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May 26, 2025 By Jonathan Guth 3 min read

Max Henson is 1-for-1 in state tournaments.

The Belle Vernon junior won all four of his matches in straight sets to capture the PIAA Class 2A Boys Singles Tennis Championship on Saturday at the Hershey Racquet Club.

Henson was playing in his first state tournament in his first season competing at the high school level, but he is no stranger to the sport, as he has been playing for 12 years.

The Leopards don’t have a tennis team in the boys or girls division, but Henson won WPIAL and state titles this year, and Gabby Dusi is a two-time WPIAL champion and state runner-up on the girls side.

Henson plays tournaments all year long, but to be recognized as the best in the state was a proud moment for the Cleveland State commit.

“It is pretty cool to win a pretty prestigious tournament,” Henson said. “I’m glad that I was able to bring home a state championship for the town and community. I’m pleased to be able to represent Belle Vernon in a positive way.”

Henson lost a total of eight games in Hershey, which started with a 6-0, 6-0 victory Friday morning over Rowan Bayley from Trinity (District 3) in the round of 16. Henson’s closest match, score wise, was a 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Bishop Shanahan’s Daniel Gallagher in the quarterfinals on Friday night.

Henson topped Saucon Valley senior Deven Pandey, 6-1, 6-0, before downing another senior in a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Carver Engineering and Science’s Samir Roberts-Mouzon in the final.

Henson was solid at the service line all tournament, as the indoor courts at the Hershey Racquet Club played to his strengths.

“My serves were cooking this tournament,” Henson said. “These courts are super fast, which is really good for me. I did break a good bit, and my return game was good, but the serve was what carried me. It’s been a long time since I used a radar game, but my serve was moving pretty good.”

Although he never trailed in the tournament, Henson complimented Roberts-Mouzon’s performance.

“He is a good player and a nice kid,” Henson said. “We talked a little bit after the match. He is super fast, and I believe he would do really well on clay.

“I didn’t change much in this tournament. I know it’s cliche, but I just played my game. Tennis is super mental, so you really have to be mentally tough, especially when your match isn’t going so well.”

Henson also got the chance to experience Hershey for the first time.

“Believe it or not, that was my first trip to Hershey,” Henson said. “I didn’t get to go to the park, but we had dinner after the tournament at a local restaurant and got to check out the town a little bit. It is a cool town. Hopefully, I can come back next year, defend my title and get to the park.”

Henson took Sunday off, but was back to work Monday in preparation for an upcoming tournament next weekend.

“You can’t really afford to take any time off when you want to succeed at this level and beyond,” Henson said.