with the doubles match with Coleman.
“Ryan was a big part of us winning tonight, for sure,” Webb said.
Orange senior Kace McAuley defeated Coble 6-2, 6-2. McAuley and senior Cameron Foster defeated Shibata and Sam Turner at #2 doubles 8-3. At #6 singles, Coleman defeated Samuel Wolff 6-1, 6-2.
Williams had defeated Orange in six of their previous eight meetings since becoming conference rivals in 2021. Ordinarily, that may have given Orange cause for concern when they learned they would face the Bulldogs upon release of the State Playoffs brackets last week.
Instead, they were thrilled.
“The guys were very excited,” Webb said. “Some players came up to me last Friday and said ‘Coach, we’re going to win this one.’ They were motivated because both times they left disappointed this season after matches against Williams. This time, they didn’t leave disappointed. They left happy.”
It was a milestone moment for an experienced team. Top singles players Porter Pelphrey and Cameron Foster are seniors. So are Jouannet, McAuley, Grady Thomas and Noah Jones.
“We felt like we should have beat Williams both times this season,” Webb said. “We just fell short in different ways. Both times we played Williams this year, we were missing someone from our lineup. Tonight, we had our standard top six. We had all of our guys there.”
Orange advances to the second round, where they will face Central Conference regular season champion Western Alamance this afternoon in Elon. The Warriors are 12-0 overall and have lost just eight individual matches this season.
After starting this season 0-3, the Panthers have won five of its last six dual matches. Among public schools, Orange has given Western Alamance its tightest match this season, a 6-3 Warriors win on March 26 in Hillsborough.
“I really feel like our team chemistry has gotten better,” Webb said. “Particularly our doubles play. Also, I think we’ve embraced a mentality where every match counts. The guys are vocally into the matches in supporting each other. Sometimes I think tennis can be a very individual sport and everybody is focused on their own court. But I think this team understands that you may compete individually, but you win and lose as a team.”
It was the first time in twelve years of coaching the Orange men’s team that Webb has led them to a win in the state playoffs. In addition, Webb has coached the Orange women’s tennis team to its only conference championship in school history in 2022. In 2021, the Orange women’s team won its first state dual team playoff match against Fike in Wilson.