Metamora and Dunlap high schools had a big day on the tennis courts for their boys programs over the weekend.
Dunlap pushed all six of its players to state, as they all gained the semifinals of the Class 1A Geneseo Sectional on Friday and went on to win the sectional team title, with Sterling runner-up, Notre Dame third and Peoria Christian fourth.
Metamora won the Class 1A LaSalle-Peru Sectional, qualifying five players for state while grabbing a sectional title plaque for the eighth straight season and 17th time in 23 years.
The 2026 IHSA boys state tennis finals are Thursday through Saturday at Palatine High School and other Chicago area school sites.
Here’s a look at state qualifiers from the Peoria area after matches concluded Friday and Saturday:
Dunlap High School
Dunlap freshman singles phenom Michel Dresden knocked off Sterling’s Xavian Prather 6-2, 6-3 and Dixon’s Jayvian Herwig 6-2, 6-2 at the Class 1A Geneseo Sectional to qualify for state on Friday night. Dresden faces Newman Central Catholic’s Joel Rhodes in the semifinals.
Dunlap sophomore Ethan Laclef beat Notre Dame’s Gus Callaway 6-1, 6-1 and Rock Island’s Chase Eygabroad 6-0, 6-0 to also gain the semifinals and qualify for state. He plays Sterling High School’s Aron Rivera next.
On the doubles side, the Eagles senior tandem of Ethan Klemens and Harmin Patel rolled through two matches to qualify for state and reach the semifinals, where they will face Sterling’s Micah Peterson/Jacob Prevo.
Dunlap’s tandem of junior Noah Lippens and senior William Song also qualified and reached the semifinals, where they will take on Peoria Christian’s Ian Durst and Samuel Loeb.
Saturday update: Dresden beat Rhodes in the semifinals, 6-1, 6-3 early Saturday. Teammate Leclef took out Rivera in the semifinals, 6-2, 6-3.
That set up an all-Dunlap singles title match, which Dresden won 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 in a three-set battle over Leclef for the sectional singles title.
The sectional doubles title match was all Dunlap, too. Klemens and Patel knocked off teammates Lippens and Song 6-1, 7-6 (2) to take the championship.
Klemens-Patel reached that title match by beating Sterling’s Peterson/Prevo in the semis earlier Saturday. Lippens and Song won their semifinal over Peoria Christian’s Durst and Loeb 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
Peoria Christian
Durst and Loeb knocked out doubles teams from Newman Central Catholic and Notre Dame in the first two rounds Friday to make the semifinals and qualify for state.
Saturday update: Durst and Loeb finished third in the sectional. They dropped a semifinals match to Dunlap’s tandem of Lippens and Song, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 early Saturday. They recovered to win the third-place match over Sterling’s Peterson/Prevo 6-4, 6-2.
Washington High School
Washington senior Charles Schermerhorn beat Bloomington Cornerstone Christian Academy’s Luke Abadeer 6-2, 6-4 in the opening round and then defeated Morton’s Max Roosa 7-5, 6-3 to gain the singles semifinals of the Class 1A Bloomington Sectional and qualify for state.
He’ll face Bloomington High School’s Phillip Haning in the semifinals.
Saturday update: Washington finished third in the sectional team standings. Schermerhorn dropped his semifinal match against Haning 6-0, 6-1. He recovered for a third-place finish, beating Cornerstone Christian Academy’s Jon Farinas 7-5, 6-3.
Morton High School
Morton seniors doubles tandem Joal Larson and Tate Darcy gained the semifinals of the 1A Bloomington Sectional with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Cornerstone Christian Academy’s Paul Abadeer and Dylan White, clinching a state spot.
They’ll face Normal University tandem Parker Kim/Bryse Boester in the semifinals Saturday.
Saturday update: Larson and Darcy emerged from an epic battle in the semifinals with a 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-3 win over Kim and Boester.
The Morton duo went on to win the sectional doubles title with a 2-6, 7-6 (8), 7-5 win over Ansh Gupta/Parker Martin of Normal University.
Metamora High School
Metamora seniors tandem Tommy Sopko and Weston Lange powered through four matches to win the Class 1A LaSalle-Peru Sectional and qualify for state.
They beat state-qualifying teammates Dane Hutchison and Hunter Poole 6-3, 6-3 in the title match.
That fueled a runaway sectional team championship, with sophomore Matthew Poole also qualifying with a second-place singles finish.
Richwoods High School
Richwoods sophomore singles ace Daniel Nathan won a pair of matches in the Class 2A Richwoods Sectional on Friday to reach the semifinals and qualify for state.
Saturday update: Richwoods sophomore Kace Tyler also qualified for state with a 6-0, 6-0 win in the semifinals over Normal Community’s Hayes Hafner.
Tyler and Nathan met in an all-Richwoods singles title match, which Nathan won 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
Richwoods finished second in the team standings, missing a title by one point over sectional winner Normal Community.
(This story has been updated with new information)
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Dunlap, Metamora lead area boys tennis players in qualifying for IHSA state finals
Reporting by Dave Eminian, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
