‘Never say die’ SP wins first tennis sectional

Thursday, September 28, 2017
Garrett Heavin of South Putnam won a key match at No. 3 singles in his team’s 3-2 win over Greencastle on Wednesday.
Banner Graphic/JOEY BENNETT

BRAZIL — Oddsmakers would have made South Putnam a heavy favorite over Owen Valley in the boys’ tennis championship match of the Northview Sectional on Thursday.

The Eagles entered with a record of 13-3, having knocked off Western Indiana Conference champion Greencastle a day before in the semifinals. Owen Valley entered the finals with a 4-12 mark, meanwhile, and lost a 5-0 match to South Putnam earlier in September in the WIC fifth-place crossover matchup.

Still, Eagle coach Johnny Briones knew that winning wasn’t going to be easy.

And it wasn’t, despite the 4-1 final score which gave South Putnam its first-ever sectional title in tennis.

“I knew both matches would be really close, and they were,” Briones said. “Our guys just amaze me match in and match out. They can be behind, and just battle back to win.

“I can’t say enough about them; they are just an incredible group of kids.”

After both singles player Garrett Heavin and the doubles team of Jared Seidler and Noah Emmerich lost their first set against Greencastle but came back to win, No. 2 singles player Ty VanSickle used that same formula to pull out his match against Isaiah Johnson.

The Eagles won the rest of the matches in two sets each, but several players were pushed and lost three or more games before emerging victorious.

“This was a great sectional with a lot of good, well-coached teams,” Briones said. “Our guys wanted this really bad. I’m just so proud of them and proud to be an Eagle right now.”

The win had special meaning for Briones, whose son J.D. was on hand to witness the historic event.

“He petitioned the school board to bring back tennis in his freshman year,” coach Briones said. “They brought it back for his senior year, and he was able to be here to see us win the school’s first sectional — and here we are today. I’m so glad my wife and son are here. My daughter wasn’t able to make it, but we had great support. We just have great parents, and great kids.

“I’m so proud of everybody.”

The Eagles will now advance to the Crawfordsville Regional, where they will play the second match on Tuesday against the winner of the Crawfordsville Sectional. The host Athenians and North Montgomery will meet tonight in the sectional finals.

Terre Haute North won its own sectional on Thursday evening and will meet the Fountain Central Sectional champion in Tuesday’s other semifinal.

Championship

South Putnam 4, Owen Valley 1

Singles — 1. Thomas Fanning (SP) def. Coy Byerly (OV) 6-3, 6-4; 2. Ty VanSickle (SP) def. Isaiah Johnson (OV) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1; 3. Rece Heckman (OV) def. Garrett Heavin (SP) 6-2, 6-2.

Doubles — 1. Tanner Pistelli-Austin Arnold (SP) def. Keaton Richardson-Drew Mauder (OV) 6-3, 6-2; 2. Noah Emmerich-Jared Seidler (SP) def. Colby Beckwith-Logan Headlee (OV) 6-3, 7-5.

In semifinal action:

South Putnam 3, Greencastle 2 — The Eagles won both doubles matches and got a huge victory from freshman Garrett Heavin at No. 3 singles to reverse an earlier loss to the Tiger Cubs by the same score.

“Wow, what a match, SP coach Johnny Briones said. “I am so full of Eagle Pride that it’s unbelievable. Thomas Fanning had a tough time of it at No. 1 singles. He played really well, but came up short in a tough match against a very talented opponent [Greencastle’s Sean Ramey]. Despite being ill the day before, Ty VanSickle gave it his all at No. 2 singles.”

Briones thought his No. 1 doubles team of Austin Arnold and Tanner Pistelli played “extremely well,” and continued to improve, communicate and play with confidence.

“Being down 2-1 as a team, we had to have the No. 1 doubles and No. 3 singles positions,” Briones noted. “No. 2 doubles started off slowly due to nerves. They settled down to win the second set, and rolled on to win the third.”

Following the win by seniors Noah Emmerich and Jared Seidler, the score was tied at 2-2 and it came down to Heavin.

After losing the first set 6-1, Heavin won in a tiebreaker to even the match.

“With the match in his hands, he kept his composure and pulled out the third set in another tiebreaker to seal the team win,” Briones said. “Kudos to coach Rowe and the Tiger Cubs. It was a tough match like we knew it would be.”

Greencastle got victories from Ramey at No. 1 singles and from Trent Ross at No. 2 singles.

Ramey will continue to play in the individual state tournament as an undefeated No. 1 player.

South Putnam 3, Greencastle 2

Singles — 1. Sean Ramey (G) def. Thomas Fanning (SP) 6-0, 6-3; 2. Trent Ross (G) def. Ty VanSickle (SP) 6-1, 6-3; 3. Garrett Heavin (SP) def. Luca Magni (G) 1-6,

Doubles — 1. Austin Arnold-Tanner Pistelli (SP) def. Nate Hensley-Anthony Conley (G) 6-2, 6-3; 2. Jared Seidler-Noah Emmerich (SP) def. Micah Hammond-Henry Carter 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.

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  • So, what are the names of all the people in the large photo?

    -- Posted by donantonioelsabio on Fri, Sep 29, 2017, at 1:54 PM
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