Making history is usually never easy. Just ask the Lugoff-Elgin tennis team and first-year head coach Jon Blevins.

On Senior Night at L-E, the Demons needed to win the match-deciding second doubles pairing in order to lock up a spot in the 5A state playoffs in their first year in the state’s largest school classification.

The Demons’ first doubles pairing of Spencer Hinton and Alex Hinton won a 6-1, 6-3 straight set win over Turner Hoffman and Alex Kivett to wrap up the 4-3 win and nail down second place in Region 4-5A on Wednesday.

Blevins and company will host the third-place finisher from Region 3 in the first round of the 5A Upper State playoffs on April 25. 

Before the match, Holden Roberts and Coby Morrison, both graduating seniors, were recognized for their commitment to L-E tennis. 

“Each has had a stellar high school tennis career and demonstrated a commitment to excellence,” Blevins said of the pair. “We wish them the very best in the future. 

The Demons scored three wins at singles with Spencer Hinton sweeping Hoffman, 6-2, 6-0, at first singles before Alex Hinton had an easy go of it in taking down Tarun Ramkumar at second singles, winning 6-0, 6-1. Morrison provided a key victory at fifth singles as he defeated David Burns 5-7, 7-5, (1-0) to force the first doubles tie-breaker. 

The Bengals won at third singles as Reed Broderick stopped Roberts. 6-1, 6-0. Alex Kivett then outlasted Andrew Boone in fourth singles, 6-4, 7-6, before the second Blythewood doubles duo of  Carter Johnson and Morgan Marshall got the best of L-E’s  Xavier Hunt and D.J. Rawls in a 6-1, 6-0 victory.