AUGUSTA — With the decision already determined, Justin Davis and Tripp Parker left the tennis court for the last time in their high school careers with their match not completed.

Augusta Prep beat Southland 3-1 in the AAA team semifinals at the Newman Center in Augusta Wednesday afternoon. Stratford beat Prep in the finals 4-1.

The Raiders’ lone win came from No. 2 doubles in Brandon Vann and Benny Eiler, who finished off Matt Gianelli and Daniel Hull 6-3, 6-0.

Along with Parker and Davis, the Raiders will lose No. 1 singles player Chris Bird, who lost 6-3, 6-2 to Conner Bergeron, to graduation.

“I think we did as well as we could have reasonably expected,” said coach Jimmy Thaxton. “The boys played at least up to their normal potential. They were just a little better than we were.”

Southland switched things around hoping to get better matchups. The Raiders practically switched Vann to doubles and Ryan Singley to singles.

Singley lost to Lawrence Andrew 6-0, 6-0 and Andrew Carroll was defeated in No. 3 singles by Carl Sanders 6-2, 6-0.

“We knew we’d have to have a couple of upsets, which we didn’t get,” said Thaxton.

The Raiders have reached the semifinals each of the last five years and the finals twice, but never won. Thaxton said this season was a peak year for the team as they will have to place three top performers in Bird, Davis and Parker.

“It’s tough to see all of this come to an end,” he said. “What those guys have accomplished are more than we ever hoped for, and I’m totally proud of them.

“We’ll go back to the drawing boards. We’ve got three guys coming up from the eighth grade, and we feel like if those boys work hard over the year that we could have a chance to get here next year.”

GIRLS

Augusta Prep beat Stratford for the girls’ title 3-2, thanks to a nearly five-hour match in No. 3 singles. Thaxton said the match started shortly after 3 p.m. and finished just minutes before 8 p.m.