The Ware County High School tennis teams delivered an outstanding performance at the Region 1 - AAAA Tournament on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at Benedictine High School in Savannah, highlighted by a historic championship run from the Lady Gators and a strong runner-up finish from the Gator boys.
Lady Gators Capture First Region Championship Since 1992
The Lady Gators etched their names in program history, claiming the Region 1 – AAAA Championship, marking the program’s first region title since 1992.
Ware County opened tournament play with a dominant 3-0 victory over Warner Robins in the semifinals. The Lady Gators carried that momentum into the championship match, where they defeated Perry High School by another 3-0 margin to secure the title.
Leading the way in singles competition were:
Bailey Denton (1st Singles)
Elly Blackrick (2nd Singles)
Paislee Wildes (3rd Singles)
The doubles teams also played a key role throughout the tournament:
Kayleigh LeMay & Gracie Vickers (1st Doubles)
Addie Bishop & Ella Beth Cox (2nd Doubles)
This championship performance reflects the depth and balance of a talented Lady Gator lineup that includes:
Bailey Denton, Elly Blackrick, Paislee Wildes, Kayleigh LeMay, Gracie Vickers, Addie Bishop, Ella Beth Cox, Callie Lewis, Izzy Tatum, and Millee Denton.
“I can’t say enough about this group of girls. Their hard work and dedication these past few seasons finally paid off today. We will head into the state tournament as a 1 seed for the first time since consolidation,” said Head Coach Mooneyhan.
With the region title, the Lady Gators will enter the GHSA State Tournament as a No. 1 seed, a testament to their consistency and growth throughout the season.
Gator Boys Earn Region Runner-Up
The Ware County boys tennis team also turned in a strong showing, finishing as Region 1 – AAAA Runner-Up.
In the semifinals, the Gators defeated Perry High School by a score of 3-0, sweeping all three singles matches:
JV Manabat
Miles Smith
Bridge Little
Ware County advanced to the championship match, where they faced Benedictine and fell 3-0 to finish as runner-up.
The performance marks continued success for the Gator boys, as Ware County will host a GHSA State Playoff match for the second consecutive season.
Up Next
The Ware County tennis teams will return home to begin postseason play:
For more photos, please click the link below.
3/24/2026: Tennis Region Championship Photos
