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The Monticello Billies had an impressive showing at the 4A State Tennis Tournament in Clarksville on October 13–14, highlighted by a state championship win in boys doubles for the second consecutive year and top finishes across multiple divisions.
Leading the way were senior Luke Hairston and junior Jacob Romero, who successfully defended their state title in the boys doubles division. Entering the tournament as the top overall seed, Hairston and Romero had a first-round bye before defeating 8th-seeded Dardanelle High School (3-6, 6-0, 6-2), 5th-seeded Episcopal Collegiate (6-1, 5-7, 6-4), and another Episcopal team seeded 3rd in the finals (0-6, 7-5, 6-4). The victory capped off a second consecutive undefeated season for the pair.
The Billies also saw success from the doubles team of junior Parker Hill and sophomore Pierce Terry, who entered as the 10th seed. They upset 7th-seeded Brookland High School in straight sets (6-3, 7-6) before narrowly falling to 2nd-seeded Clinton High School (6-2, 4-6, 4-6) in the quarterfinals.
In boys singles, senior Landon Reid, seeded 4th, defeated the 13th seed from Joe T. Robinson (7-6, 6-4) before being edged out in a hard-fought quarterfinal (6-2, 4-6, 5-7) against the 5th seed from Brookland.
On the girls side, senior Maggie Fakouri delivered another standout performance in girls singles, reaching the semifinals as the 3rd seed. She notched wins over Dardanelle (6-4, 6-1) and Southside (6-0, 6-2) before falling to the 2nd seed from Hope (2-6, 0-6). Fakouri rebounded in the 3rd-place match with a gritty 8-5 comeback win over Pottsville, rallying from a 2-5 deficit to secure 3rd place overall.
As a team, Monticello finished as the 1st runner-up in the boys 4A team championship, bolstered by their doubles success, and also celebrated a top-three finish in girls singles.
Their state tournament achievements followed a dominant performance at the 8-4A District Championships held October 2 at Monticello High School. The boys team captured the district title, with Reid winning the boys singles division, Hairston and Romero repeating as boys doubles champions, and Hill and Terry finishing second. Senior Mason Montgomery added a 4th-place finish in boys singles. Fakouri claimed the girls singles district title for the fourth consecutive year.
For their outstanding efforts and top-four finishes, Fakouri and the doubles team of Hairston and Romero earned All-State honors from the Arkansas Activities Association.
