Someone last October must have asked, “Same time next year?”

Wylie joins College Station A&M Consolidated, Corpus Christi Flour Bluff and Frisco Centennial back in San Antonio for the 2026 team tennis championships. Centennial returns as the three-time defending champion.

The same four schools vied for top honors last year. Centennial downed Wylie in the semifinals, then took down Flour Mound 10-1 in the final.

Play begins Wednesday morning at Annemarie Tennis Center, with Wylie (23-1) taking on A&M Consolidated (19-4), followed by Centennial (15-7) vs. Flour Bluff (24-1). The winners play at 8:25 a.m. Thursday.

“That’s definitely that matchup that we wanted,” Wylie coach Adam Cherry said. “We should take care of business in that semi, and the other will be a battle. Any of those other three teams are capable of winning the whole thing, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Wylie downed Centennial 12-7 early in the season when both schools were without strong players. Centennial was missing its No. 2 boys player and Wylie fared well on that side. Wylie’s strength is on the girls side vs. the Titans, and No. 1 player Hope Willis did not play against Centennial that day.

The Bulldogs also beat Centennial in the preseason in 2025 but fell at state when the Titans had a number of missing August players back in the October lineup.

This year, Cherry said, Wylie has a more realistic chance of winning should the two teams advance.

Cherry said Flour Bluff mirrors Wylie with strong boys and girls teams. Their boys, Cherry said, have the highest rating among the four finalists.

If Wylie makes the final, Cherry expects the championship match to be close with whoever is on the other side of the net.

Wylie, with only a 10-9 loss to 6A Coppell, is the top-ranked team in the state after starting the year at No. 3. Frisco Independence and Highland Park, ranked ahead of the Bulldogs in the preseason poll, did not make the tourney while Nos. 3-6 did. Centennial was fourth, A&M Consolidated fifth, and Flour Bluff sixth.

TIME FOR A NEW KING?

Centennial has been royalty in 5A tennis.

In 2024, Centennial defeated Wylie 10-2 for the Class 5A title after defeating Region I winner Amarillo High in the 2023 semis. Centennial topped Austin LASA for the first of its three straight state wins.

Wylie has unseated Amarillo High as the premier Region I team. This year, the Bulldogs had to beat Amarillo (10-5) to win the right to play in the team tennis final four.

The Sandies, however, have a 5A championship, winning in 2022. Wylie does not.

Wylie’s mission to San Antonio this year is twofold.

First, it’s time to win the school’s first championship at the 5A level. This is the fifth 5A final four for Wylie, which lost in its first year as a 5A school to Highland Park 11-1 in 2018 and 10-2 to HP in 2021

The Bulldogs won three titles at the 4A after the UIL made team tennis a fall sport.

2017, 10-0 over Fredericksburg

2016, 10-2 over Kaufman

2014, 10-4 over Fredericksburg.

The second goal is to knock Centennial off the top. Highland Park won six straight titles, from 2016-21. Centennial edged Highland Park 10-0 in the third round this year to advance.

Here is how the four teams made it to the final four:

Region I - Wylie defeated Lubbock High 10-1, El Paso Chapin 14-0, Amarillo Tascosa 12-4, Frisco Lone Star 11-1, Amarillo HIgh 10-5 (57-11)

Region 2 - Centennial defeated North Richland Hills Birdville 12-1, Hallsville 10-0, Highland Park 10-9, Midlothian 10-3, Frisco High 10-7 (52-20)

Region 3 - A&M Consolidated defeated Houston Spring Woods 12-0, Friendswood 10-4, Baytown Sterling 11-0, Georgetown 10-5, College station 10-5 (53-14)

Region 4 - Flour Bluff defeated MIssion Veterans Memorial 13-0, McAllen 11-0, Mission Sharyland 10-3, San Antonio Alamo Heights 11-4, Boerne 11-2 (56-9)

WYLIE ON A ROLL

Cherry said his team is playing well entering the state tournament, maybe the best of the season.

“I didn’t think we started our best the first couple of rounds,” Cherry said. The last two rounds, however, have been very good.

The team, which melted under the lingering summer heat, had to step it up against Frisco Lone Star when the temperature in Wichita Falls was in the 40s and the windspeed in the 30s.

“Those were very tough conditions but we did whatever it took to win,” Cherry said. “We pulled out pretty much all the close matches. I was very proud of that.”

Wylie won all seven doubles matches to lead Lone Star 7-0 on its way to an 11-1 victory.
In the win over Amarillo, the boys doubles team won but singles was tougher than Cherry expected.

On the girls’ side, the team of Willis and Kiley Hirsch went down a set and then 3-4 before rallying to defeat the spring state champs Sara Shelhammer-Olivia Hefley in a 10-point tiebreaker for the second year in a row.

That, Cherry said, prompted AHS coach Cody Crouch to lament his team’s inability to get by Wylie.

That win put Wylie up 5-2 after doubles.

“That’s a lot better than 4-3,” Cherry said. “Winning those tough matches helped us take care of business.”

Wylie’s 10-5 win sent the team back to San Antonio.

“Everyboyd wants it so bad,” Cherry said of his team’s mentality for San Antonio. The Bulldogs will not overlook A&M Consolidated with hopes of finally beating Centennial, should the Titans survive Flour Bluff.

“We came out with some of the best energy, even when it was 40 degrees,” Cherry said of last weekend’s play. “It feels like we keep getting better every round.”

There are six seniors on the team - Willis and Mia Martinez, both state qualifiers last year in the spring, on the girls’ side and Benton Hanner, Tyler Hawks, James McCall, and Witten Sides on the boys’ side. McCall and Sides were a state-qualifying doubles team.

“Oh wow, it would be so special,” said Hanner, who will play singles at state for the first time. “We have worked so hard this season.”

Said McCall, “Our whole buildup comes down to this moment. We have worked really hard and this is our chance to show that. Truly, truly be able to show that.”

Added Willis, “We’ve come close the past two years. We really hope this is our year.”

SENIOR BOYS SAY

To a player, the Bulldogs define Cherry’s “taking care of business” as focusing on their own match. Yes, they encourage each other but it’s ultimately about stacking W's to get to 10.

“Staying in your own bubble,” senior Hanner said.

Hanner is playing at No. 5 in singles. As for doubles, Cherry likes to keep that fluid and pair his players - both boys and girls - to the opponent. It’s all about getting 10 points, so where players play is determined by how many matches can end with a W.

Thus, Hanner could be on the 1, 2, or 3 team.

“I absolutely have no clue,” he said, laughing, on Monday. “I have switched around a lot.”

McCall said there is trust across the board as the boys perhaps face the bigger challenge of winning matches.

“We are fighters,” McCall said. “This is the chance we’ve been waiting for to do something crazy. Pull out matches that should be impossible.

“We’ve come out of baseball. We’re not country club players. We’re here to fight and win. I am really excited about this opportunity.”

McCall, who will play No. 1 singles, could be paired with Sides. Or not.

“I have played with everyone and I trust everyone,” he said of potential pairings. “It’s not going to throw me off. I trust every one of them. That’s all it takes, trust.”

This is Hanner’s third varsity season but he was a state alternate as a sophomore. He played doubles last year, so this is his first time to play singles at state.

“It is a little nerve-wracking but I am excited. I have been playing really good,” Hanner said Monday. “I wish I could skip over to state because I have been playing so well. I hope I can carry that momentum and play as good as I have been playing.”

How does he define good play?
“Being in the zone and having confidence in myself,” he said. “When I am not overthinking form and stuff like that. More of what I want to do with the ball.”

Winning big matches, he said, has built his confidence. And, he said, he’s hitting the ball well.

McCall admitted he was not playing his best as the playoffs began. But he practiced Sunday and said, “I feel … really good. I am not going to lie. I feel great.”

SENIOR GIRLS SAY

Willis already had a stellar tennis career at Wylie.

However, the fish that has gotten away is the team tennis championship. She has a bronze and silver from fall tennis to go with the two golds and bronze from past spring seasons.

Despite the spotlight shining on her, she is “super excited” to be playing in San Antonio this week to win for her teammates, coach, and school.

“I am excited to go accomplish this with them,” she said. “It’s so fun to play as a team and have every match count. The pressure. Working together to accomplish those wins.”

Hope will be the No. 1 singles player but could play with Hirsch or Sage Nilson in doubles.

“(Cherry) does whatever is best for the team,” she said.

Martinez said winning a state title would be “so amazing.”

Choosing her words, she said, “Not to sound cocky but going to state was kinda predicted. It would’ve been such a shame if we didn’t make it to state this year with such an amazing team we have. Winning state would be the best way to leave my print on Wylie my senior year.”

Martinez had extra time to hit on Monday and was beaming.

“I actually am playing amazing,” she said. “I am feeling very confident going into state.”

She will play at No. 3 singles and perhaps at No. 3 doubles with Jordyn Perry, depending on how Cherry sets his lineup.

Having played well as a team against Centennial’s girls, she said, gives Wylie a boost. She understands that the better the girls do, the pressure eases on the boys, where the competition likely will be tighter.

“I love this about our team, that when the boys have it extremely tough, the girls are there to push through and get wins for us,” Martinez said.

It works the other way, too, she added.

This is her third trip to state in four varsity years. Experience matters.

“My first trip to state two years ago, I played the worst because I was so nervous,” Martinez said. “Now … just leave everything on the court. Let my game talk for myself.”

Experience is what Willis brings in buckets. She has played three spring UIL tournaments already, winning singles the past two years. This is her third year for team tennis.

Beyond winning her two matches, what does she bring to the team?

“Having good energy. Staying positive. Cheering them on,” she said. “Value and respect your opponent, obviously. But also respect yourself and how you carry yourself on the court. That’s what I preach to everyone.”