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Patriots advance to sectional finals with win over Tiger Cubs
Fair or unfair, the most unique thing about high school tennis is that having the best player doesn't always mean a team will win. A win at No. 1 singles is no more important than a win at No. 1 doubles, so depth means more than top-end talent.
Owen Valley's No. 1 and No. 2 singles players defeated Greencastle's by a comfortable margin in Thursday's Indiana High School Athletic Association sectional semifinal, but wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles kept the Tiger Cubs in the match.
GHS lost the deciding three-singles match and was knocked out of the state tournament, but the Tiger Cubs had a fair chance to advance.
"I'm disappointed because I think that we have the ability to win this sectional," GHS coach Sam Hirt said. "They earned it."
Juniors Kaleb Flemming and Jake Mangrum picked up a 6-1, 6-3 win over Ryan Scully and Anthony Sessions at No. 1 doubles for the Tiger Cubs and they'll advance to the sectional finals, which are hosted at Crawfordsville during team regionals next week.
"They're a good doubles team," Hirt said. "I wouldn't be shocked if they advance another two, but we're going to see some great competition. We're just going to work at it and see what happens."
Senior Lucas Eckrich and junior Adam Gerard beat Eric Kong and Jeldrik Schumacher in split sets at No. 2 doubles, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
GHS wasn't quite as balanced in singles. Junior Jason Ummel lost to Kendall Numan 6-0, 6-1; junior Christian Ritchey lost to Josiah Henson 6-2, 6-0 and freshman Jed Fajt lost to Noah Woodruff 6-1, 6-3.
Fajt struggled in the first set, but gained his composure between sets to take an unsustainable early lead in the second.
"(The Patriots) have three good singles players," Hirt said. "I knew it was going to come down to winning one singles spot. ... At three singles, I think the experience just outweighed us. He's a senior and our three-singles is a freshman."
Owen Valley defeated seven-time defending champion Northview in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, guaranteeing there would be a new sectional champion this season. The Patriots are set to take on South Vermillion in the finals Friday evening.
For Greencastle, the high expectations for this season came to a premature end. The junior-heavy roster will lose only one player to graduation--Eckrich--which bodes well for the future, but Hirt said his senior played a big role in the Tiger Cubs' strong year.
"A lot of our guys struggle mentally, and Lucas never does," Hirt said "He's a big loss. He's not our best talent but he's probably our best mind."
IHSAA Boys' tennis sectional
At Northview (DePauw)
Greencastle v Owen Valley
1S Numan (OV) def Ummel 6-0, 6-1
2S Henson (OV) def Ritchey 6-2. 6-0
3S Woodruff (OV) def Fajt 6-1, 6-3
1D Flemming and Mangrum (GC) def Scully and Sessions 6-3, 6-1
2D Gerard and Eckrich (GC) def Kong and Schumacher 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
South Putnam v South Vermillion
1S Cvengros (SV) def Long 6-4, 6-0
2S Berry (SP) def Morgan 6-3, 6-3
3S Scott (SV) def Stewart 6-3, 7-5
1D Hines and Weyrach (SV) def Moore and Carmichael 7-5, 6-3
2D Vermillion and Bogetto (SV) def. Crosby and Sollman 6-3, 7-6 (2)