Staff Photo by Dan Henry--Senior J.P. McLemore won the deciding match to lift McCallie to its third consecutive TSSAA Division II Class AA state boys’ team tennis tournament championship Wednesday.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The McCallie tennis team claimed its third straight Division II-AA state crown Wednesday at Middle Tennessee State University.

The Blue Tornado beat Memphis University School 4-2 to complete the season undefeated through 15 matches.

The TSSAA state title is McCallie’s seventh and seventh undefeated season.

“Winning it three years in a row — what an incredible way to go out,” said Blue Tornado senior J.P. McLemore, who clinched the match in a long, tough three set win over MUS’s Cliff Gyton. “There’s no better way to end this.”

McLemore won the first set 7-6 in a tiebreaker, then lost the second set. He fell behind 3-2 in the third, but fought back to win it.

“We were dead even in the first set and in the second, I drifted back a little and got tired,” McLemore said. “In the third, he came out strong, but he got more tired and I started coming back on the baseline, playing like I was playing in the first set. I just ran him until I tired him out.”

McCallie’s Wes Nelson, Chris Schlabach and Thomas Fanjoy recorded wins in singles. MUS’s Watson George edged David Henry at No. 1 and combined with teammate Will Carter to defeat Nelson and Schlabach at No. 1 doubles.

“I was expecting a tough match and we got it,” McCallie coach Eric Voges said. “I’m proud of how they fought. MUS is good, and they’re always good. These three state titles in a row are a tribute to our seniors — Wes, David and J.P. They stayed together, they played together and they pushed each other.”

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