The Prior Lake Lakers have officially solidified their regular-season legacy, finishing as undefeated South Suburban Conference (SSC) boys’ tennis champions.
By navigating a high-stakes final week against two of the most competitive programs the SSC has to offer, the team secured the first-ever boys tennis conference title in school history and finishing the season with a No. 8 state double AA ranking.
The final conference stretch started on May 6, when the Lakers hosted a top-loaded Eagan team. Led by Will Heidtke, ranked among the top 15 individuals in state, the Lakers had to be at their best. Eagan took the points at the top of the singles lineup, but the Lakers relied on their team-wide depth to secure a gritty 4-3 team victory.
Dallas Handevidt (6-3, 6-0) and Sam Williams (6-2, 6-0) won at No. 3 and No. 4 singles with straight-set performances. The two singles points were backed with wins at No. 1 doubles team of Tarun Gopi and August Adams (6-2, 6-0) and No. 2 doubles Reid Breimhorst and Matthew Shplisher (6-1, 6-2), who delivered smooth, decisive victories keeping the perfect conference record on track.
The regular-season finale on May 8 couldn’t have been scheduled any better with a true winner-take-all showdown between the now 8-0 Lakers and the 7-1 Eastview Lightning. With the conference crown hanging in the balance, the Lakers left no room for doubt, securing a 5-2 victory to finish the SSC schedule a perfect 9-0.
The Lakers showcased their championship lineup depth by sweeping the first four matches off the court.
Sam Williams (No. 4 singles) and Handevidt (No. 3 singles) were nearly untouchable again, combining to drop only three games in their matches to put the Lakers up early.
The depth was further highlighted as Breimhorst and Shplisher (No. 2 doubles) and Jack Evanson teaming with Henry Dettman (No. 3 doubles) both secured straight-set wins to effectively clinch the title.
Jack Williams provided the exclamation point at No. 1 singles, outlasting a tough Riley Jarrard 7-5, 6-4 in a physical back and forth battle that mirrored the intensity of the entire season.
By making school history, the Lakers have officially earned the top seed in the sub-section tournament which sets them up well to fulfill their aspirations of returning to the section semi-finals at Gustavus Adolphus College for the second year in a row. The team will conclude the regular season with an unblemished 9-0 SSC record and a battle tested 12-5 overall record.
The strength of their record was underscored by the latest state rankings released May 11, illustrating all five Laker losses coming against programs currently ranked in the state’s top five. This includes Wayzata, Edina, Rochester Mayo, Eden Prairie and the top-ranked team in Iowa, Waukee Northwest.
Additional schedule highlights include three wins over top-10 ranked programs including a marquee 4-3 victory over Class A No. 2 St. Paul Academy, No. 7 Holy Angels and No. 9 SW Christian.
Following their first-round bye, the road to the state tournament officially begins at home on Thursday, May 14, at 4:30 p.m., when the Lakers host New Prague after that team advanced following a victory over Mankato East.
