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Skyridge sophomore Kylee Sperry (right) embraces teammate Savannah Johnson after winning the Class 6A 1st Doubles state title at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald)

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The Skyridge girls tennis team poses for photos after being awarded the Class 6A State Championship Trophy at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald)

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Skyridge sophomore Payton Carroll returns a ball during the 3rd Singles Championship Match in the 6A state tournament at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald)

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Lone Peak's Mia Black (left) and Haley Frame celebrate a point during the Class 6A 1st Doubles Championship Match at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald)

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American Fork's Ally Murdock (left) and Claire Griffin celebrate a point during the Class 6A 2nd Doubles state championships at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald)

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Skyridge junior Savannah Johnson returns the ball during the Class 6A 1st Doubles final at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald)

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Skyridge coach Ben Armstrong talks strategy with Payton Carroll during a break in the Class 6A 3rd Singles Championship match at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald)

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Skyridge sophomore Payton Carroll prepares to serve in the Class 6A 3rd Singles championship match at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald)

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Skyridge 1st Doubles team Kylee Sperry (left) and Savannah Johnson celebrate scoring a point in the finals of the Class 6A State Tennis Championships at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald)

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Skyridge sophomore Payton Carroll (with glasses) reacts after losing the Class 6A 3rd Singles final at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald)

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Skyridge junior Savannah Johnson (right) jumps into the arms of her teammate, Kylee Sperry, after winning the Class 6A 1st Double tennis title at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald)

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Skyridge fans surround Class 6A 1st Doubles winners Savannah Johnson and Kylee Sperry at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald)

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Skyridge 2nd Doubles team Kaia Sperry (left) and Naomi Johnson celebrate a point during the Class 6A State Championship at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald)

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Skyridge coach Ben Armstrong holds up the game ball after the Falcons won their second straight Class 6A Girls Tennis title at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald)

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Skyridge boys tennis player and super fan Jamison Kunz holds up the game ball after head coach Ben Armstrong awarded it to him during the Class 6A Girls Tennis State Championships at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald)

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Skyridge 1st Doubles team Savannah Johnson (left) and Kylee Sperry pose for pictures after being awarded their 6A State Championship medals at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald)

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The Skyridge girls tennis team poses for photos after winning the Class 6A team title at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Courtesy photo Michael Mills, Skyridge High School)

❮ ❯

Warm up the Lehi City fire engines for a spin around town.

Skyridge is bringing home another girls state tennis title and it’s time to celebrate.

Both doubles teams — Savannah Johnson and Kylee Sperry in 1st Doubles and the freshman duo of Naomi Johnson and Kaia Sperry in 2nd Doubles — kept things all in the family by winning their respective titles as the Falcons held off Layton 20-16 at Salt Lake City’s Liberty Park on Saturday. It’s the second straight 6A gold trophy for Skyridge, which won its first girls state tennis title last season.

Falcons head coach Ben Armstrong said he had to make some tough decisions moving around his returning players and integrating the talented incoming freshmen.

“I probably have four or five players that all could play almost any line,” Armstrong said. “It’s just a wonderful group of girls.”

Skyridge, which led Layton 10-8 after Day 1, had just one individual finalist. Sophomore Payton Carroll took second in 3rd Doubles, falling to Layton freshman Tana Christopulos 6-1, 6-3 in the final.

But the Falcons cleaned up in both doubles finals to claim the team title.

Savannah Johnson and Kylee Sperry survived a tremendous 1st Doubles semifinal round earlier in the day with Layton’s Tess Christopulos and Victory Cooksey. winning 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 to earn a spot in the finals.

“Our last match (with Layton), that was really difficult,” Savannah Johnson said. “We just had to maintain our focus and we were going for shots we don’t usually go for. I think that’s what helped us. We played more aggressively at the net and on the baseline.”

In the final, Johnson and Sperry powered past Lone Peak’s Mia Black and Haley Frame 6-2, 6-2.

“I was trying to stay focused because it’s easy to let up after winning a long, hard match in the semifinals,” Kylee Sperry said. “You don’t want to be lazy or lackadaisical so you’re just focused on being super mentally tough, especially in the finals because you know it’s your last match. We both hype each other up. Even when we lose a point we just forget about it.”

Kaia Sperry and Naomi Johnson won the first set in the 2nd Doubles final against American Fork’s Ally Murdoch and Claire Griffin 6-1 and led the second set 5-0. Murdoch’s powerful ground strokes got the Caveman duo going and cut that deficit to 5-3, but Sperry and Johnson seized the momentum and took the final game for a 6-3 win.

Sperry kept telling Johnson “you’re insane” before each serve to encourage her partner to help finish the match.

“It means like, ‘You’re so good,'” Kaia Sperry said. ” It means ‘You’ve got this right here.’ She was insane today. I think it’s really cool that we’re freshmen and that we just won.”

Armstrong said his team is young this season with three freshmen and only one senior.

“We had 10 points after the first two rounds, just like the previous year,” he said. “The competition was really stout. That 1st Doubles match with Layton, they were our No. 1 competitor at state. That was the championship match right there. It was a fantastic match filled with wonderful tennis and we had to earn it. What was so much fun was to watch the girls have pressure and get out and win it.”

At the conclusion of the tournament, Armstrong gathered his team together and praised the support of Skyridge supporters. He awarded the last game ball of the season to boys tennis player and super fan Jamison Kunz, who cheered on the Falcons all weekend.

“This is the team I’ve been dreaming of playing on since I was in junior high,” Savannah Johnson said. “I’ve known this team was going to be put together this year. I’ve always been excited for this team and to win a state championship, it’s amazing.”

Class 6A Girls Tennis State Championships

Liberty Park, Salt Lake City

Saturday’s results

1st Singles

Semifinals

Jane Dunyon, Fr., Weber def. Lucy Droubay, Sr., Skyridge 6-1, 6-1

Tia Christopulos, Fr., Layton def. Shannon Anderson, Sr., Farmington 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

Finals

Dunyon, Weber def. Christopulos, Layton 6-1, 6-0

2nd Singles

Semifinals

Riva Soneji, Jr., West def. Bella Lewis, Fr., Skyridge 6-2, 6-4

Juliana Cooksey, Sr., Layton def. Elle Ferguson, Sr., Davis 6-2, 6-1

Finals

Soneji, West def. Cooksey, Layton 6-1, 6-2

3rd Singles

Semifinals

Tana Christopulos, Fr., Layton def. Brighton Johnson, Fr., Farmington 6-1, 6-0

Payton Carroll, So., Skyridge def. Kylie Willardson, Jr., Lone Peak 6-2, 6-2

Finals

Christopulos, Layton def. Carroll, Skyridge 6-1, 6-3

1st Doubles

Semifinals

Savannah Johnson, Jr. & Kylee Sperry, So., Skyridge def. Tess Christopulos, Sr. & Victoria Cooksey, So., Layton 4-6, 6-3, 7-5

Mia Black, Jr., & Haley Frame,Jr., Lone Peak def. Ruby Russell, Sr. & Olivia Leifson, Sr., Pleasant Grove 6-1, 6-2

Finals

Johnson & Sperry, Skyridge def. Black & Frame, Lone Peak 6-2, 6-2

2nd Doubles

Semifinals

Kaia Sperry Fr., & Naomi Johnson, Fr., Skyidge def. Rachel Jemmett, Sr., & Kate Davis, Sr., Lone Peak 6-2, 6-0

Ally Murdoch Jr., & Claire Griffin, So., American Fork def. Hannah Hafen Jr., & Hannah Harmsen, Jr., Farmington 6-3, 3-6, 7-5

Finals

Sperry & Johnson, Skyridge def. Murdoch & Griffin 6-1, 6-3

Team Scoring: Skyridge 20, Layton 16, Lone Peak 9, West 9, American Fork 7, Farmington 6, Weber 6, Bingham 4, Davis 4, Mountain Ridge 3, Pleasant Grove 2, Riverton 2, Granger 1, Herriman 1