You couldn't blame him. The Serra High junior was downright exhausted after being involved in a number of tough matches en route to the championship, including a three-set win over Sacred Heart Prep's Erik Blumenkranz in the final, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1, 3-0, when Blumenkranz retired due to cramps.

"It felt great winning," Talmadge said. "I was able to get off to a good start in the second set and run away with it. I started feeling the ball a little better and making cleaner contact and started to find my rhythm. I was pretty sore after Tuesday and when I got up (Thursday) morning."

Talmadge, who finished the season at a remarkable 29-1 -- losing only to Eric Johnson of Bellarmine -- had a relatively easy victory in the semifinals, 6-2, 6-4 over Chris Ho of Homestead. That was a welcome relief because Talmadge was still feeling the effects of a brutal Tuesday in which he spent over five hours on the court in wins over Brandon Gallegos and Jordan Kepler of Aptos in the opening rounds.

"This title ranks up at the top because I had to beat a couple of good players," he said. "I found a way to win just from more experience (against the Aptos duo), and this was a test to see if I could last physically and mentally against guys playing really well when I wasn't playing my best."