CHAPEL HILL — Green Hope sophomore Jake Bowling and Apex doubles pair sophomore Wesley Barrett and senior Viking Edeback fell in the semifinals of the NCHSAA 4-A state championships at Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center on Saturday.

Bowling fell to Fayetteville Terry Sanford’s Ryan Noble in two sets, 6-0, 6-2. Noble, a junior who Bowling said was “just a lot better,” went on to claim the championship later Saturday afternoon. Still, the loss doesn’t take away from Bowling’s memorable run to the semifinals in his first year competing in the state tournament, Green Hope coach Andrew Tuttle said.

“He beat a lot of good players to get here,” Tuttle said. “He beat three good players at regionals and two good players at states. It’s impressive to make the state semifinals. And I know it’s disappointing to lose like he did today, but when you’re playing a player that good — he put up a good fight.”

Bowling’s run completed his first season playing for Green Hope after his family moved from Marietta, Ga., last year. The move couldn’t have come at a better time for Tuttle and Green Hope, as the team lost eight seniors from last season’s team. Bowling made the rebuilding process easier with a “nice addition” at No. 1. Despite Bowling’s youth and unfamiliarity with North Carolina tennis, he said he was confident he could go far in the tournament.

“I didn’t really know any of the places to hit at, but I knew a lot of the players because they all go to southern tournaments that I went to,” Bowling said. “And some of my conference matches and regional matches were tough, so that was good preparation. Also playing a lot of USTA tournaments in between [matches] and on the weekends helped me get ready for this a lot more.”

Tuttle said he expects big things from Bowling in his remaining two years at Green Hope.

“The field is always tough, but I’m sure the goal is to get back here and make the finals or to win it in the next two years,” Tuttle said. “And I think he’s definitely capable because he works hard in the offseason and during the season.”

The Apex duo of Barrett and Edeback also fell in the semifinals to the eventual champions, losing to Greensboro Grimsley’s Connor Sherwood and Jon Roy in two sets, 6-2, 7-6 (3).

Grimsley controlled the court in the first set, winning decisively and letting the Apex team know about it. The smack talking lit an apparent fire under the Apex duo in the second set, as the team went into a tiebreak in which Grimsley edged the Apex combo.

“In the first set we didn’t play like we wanted to, they were messing with our minds and it just wasn’t good,” Barrett said. “In the second set, though, we were pretty tough. I think when we got to the tiebreak, we were just thinking, ‘I don’t know what to do.’”

The run to the semis was quite a change for the duo after not even competing in the tournament together last season. The experience of playing together had the Apex team clicking all season, as they finished 24-3 and just one match shy of the championship.

Edeback, a senior, will head to N.C. State next year where he hopes to play club tennis. As for Barrett, he may try to shift his focus on his singles game in his final two seasons with the Cougars.

“It’s kind of hard to replace him,” Barrett said of his partner. “I might just go to singles and try to win states.”

Green Hope moves on, Apex falls in second round

While Jake Bowling’s individual season ended in the semifinals of the state tournament Saturday morning, his team is still alive in the state’s dual tournament.

The Falcons were to face Broughton on Tuesday at Cary Tennis Center in the third round of the NCHSAA 4-A tournament. The result was not available at press time.

On May 13, the Falcons beat Wilmington Hoggard 7-2 to set up this week’s quarterfinal showdown with Broughton.

The Falcons (19-3) clinched the win by claiming five of six singles and two of three doubles matches.

“We knew they had a good record but we didn’t know how strong they were,” said Green Hope coach Andrew Tuttle. “They were pretty tough. Starting off they got the lead in several matches and tested our guys earlier in the first set. But we responded well.”

In singles, Bowling, Taylor Elliott and Eason Lee won in straight sets. At No. 5 singles, Kevin Terrill dropped the first set 7-6 but came back and won the second 6-1 and the third in a supertiebreaker, 10-3. No. 6 Kia Bazzaz clinched the Falcons’ win with his 6-3, 6-2 win.

In doubles, Bowling and Elliott won 8-4, and Lee and Terrill won 9-8.

Apex, the Tri-Eight co-champion with Green Hope, was knocked out of the tournament on the same afternoon at Annie Jones Park. Millbrook won the second-round match-up 5-2.

Wesley Barrett and Viking Edeback won the Nos. 1 and 2 singles matches for Apex (16-6), but the Wildcats won the remaining four. With four singles matches complete, doubles play began, and Millbrook clinched the match with by winning No. 3 doubles.

“We played pretty well,” said Apex coach Ryan Phelps. “We had played Millbrook once before during the regular season and they beat us 7-2. We knew we’d have to play our best match to beat them. We played well, competed well, just came up short.”

Tim Candon contributed to this report.