Johnson, White to continue tennis careers at Snead State

SARDIS CITY — The performances of Carleigh Johnson and Gracie White have been essential to the Sardis varsity girls tennis team becoming a Class 4A-5A power over the last few seasons.

On the threshold of the 2019 campaign, the seniors took the next step in their careers by signing scholarships with Snead State Community College during a Jan. 10 ceremony in the SHS library.

The girls’ parents are Jeff and Jennifer Johnson and Stephen and Kathryn White.

“We’re just so proud, especially to get some great girls and local girls,” Snead State Athletic Director Mark Richard said. “Sardis has sent great girls to us in the past, and we’re glad to have Carleigh and Gracie.”

The Lady Parsons’ 2019 roster features Sardis graduates Bailey Boman and Macklyn Hubbard.

White has played for the Lions since the eighth grade. She will play No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles for Sardis in 2019. She and Grace Sauls were doubles partners the last two years.

“I didn’t really know if I wanted to play for four more years, but I knew I wanted to play for two,” White said of choosing Snead State. “I can stay home and still get to play the sport I love.”

Johnson has been playing for Sardis for five years. She will be the No. 3 singles player and part of the No. 2 doubles team in 2019.

“I hadn’t really ever thought about playing tennis in college until this year, and I started getting offers,” Johnson said. “I chose Snead because it’s close to home. I’m looking forward to playing for a couple more years.”

The girls cherish the memories they’ve made during their Sardis careers, and they’re eager to see what they and their teammates can accomplish in the 2019 season.

“I’ve gotten to play my favorite sport with my best friends Grace, Carleigh and the rest of the team, and us not ever picking up a racquet and then coming here and having all this success has really been eye opening,” White said. “Amanda [Johnson] and the rest of our coaches have been so great to push us farther than we expected.

“We’ve been undefeated for the past three years, and those three years we’ve won our section and went to State and we ended up being the seventh overall team at State, which was the first public school.”

Carleigh Johnson said going to the State Tournament is always fun. Another favorite memory for her is winning the No. 2 doubles title with Kailee Upchurch in the 2018 section tournament.

Johnson is dreaming big for the 2019 season.

“I know what we want to accomplish as a team — we want to win State,” she said.

Last year, UMS-Wright won the 4A-5A title. Briarwood finished second, St. Paul’s third, Saint James fourth and Trinity fifth. UMS, Briarwood, St. Paul’s and Trinity all reclassified to 6A while Saint James dropped to 3A.

Randolph remains in 4A-5A. The Raiders took sixth in the 4A-5A State Tournament in 2018.

“There’s several big teams leaving our class so hopefully we can at least get top three, and if we push ourselves, who knows?” White said of the State title dreams.

Sardis will compete in 4A-5A, Section 6 with Boaz, Douglas, Guntersville, Etowah, Southside, Cherokee County and Jacksonville.

“Our section is very, very tough,” Amanda Johnson said. “It’s going to be a battle. If we can get to State, we have a good shot of being in the top five. That would be really good. I would take winning it too.”

Johnson said White is the only Sardis player to play on the three consecutive unbeaten teams. She joined the starting lineup as a freshman at No. 6 singles.

“Gracie had offers at Birmingham-Southern and some other places, but she wants to be at home for two years,” Johnson said. “Her sister, Bailey, plays softball at Snead.

“Gracie is probably the best player I’ve ever coached. She’s worked hard. Carleigh has worked so, so hard.

“Both of them have incredible serves, which is a huge asset to a women’s tennis or girls tennis team. Both of them have power serves, so they can get a lot of free points off their serve, and they both have very dominant forehands. They’re both power hitters.

“They’re both just sweet, sweet girls. Straight-A students, just good, good girls.

“They don’t complain. I don’t know how we’re going to play doubles this year, but whoever I ask them to play with they play with. It’s like ‘where you want me, coach?’ They don’t care where I pair them — they just want to win.”