The Goshen Rules: Tigers Find No Answers To Beating Redskins
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
MIDDLEBURY -ÊThe words "The world is a vampire" were printed on the front of the boy's black T-shirt.
The back of his T-shirt read "The Smashing Pumpkins Infinite Sadness Tour."
Sign Warsaw coach Andy Lewis and his tennis team up for that tour.
Every year Lewis thinks this is the year Warsaw will finally beat Goshen in the regional. But every year, Goshen pulls out the win to ruin the Tigers' world and send them on the sadness tour, in this case the van ride home.
This time, Goshen (17-0) beat 11-4 Warsaw 3-2 in Wednesday's first round of the Elkhart Sectional. Goshen, which has knocked Warsaw out in the last five regionals, meets Elkhart Central in tonight's championship match at Elkhart's McNaughton Park.
Goshen has beaten Warsaw in 10 of the last 11 dual matches. Asked if Goshen simply has Warsaw's number, Goshen coach Paul Algate said: "I know it may seem like it after tonight."
A year ago Goshen beat the Tigers by the same score in the regional championship. A year ago, Lewis and his crushed players hopped in the van and left lickety-split.
The same happened this year. After the match, Lewis walked over to a reporter and said, "Call me tomorrow."
Then Lewis and his players piled in the van and left quicker than the Chicago Cubs in a playoff series.
Reached at home this morning, Lewis said: "I just wanted to get the guys out of there - again."
Earlier this week Lewis said he could nearly guarantee Warsaw would win one singles and two doubles.
He was right. Warsaw took the early 1-0 lead when its doubles team of Matt Krizmanich and David Honneffer beat Chris Copenhaver and Bradd Weddell 6-3, 6-2.
Number one singles player Ryan VanPuffelen came through, beating Chris Manhart for the fourth time in a row, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5.
Lewis said it was a matter of Warsaw pulling out a win at one of the three spots.
The Tigers could not do that.
Between the two doubles match and one singles match, Warsaw lost at two and three singles. Number two singles player Michael Weaver beat Warsaw's Dan Benyousky 6-3, 6-4. Number three singles player Josh Kurtz beat Pete Hake 7-6 (7-4), 6-1.
"Pete had beaten the kid at the NLC Tournament, and Pete was up 5-4 and 6-5," Lewis said, "and then the second set didn't go according to plan. The kid played well.
"Dan finally figured out how to play Mike Weaver, but it was too late."
Goshen took the 2-1 lead until VanPuffelen's win tied the match at 2-2. That left the one doubles match. Goshen's doubles team of David Harms and Matt Shively were 20-1 entering the match. They improved to 21-1 when they beat Warsaw's Owen Compton and Eric Grossnickle 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
"The key matches to us were one doubles and three singles," Algate said. "We put the focus on those two matches. Warsaw was serving up 3-2 in the second set, and that was scary for us. They have a good doubles team; we feel we have one of the best doubles teams in the state."
And when Harms and Shively won, the Redskins had beaten the Tigers again.
"They beat us in three matches head to head at the NLC Tournament," Algate said. "Warsaw has a strong team, and I have a lot of respect for their program. Who won this, I thought it was 50-50 all the way."
Said Lewis: "We played hard, but Goshen, as always, got the big points. I told our guys they gave it their all. It's just a game. I think I've given that same speech before."
And the Redskins sent the Tigers on their sad van trip home, the one from Middlelbury to Warsaw.
"On the bus ride home," Lewis said. "I don't think two words were said."
All wasn't lost for Warsaw. Since VanPuffelen won his one singles match, he advances in the individual portion of the postseason tournament. He meets a player from Jimtown at 4:30 this afternoon at Northridge.
That happened, and then Lewis listened to his Cleveland Indians beat New York 4-1 in extra innings to tie the AL Championship Series at 1-1.
"I just knew Ryan would win," Lewis said. Then he paused. "At least Cleveland won."
1998 ELKHART CENTRAL REGIONAL
Wednesday at Northridge High School
Records, if available, are listed in parentheses
GOSHEN 3, WARSAW 2
Singles
No. 1 -ÊRyan VanPuffelen (WAR/20-3) def. Chris Manhart (GOSH) 7-6 (7-4), 7-5
No. 2 -ÊMichael Weaver (GOSH/19-3) def. Dan Benyousky (WAR/18-5) 6-3, 6-4
No. 3 -ÊJosh Kurtz (GOSH/19-2) def. Pete Hake (WAR/17-6) 7-6 (7-4), 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 -ÊDavid Harms/Matt Shively (GOSH/21-1) def. Owen Compton/Eric Grossnickle (WAR/18-5) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
No. 2 -ÊMatt Krizmanich/David Honneffer (WAR/20-3) def. Chris Copenhaver/Bradd Weddell (GOSH) 6-3, 6-2
Records: Goshen 17-0, Warsaw 11-4
Other first-round action in the Elkhart Central Regional:
ELKHART CENTRAL 3, DEKALB 2
Goshen and Elkhart Central meet in the championship at 4:30 this afternoon at Elkhart's McNaughton Park
RVP tonight 4:30 p.m. at Northridge vs. Jimtown [[In-content Ad]]
MIDDLEBURY -ÊThe words "The world is a vampire" were printed on the front of the boy's black T-shirt.
The back of his T-shirt read "The Smashing Pumpkins Infinite Sadness Tour."
Sign Warsaw coach Andy Lewis and his tennis team up for that tour.
Every year Lewis thinks this is the year Warsaw will finally beat Goshen in the regional. But every year, Goshen pulls out the win to ruin the Tigers' world and send them on the sadness tour, in this case the van ride home.
This time, Goshen (17-0) beat 11-4 Warsaw 3-2 in Wednesday's first round of the Elkhart Sectional. Goshen, which has knocked Warsaw out in the last five regionals, meets Elkhart Central in tonight's championship match at Elkhart's McNaughton Park.
Goshen has beaten Warsaw in 10 of the last 11 dual matches. Asked if Goshen simply has Warsaw's number, Goshen coach Paul Algate said: "I know it may seem like it after tonight."
A year ago Goshen beat the Tigers by the same score in the regional championship. A year ago, Lewis and his crushed players hopped in the van and left lickety-split.
The same happened this year. After the match, Lewis walked over to a reporter and said, "Call me tomorrow."
Then Lewis and his players piled in the van and left quicker than the Chicago Cubs in a playoff series.
Reached at home this morning, Lewis said: "I just wanted to get the guys out of there - again."
Earlier this week Lewis said he could nearly guarantee Warsaw would win one singles and two doubles.
He was right. Warsaw took the early 1-0 lead when its doubles team of Matt Krizmanich and David Honneffer beat Chris Copenhaver and Bradd Weddell 6-3, 6-2.
Number one singles player Ryan VanPuffelen came through, beating Chris Manhart for the fourth time in a row, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5.
Lewis said it was a matter of Warsaw pulling out a win at one of the three spots.
The Tigers could not do that.
Between the two doubles match and one singles match, Warsaw lost at two and three singles. Number two singles player Michael Weaver beat Warsaw's Dan Benyousky 6-3, 6-4. Number three singles player Josh Kurtz beat Pete Hake 7-6 (7-4), 6-1.
"Pete had beaten the kid at the NLC Tournament, and Pete was up 5-4 and 6-5," Lewis said, "and then the second set didn't go according to plan. The kid played well.
"Dan finally figured out how to play Mike Weaver, but it was too late."
Goshen took the 2-1 lead until VanPuffelen's win tied the match at 2-2. That left the one doubles match. Goshen's doubles team of David Harms and Matt Shively were 20-1 entering the match. They improved to 21-1 when they beat Warsaw's Owen Compton and Eric Grossnickle 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
"The key matches to us were one doubles and three singles," Algate said. "We put the focus on those two matches. Warsaw was serving up 3-2 in the second set, and that was scary for us. They have a good doubles team; we feel we have one of the best doubles teams in the state."
And when Harms and Shively won, the Redskins had beaten the Tigers again.
"They beat us in three matches head to head at the NLC Tournament," Algate said. "Warsaw has a strong team, and I have a lot of respect for their program. Who won this, I thought it was 50-50 all the way."
Said Lewis: "We played hard, but Goshen, as always, got the big points. I told our guys they gave it their all. It's just a game. I think I've given that same speech before."
And the Redskins sent the Tigers on their sad van trip home, the one from Middlelbury to Warsaw.
"On the bus ride home," Lewis said. "I don't think two words were said."
All wasn't lost for Warsaw. Since VanPuffelen won his one singles match, he advances in the individual portion of the postseason tournament. He meets a player from Jimtown at 4:30 this afternoon at Northridge.
That happened, and then Lewis listened to his Cleveland Indians beat New York 4-1 in extra innings to tie the AL Championship Series at 1-1.
"I just knew Ryan would win," Lewis said. Then he paused. "At least Cleveland won."
1998 ELKHART CENTRAL REGIONAL
Wednesday at Northridge High School
Records, if available, are listed in parentheses
GOSHEN 3, WARSAW 2
Singles
No. 1 -ÊRyan VanPuffelen (WAR/20-3) def. Chris Manhart (GOSH) 7-6 (7-4), 7-5
No. 2 -ÊMichael Weaver (GOSH/19-3) def. Dan Benyousky (WAR/18-5) 6-3, 6-4
No. 3 -ÊJosh Kurtz (GOSH/19-2) def. Pete Hake (WAR/17-6) 7-6 (7-4), 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 -ÊDavid Harms/Matt Shively (GOSH/21-1) def. Owen Compton/Eric Grossnickle (WAR/18-5) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
No. 2 -ÊMatt Krizmanich/David Honneffer (WAR/20-3) def. Chris Copenhaver/Bradd Weddell (GOSH) 6-3, 6-2
Records: Goshen 17-0, Warsaw 11-4
Other first-round action in the Elkhart Central Regional:
ELKHART CENTRAL 3, DEKALB 2
Goshen and Elkhart Central meet in the championship at 4:30 this afternoon at Elkhart's McNaughton Park
RVP tonight 4:30 p.m. at Northridge vs. Jimtown [[In-content Ad]]