The 2026 HighSchoolOT All-State Boys Tennis Team

The sixth-annual HighSchoolOT boys tennis all-state team features 25 players making a second or third appearance on the team, including four who were repeat first-team selections. HighSchoolOT's 2025-26 All-State teams are presented by Talk It Out NC and First Carolina Bank.

There is a first, second, and third team with 10 players each and a 20-player honorable mention team. Players were selected based on their singles play from throughout the year and doubles competition was not a factor.

The following athletes now have multiple appearances on the HSOT all-state boys tennis team in their careers, with South Central's Shaw Akula leading the way with three first-team selections.

3-time (7):

• Max Dukowicz, Carolina Day**
• Colin Cerminara, Davidson Day**
• Shaw Akula, South Central***
• Eshaan Dabadghav, Northwest Guilford*
• Justin Persinger, Charlotte Christian
• Jackson Grathwohl, Pine Lake Prep
• Connor Riely, Cardinal Gibbons

*-career first-team selections

2-time (18):

• Graham Powers, Hickory**
• Luke Ansari, Bishop McGuinness
• Isaac Lewis, T.C. Roberson*
• Owen Philips, East Chapel Hill
• Zach Plyler, Myers Park
• Blake Barclay, Marvin Ridge
• Haddon Bebb, Southeastern Cardinals (Homeschool)
• Ashish Nadkarni, Enloe
• Rishit Sharma, Green Level*
• Luke Durham, Western Alamance*
• Neel Varadan, Green Hope
• James Barrow, Jordan*
• Bryant Ross, Jordan
• Derek Shute, Franklin Academy
• Tejas Sridhar, Lake Norman Charter
• Theo Buckholtz, Carrboro
• Chinedu Nwokedi, Ardrey Kell
• Jack Kirby, Cannon School

*-career first-team selections

More Links

• Links to this year's championship coverage and final rankings
• Buy and view HSOT boys tennis photos from the 2026 season
• Previous all-state teams and final rankings

The full teams are listed below, with players on each team listed in the alphabetical order of their schools.

HighSchoolOT Boys Tennis All-State Team for 2026

First Team

• Max Dukowicz, Carolina Day (sophomore) — 9-0
• Colin Cerminara, Davidson Day (junior) — 6-1
• Rishit Sharma, Green Level (sophomore) — 8-4; 8A singles champ
• Graham Powers, Hickory (senior) — 11-1; 5A singles runner-up
• James Barrow, Jordan (junior) — 9-0; 8A doubles champion
• Sebastian Mazur, Jordan (senior) — 12-0; 8A doubles champion
• Siddhant Dua, Marvin Ridge (freshman) — 16-1; 7A singles semifinalist
• Shaw Akula, South Central (junior) — 15-0; 7A singles champ
• Isaac Lewis, T.C. Roberson (junior) — 13-0; 6A singles champ
• Luke Durham, Western Alamance (senior) — 15-0; 5A singles champ

Second Team

• Connor Riely, Cardinal Gibbons (junior) — 26-3; 7A singles qualifier
• Justin Persinger, Charlotte Christian (senior) — 15-1
• Owen Phillips, East Chapel Hill (sophomore) — 16-1; 6A doubles champion
• Ashish Nadkarni, Enloe (junior) — 10-0
• Yash Nain, Grimsley (senior) — 16-5; 7A singles semifinalist
• Bryant Ross, Jordan (junior) — 19-2; 8A singles runner-up
• Blake Barclay, Marvin Ridge (junior) — 18-1; 7A singles runner-up
• Zach Plyler, Myers Park (senior) — 10-2; 8A doubles qualifier
• Eshaan Dabadghav, Northwest Guilford (senior) — 13-1; 8A singles semifinalist
• Haddon Bebb, Southeastern Cardinals Homeschool (senior) — 13-3

Third Team

• Chinedu Nwokendi, Ardrey Kell (junior) — 9-4; 8A singles qualifier
• Theo Buckholtz, Carrboro (senior) — 11-4; 4A doubles champion
• Carlton Huitt, Covenant Day (8th grade) — 11-4
• Derek Shute, Franklin Academy (senior) — 16-0; 1A/2A singles champ
• Tejas Sridhar, Lake Norman Charter (senior) — 13-2; 4A singles champ
• Rex Wang, North Stanly (junior) — 17-2; 3A singles runner-up
• Ishan Mahapatra, Northwest Guilford (junior) — 14-2; 8A singles semifinalist
• Jackson Grathwohl, Pine Lake Prep (senior) — 12-1; 3A singles champ
• Daniel Lvovich, Providence Day (senior) — 11-2
• Joaquin Hernandez-Gonzalez, Seaforth (sophomore) — 11-4; 5A singles qualifier

Honorable Mention

• Vedant Kartik, Ardrey Kell (senior) — 13-1; 8A singles qualifier
• Luke Ansari, Bishop McGuinness (junior) — 16-1; 1A/2A singles semifinalist
• Jack Kirby, Cannon School (senior) — 8-8
• William Kaufmann, Charlotte Catholic (senior) — 22-6; 6A singles runner-up
• Gabe Polk, Davidson Day (junior) — 9-0
• Luke Borders, East Burke (junior) — 21-1; 4A singles runner-up
• Aidan Ballard, Elkin (senior) — 19-1; 1A/2A doubles champion
• Connor Ballard, Elkin (senior) — 19-1; 1A/2A doubles champion
• Anthony Vucinovic, First Flight (senior) — 14-0
• Neel Varadan, Green Hope (senior) — 5-8; 8A doubles runner-up
• Stephen Gervase, Green Hope (senior) — 8-4; 8A doubles runner-up
• Aarin Kumar, Green Level (senior) — 5-4
• Gareth Lim, Grimsley (freshman) — 13-2; 7A doubles champion
• Ethan Ten Brink, Hoggard (junior) — 10-3; 8A singles qualifier
• Jack Goatcher, Leesville Road (sophomore) — 16-4
• Bradyn Neal, Reagan (senior) — 16-2
• Sammie Isaak, Research Triangle (junior) — 11-5; 1A/2A singles runner-up
• James O'Brien, T.C. Roberson (junior) — 14-1; 6A doubles runner-up
• Clark Clodfelter, Westchester Country Day (junior) — 15-0
• Adam Boylston, Western Alamance (junior) — 13-0; 5A doubles champion