Tennis is not usually a high school sport that draws a lot of attention. But at Ada, the boy’s tennis program has garnered 14 state championships since 1963-second only to their storied football program which has 19 state titles. And it’s with that backdrop that Ada senior Halston Redwine approaches the 2024 tennis season.

“My older sister played tennis and so I started going to tennis camps at around 7 or 8 years old,” said Redwine. “I’ve been to the state tournament every year so far in high school. My freshman year I finished third in #2 doubles, I moved to #1 singles my sophomore year but didn’t place at state and last year I finished fifth at state. As a team all six guys qualified for state last year and we finished fourth being the first public school to place after the private schools who have dominated the class in recent years.”

“Halston is an incredible leader for our team as well as an amazing tennis player and an even better person,” said his coach, Terry Swopes. “He has an outstanding work ethic that makes everyone on our team better and is a good leader for our younger players.

His mentor is Bill Nelson who is his private lessons coach and is main motivator is his dad “because of the many sacrifices he has made for me over the years.” 

Though he has played lots of key matches over the years, Halston says the most memorable matches occur at state.

“The state tournament matches are probably the highlight of my time at Ada. Win or lose it’s always enjoyable to play against the guys from Heritage Hall or Cascia Hall.”

The Cougar guys are off to a good start on the season as they set their sights on the state tournament once again. They’ve won two tournaments and finished second in two others.

“I’ve been battling an ankle injury that’s slowed me down, but the rest of the guys have really stepped up,” said Redwine.

Halston Redwine will continue his tennis career next year in college at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith and study business.