Max Henson said he loved the feeling of having a WPIAL singles gold medal around his neck last year at Bethel Park.
A change of venue for this year’s tournament didn’t alter the outcome for the Belle Vernon senior.
Henson closed out another impressive run to a title with a straight-set victory over Quaker Valley junior Will Meagher on Thursday under sunny skies at North Allegheny.
“This feels twice as good,” said Henson, who won 6-0, 6-2. “I was looking forward to going after it again. There wasn’t any pressure. High school tennis is fun. I just go out there and play my game.”
Henson had two matches on his way to the finals. He won 10-0 in the quarterfinals before defeating North Catholic senior Justin Garvey, the No. 4 seed, 6-1, 6-3, in the quarterfinals.
Henson and Garvey’s semifinal matchup was a rematch of last year’s WPIAL finals, also won in straight sets by Henson.
Henson and Meagher faced off for the first time.
“Will is a very good player,” said Henson, a Cleveland State commit. “He’s got a good serve and good volleys. He was consistent off the ground.
“I just felt pretty good out there. I liked my second serve. I wasn’t missing them.”
Henson now has more than a month to plan strategy and prepare to defend his state title won last year in Hershey.
“It’s an honor to be able to go back to Hershey,” he said. “Those courts are fast. I like them a lot. Being there before and having success will really help me going back.”
Meagher reached the WPIAL finals after losing, as the No. 6 seed, in last year’s WPIAL quarterfinals.
“Max is a great player,” Meagher said. “His serves are amazing. I felt I could’ve gotten a few more games against him. I think it was a little closer than the final score would let on.”
Despite the finals loss, Meagher felt he played pretty well throughout the tournament and is looking forward to facing the best in Hershey.
“Obviously, the goal for states is to make it as far as I can, hopefully win a couple rounds and see what happens,” he said. “I know there is such amazing competition at states. Maybe I will see Max again.”
A third spot to states from Class 2A was on the line in the consolation matchup between Garvey and No. 2 Silas Morris, a senior from Greensburg Salem.
Garvey was able to secure his second trip to states with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Morris, who had reached the WPIAL semifinals for the first time.
Garvey said he liked the way he was able to bounce back from his semifinal loss to Henson.
“I didn’t play too well (Wednesday) against Max,” said Garvey, who fell in the first round of last year’s PIAA draw.
“But I stood in there and won a couple of games. I was able to come back today and trust my serve to help get me points. I was hitting some nice shots. I could’ve come up to the net more and finish off some shots, but overall, I did pretty well.”
Morris, who aggravated a right ankle injury in his semifinal loss to Meagher, didn’t back out of his consolation match with a trip to states on the line.
Despite being somewhat limited in his movement, he worked through the discomfort.
“I couldn’t run, and changing directions, it really hurt,” said Morris, who lost to Garvey as the No. 15 seed in last year’s first round.
“It felt good to get to where I was. I was proud of winning sections this year. Last year, I didn’t feel I was the 15th-seeded player and could’ve been put in a better situation. It was a tough draw last year. But I just wanted to come back and focus on this opportunity.”
Sircar returns to the top
Advaita Sircar felt the elation of winning a WPIAL Class 3A singles championship two years ago.
The North Allegheny junior also felt the sting last year of coming so close to defending his title.
Sircar’s motivation to be the best again helped carry him to another gold medal.
Sircar, the top seed and a Naval Academy commit, lost just one point in his first three tournament matches before defeating his Tigers teammate, senior Evan Kaufman, 6-2, 6-1, for the title on their home courts.
“It feels amazing to have had the chance to come back and win another one,” said Sircar, who lost to Gateway graduate Adam Memije in last year’s finals after defeating Memije for gold in 2024.
“Last year’s loss was heartbreaking. Now, I am so pumped up. I am ready for states.”
Sircar will head to Hershey next month seeking a title after finishing runner-up last year and as a quarterfinalist as a freshman.
Thursday marked the first time since 1999 that two teammates played for a WPIAL singles title in Class 3A. That year, Brandon Tung beat Bo Wiegand in a three-set, all-Shady Side Academy classic.
The last time it happened in Class 2A was 2012 when Sewickley Academy teammates went at it with Colin Kaye defeating Grayson Geller, 6-4, 6-4.
“It was nice to play someone who I know so well and who is a good friend,” Sircar said. “It was nice to know that someone from North Allegheny would be the champion. It was a fun match. It came down to who was able to execute better.”
Kaufman’s advancement to the finals as the No. 6 seed also meant an automatic PIAA berth, but WPIAL gold was on his mind Thursday.
Despite coming up short to Sircar, the Case Western Reserve commit appreciated his position after not being able to enter the singles tournament last year.
A torn labrum late in his 2024 sophomore season kept him out until last year’s WPIAL team tournament. He made the quarterfinals as a sophomore.
“(Advaita) and I have played a ton, so we are so familiar with each other. But I knew it was going to be a hard match,” Kaufman said. “I didn’t execute perfectly, and he played so well. That is why he came out on top. But I am so grateful to get back and compete for a spot at states. My shoulder feels great.”
Upper St. Clair sophomore Carter Lichtman, the No. 12 seed, finished third in an injury walkover as fellow semifinalist, Gateway senior Logan Memije, was not able to play Thursday.