Key tennis tops Mount St. Joe for B Conference title; Saints Peter & Paul wins the C

by Derek Toney

With a veteran roster, the Key School tennis team had a championship or bust mentality this spring. The Obezags accomplished their mission Thursday.

Key defeated Mount Saint Joseph, 3-2, to win the MIAA B Conference championship. The second-seeded and host Obezags (9-1 overall) swept singles play to secure their first championship since 2023.

“Today was an amazing team victory. I met a handful of these guys in the beginning of the season and we spoke about our aspirations and what we wanted to accomplish,” said Key first-year coach Aaron Benjamin. “It’s been amazing to see this become tenfold.”

It was full-circle Thursday for Morgan Schaefer, who was a freshman on Key’s previous championship squad.

“We had some rocky years in between…I knew we were going to have a really good chance at it,” Schaefer said. “It was a great to start the season fresh and then be able to complete this mission.”

Key lost in last year’s B final to Boys’ Latin, which completed a “four-peat.” The Lakers moved to the A Conference this spring.

Glenelg Country, which won back-to-back C titles, moved to the B this spring and was the No. 1 seed. Mount St. Joseph, the fourth-seed, upended Glenelg Country in Tuesday’s semifinals, opening the door for Key.

Schaefer (No. 1), sophomore Tate Holmes (No. 2) and junior Matei Dean (No. 3) swept their respective singles match. Holmes, Dean, seniors Jeff Mullin, Scott Sabean, Ian Hedgecoth, and junior Sam Kursban are holdovers from last spring.

Benjamin credited Schaefer for helping establishing “communication and culture.”

“The hardest part was already halfway done. It was really an extension of him leading this team because all the players looked to him,” said Benjamin.

“It’s been really fun for me all season,” said Schaefer. “These are some of my closest friends.”

Mount St. Joseph (5-3) won both double matches with Jack McGuinn and Jace Milnes (No. 1) and August Lancelotta and Luke Jayson (No. 2). 

Saints Peter & Paul captures its first tennis crown

Saints Peter & Paul won its first MIAA tennis title, sweeping Annapolis Area Christian (5-0) in the C championship match in Easton. The Sabres (9-2 overall) went undefeated in league play (9-0) including playoffs.