KIRKWOOD • It took four and a half hours and until the third set of the ninth match but Lafayette finally earned its first trip to the state team tennis tournament in eight years Saturday with a 5-4 win over Kirkwood in the Class 2 sectionals at Kirkwood Park.
It came down to the No. 1 doubles match as Lafayette's Mick Lyons and Jake Goodman defeated Drew Morris and Tanner Morris, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the deciding ninth match.
"I love the big stage," Lyons said.
And the stage could not have been bigger in high school tennis with the winner advancing to the state tournament Thursday at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield.
"I was at state the last time Lafayette went in 2003 because my Mom (Mary) was an assistant coach," Lyons said. "I have been individually but ever since I was there in 2003 I wanted to be a part of a team which made it. I am just ecstatic."
Things did not look good for the Lancers as Kirkwood had control of the first set.
"We just knew that we had to pull it together," Goodman said. "We got energetic and aggressive. This is just huge for the team since it has been so long since we have been there."
The teams had split their six singles matches with Lafayette earning wins from Lyons at No. 1, Goodman at No. 2 and Dilan Dupre at No. 6.
Kirkwood's wins came at No. 3 (Josh Waite), No. 4 (Robert Conroy) and No. 5 (Ben Leible).
Kirkwood easily won at No. 2 doubles with Waite and Conroy but Lafayette's Ryan Wendt and Ed Campbell won at No. 3 doubles to set up the drama at No. 1.
"We knew we needed to play great tennis all day to advance," said Lafayette coach Mark McAllister. "CBC had a deep team and we had a battle with them (Lafayette won the sectional match 5-3). I thought the afternoon match was going to be 50-50."
The afternoon match would eventually become an evening match as well as the match which began at 1:30 did not end until 6 p.m. It was indeed a long day for both teams, which had their sectional matches held indoors at 8 a.m.
"Kirkwood has such history and tradition," McAllister said. "The guys really responded well today. I could not be happier."
Kirkwood had defeated Oakville 5-0 in its morning sectional match.
"It was a great match," Kirkwood coach Janet Verbarg said of the quarterfinal. "I thought our team played as hard as they were capable of playing."
The drama was limited to the Kirkwood sectional as Parkway Central breezed to the championship in the other area Class 2 sectional.
The Colts defeated McCluer North in the sectional and Francis Howell North in the quarterfinals by identical 5-0 scores.
Clayton and Westminster advanced to Thursday's state team tournament in Class 1 in dominating fashion.
Clayton had convincing wins over DuBourg (5-0) in the sectional and John Burroughs (5-0) in the quarterfinals. The Greyhounds did not lose a set in either the district or sectional round.
Westminster defeated St. Dominic 5-0 in the sectional and then beat School of the Osage 5-0 in a battle of unbeaten teams in the quarterfinals.
