By Don Ketchum

Scottsdale Chaparral won the Class 5A team badminton championship on Thursday (Oct. 21), so it was no surprise that the Firebirds would have one of their two-player teams in the Division I doubles title match on Saturday (Oct. 23).

The real surprise was that the team playing for the title was not the top-seeded duo of Stacey McGuire and Ashleigh Foltz. Instead, it was unseeded Alex Hoffmann and Courtney Foltz, Chaparral’s No. 2 team.

Hoffman and Courtney Foltz pulled off an upset of sorts, defeating No. 5-seeded Callie Branyan and Brianna Layser of Gilbert, 15-0, 15-10 at Glendale Independence High. Branyan and Layser had defeated McGuire and Ashleigh Foltz in the semifinals, 15-13, 15-12.

Phoenix Xavier Prep’s Cate Welch captured the singles title with an 11-2, 11-8 victory over Goodyear Millennium’s Stephanie Vermillion. Welch was the top seed, Vermillion No. 3.

“To win the state team title was a great feeling and so is this,’’ said Courtney Foltz, a sophomore. “We played with a lot of heart. We wanted it, and we played our best.’’

Said Hoffmann, a junior, “We worked hard all year for this.’’

Foltz’s sister, Ashleigh, and McGuire came back to earn a third-place finish, rallying for a 13-15, 15-13, 15-9 triumph over third-seeded Chandler Begay and Witsada Wattananmitgul of Chandler High.

Welch, a senior left-hander, maintained a sense of calm in dispatching Vermillion.

“A lot of this game is mental,’’ she said.

“We called our team the “Peaceful Warriors,’ because that’s what you have to do, stay calm.’’

Vermillion pulled close in the second game and Welch stopped to tie her shoe as well as gather her thoughts for the finish.

Welch and her doubles partner reached the state finals a year ago, and this year Welch decided to put an emphasis on singles.

“I think I was a lot stronger,’’ she said. “I put a lot of extra work in, on weekends, and that helped a lot. I wanted to win. I had more confidence.’’

Division I singles results

Saturday (Oct. 23) at Glendale Independence High

Quarterfinals

Cate Welch, Phoenix Xavier Prep, def. Bri Calderon, Chandler Hamilton, 9-11, 11-5, 11-4.

Jasmine Fuller, Phoenix Sunnyslope, def. Genesis Ramirez, Phoenix Greenway, 11-1, 3-11, 11-2.

Stephanie Vermillion, Goodyear Millennium, def. Ashley Goldberg, Phoenix Desert Vista, 11-3, 11-0.

Jessica Michael, Xavier, def. Kelly Kulp, Mesa Mountain View, 11-9, 11-6.

Semifinals

Welch def. Fuller, 11-0, 11-5.

Vermillion def. Michael, 11-5, 11-2.

Finals

Welch def. Vermillion, 11-2, 11-8.

Third place

Fuller def. Michael, 11-5, 11-3.

Division I doubles results

Quarterfinals

Stacey McGuire-Ashleigh Foltz, Scottsdale Chaparral, def. Jordow Hammel-Jezhe Newton, Chandler, 15-12, 8-15, 15-12.

Callie Branyan-Brianna Layser, Gilbert, def. Renata Arronte-Alisa Turkina, Phoenix Sunnyslope, 15-9, 17-15.

Chandler Begay-Witsata Wattananimitgul, Chandler, def. Nicole Schwalbe-Rachel Gur-Arie, Tempe Corona del Sol, 15-2, 15-2.

Alex Hoffmann-Courtney Foltz, Chaparral, def. Sabrina Martinez-Geneva Heinkel, Phoenix Mountain Pointe, 15-4, 15-9.

Semifinals

Branyan-Layser def. McGuire-Ashleigh Foltz, 15-13, 15-12.

Hoffmann-Courtney Foltz def. Begay-Wattananimitgul, 15-13, 8-15, 15-8.

Finals

Hoffmann-Courtney Foltz def. Branyan-Layser, 15-0, 15-10.

Third place

McGuire-Ashleigh Foltz def. Begay-Wattananimitgul, 13-15, 15-13, 15-9.