The West Ottawa boys tennis team is headed back to the state finals for the seventh consecutive year after a dramatic finish at the Division 1 Regional 1 tournament, where the Panthers finished in a three-way tie for first place with Rockford and Portage Central. All three programs finished with 19 team points, capping a competitive regional tournament with one of the closest possible finishes. West Ottawa's championship effort was led by an impressive showing in doubles, where the Panthers captured three of the four regional flight titles. All three championship teams entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed in their respective flights, and each delivered on that top-seed status after also winning a conference championship the previous week. At No. 1 doubles, Lincoln Taylor and Dawson Linn opened the tournament with a bye before defeating Caledonia's Quinn Stanley and Russell Grandon, 6-0, 6-3, in the quarterfinals. They continued their strong play in the semifinals, defeating East Kentwood's Parker VanHouten and Brayden DeMaagd, 6-4, 6-2, to advance to the championship match. Taylor and Linn then capped their run with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Portage Central's Hayden Rithauddean and Andrew Cho to claim the regional title. At No. 2 doubles, Josh Reimink and Jonah Hoff also began their tournament with a bye before advancing past Grand Haven's Elliot Lane and Ash Ruiter 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals. The Panthers then faced Portage Central in the semifinals, where they earned their place in the championship match beating Felix Wu and Henry Wisloski 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Reimink and Hoff completed their championship run with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Rockford's Brady Gauthier and Bridger Wildern, securing West Ottawa's second doubles flight title of the day. At No. 4 doubles, Thomas Diekevers and Landon Schwallier made a strong statement from the start. After opening with a bye, the top-seeded Panthers defeated Caledonia's Ben Simon and Alex Lansigner, 6-0, 6-0, in the quarterfinals. They followed that performance with a 6-1, 6-1 semifinal victory over Hudsonville's Bradley Souser and Levi VanderLugt. In the championship match, Diekevers and Schwallier finished the job with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Rockford's Chase Dzibowicz and Wenji Lastfogel earning West Ottawa its third doubles flight title. The Panthers' success extended beyond the three champions. At No. 3 doubles, Brody Sayrath and Ethan Byrd advanced to the championship match after defeating Rockford's Seth Bearly and Stephen Chien 7-5, 6-4, and Portage Central's Ryo Rohrstaff and Ben Watts 6-4, 6-4. They ultimately finished as regional runners-up after falling to Hudsonville's Tanner Kalman and Jude Beel, 6-2, 6-2. In singles, Isaac Watkin advanced to the quarterfinals at No. 3 singles, while Gavin White put together a competitive effort at No. 4 singles and nearly pulled off an upset against the fourth seed in his flight. Jack Zernicke also represented the Panthers at No. 2 singles, while Soren Traver competed at No. 1 singles. The team championship came down to the final matches of the day. With four matches remaining, West Ottawa sat at 18 points, Rockford had 18, and Portage Central had already reached 19. The Panthers needed a victory in their No. 1 doubles final to keep their championship hopes alive. Taylor and Linn delivered, winning their final and pushing West Ottawa to 19 points. Meanwhile, Portage Central dropped its finals at No. 1 and No. 3 singles, leaving the Mustangs at 19 points. Rockford then won its final match to reach 19 as well, completing the three-way tie for the regional championship. The finish reflected the depth and competitiveness of the regional field, with all three programs earning a share of the title. For West Ottawa, the result also extends an impressive stretch of postseason consistency. The Panthers have now qualified for the state finals for seven consecutive years, continuing a run of success built on strong individual performances and a team capable of collecting points across multiple flights. With three regional doubles championships, a runner-up doubles finish, and another state-finals berth secured, West Ottawa has added another memorable chapter to its boys tennis program. The panthers will head to midland next week to compete in the Division One State Finals