Tigers Headed To Semistate
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
DUNLAP - First-year Warsaw boys tennis coach Rick Orban remembers well a conversation he had with his two seniors, Jason Sells and Jason Ummel.
On the 13th day of practice this year, Orban, a veteran Tiger girls tennis coach, told his seniors to go home and think of a cheer to break their huddle with.
When they broke their huddle the next time, the team shouted "semistate."
And after a 4-1 win over DeKalb Wednesday in the championship round of the Concord Regional, the semistate is exactly where the Tigers are headed.
"When I took over, I told the kids, 'you all know me,'" said Orban. "With taking the girls to six straight semistates, I expect to get there. They just stared at me. After practice we talked about how we were going to do it, and it's because of the depth on this team. On the 13th day, I told the seniors to go home and come back with a cheer they believed in. When they came back, we said '1-2-3 semistate.' We've said it ever since then, and it's been getting louder and louder. This team believes in itself. They cheer for one another. That's not something I have to prompt. That's them playing as a team and believing in each other."
Wednesday's win over the Barons improved the Tigers to 13-3 on the season, while DeKalb fell to 19-2.
Saturday the Tigers will compete in the South Bend Clay Semistate at Leeper Park, where at 10 a.m. they will face 16th-ranked Munster. In the other semifinal match, sixth-ranked Penn (18-1) will face LaPorte (18-4).
Munster (16-4) advanced by beating Highland 5-0, while Penn beat previously unbeaten Culver Academy 4-1 and LaPorte beat Merrillville 4-1.
"At that level (semistate) they're all good," said Orban. "But this team will walk in there believing they're going to win. One thing I can guarantee is they believe in each other. They're a true team. And that's the first I've seen that in a long time."
DeKalb picked up the first team point in Wednesday's regional final match at Concord High School, with the duo of Niles Voelkel and Will Reynolds beating the Tiger tandem of junior Ben Kawsky and sophomore Mark Krizmanich 6-2, 6-1 in No. 2 doubles action.
The Tigers evened the team score when the No. 1 doubles team of Ummel and freshman Deon Shafer beat senior Adam Reger and junior Brian Hines 6-2, 6-2.
At the No. 1 singles position, junior Mike Chanthalangsy moved the Tigers within one point of a regional title when he defeated senior Christopher Perry 6-4, 6-1.
Sells then defeated junior Tim Wallace 6-3, 0-6, 6-3 in the No. 2 singles match to give the Tigers the regional championship and send the Warsaw cheering section into a frenzy.
In the final match to finish Wednesday evening, Tiger junior Ben Voorhorst upended senior Eric Markham 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
"DeKalb is a wonderful team," said Orban. "I was concerned. I was quite concerned. I thought it might be 3-2, and I wasn't sure which way it would go. The kids never quit believing."
WARSAW 4, DEKALB 1
Singles
No. 1 - Mike Chanthalangsy (W) def. Christopher Perry 6-4, 6-1
No. 2 - Jason Sells (W) def. Tim Wallace 6-3, 0-6, 6-3
No. 3 - Ben Voorhorst (W) def. Eric Markham 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 - Jason Ummel/Deon Shafer (W) def. Adam Reger/Brian Hines 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 - Niles Voelkel/Will Reynolds (D) def. Ben Kawsky/Mark Krizmanich 6-2, 6-1 [[In-content Ad]]
DUNLAP - First-year Warsaw boys tennis coach Rick Orban remembers well a conversation he had with his two seniors, Jason Sells and Jason Ummel.
On the 13th day of practice this year, Orban, a veteran Tiger girls tennis coach, told his seniors to go home and think of a cheer to break their huddle with.
When they broke their huddle the next time, the team shouted "semistate."
And after a 4-1 win over DeKalb Wednesday in the championship round of the Concord Regional, the semistate is exactly where the Tigers are headed.
"When I took over, I told the kids, 'you all know me,'" said Orban. "With taking the girls to six straight semistates, I expect to get there. They just stared at me. After practice we talked about how we were going to do it, and it's because of the depth on this team. On the 13th day, I told the seniors to go home and come back with a cheer they believed in. When they came back, we said '1-2-3 semistate.' We've said it ever since then, and it's been getting louder and louder. This team believes in itself. They cheer for one another. That's not something I have to prompt. That's them playing as a team and believing in each other."
Wednesday's win over the Barons improved the Tigers to 13-3 on the season, while DeKalb fell to 19-2.
Saturday the Tigers will compete in the South Bend Clay Semistate at Leeper Park, where at 10 a.m. they will face 16th-ranked Munster. In the other semifinal match, sixth-ranked Penn (18-1) will face LaPorte (18-4).
Munster (16-4) advanced by beating Highland 5-0, while Penn beat previously unbeaten Culver Academy 4-1 and LaPorte beat Merrillville 4-1.
"At that level (semistate) they're all good," said Orban. "But this team will walk in there believing they're going to win. One thing I can guarantee is they believe in each other. They're a true team. And that's the first I've seen that in a long time."
DeKalb picked up the first team point in Wednesday's regional final match at Concord High School, with the duo of Niles Voelkel and Will Reynolds beating the Tiger tandem of junior Ben Kawsky and sophomore Mark Krizmanich 6-2, 6-1 in No. 2 doubles action.
The Tigers evened the team score when the No. 1 doubles team of Ummel and freshman Deon Shafer beat senior Adam Reger and junior Brian Hines 6-2, 6-2.
At the No. 1 singles position, junior Mike Chanthalangsy moved the Tigers within one point of a regional title when he defeated senior Christopher Perry 6-4, 6-1.
Sells then defeated junior Tim Wallace 6-3, 0-6, 6-3 in the No. 2 singles match to give the Tigers the regional championship and send the Warsaw cheering section into a frenzy.
In the final match to finish Wednesday evening, Tiger junior Ben Voorhorst upended senior Eric Markham 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
"DeKalb is a wonderful team," said Orban. "I was concerned. I was quite concerned. I thought it might be 3-2, and I wasn't sure which way it would go. The kids never quit believing."
WARSAW 4, DEKALB 1
Singles
No. 1 - Mike Chanthalangsy (W) def. Christopher Perry 6-4, 6-1
No. 2 - Jason Sells (W) def. Tim Wallace 6-3, 0-6, 6-3
No. 3 - Ben Voorhorst (W) def. Eric Markham 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 - Jason Ummel/Deon Shafer (W) def. Adam Reger/Brian Hines 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 - Niles Voelkel/Will Reynolds (D) def. Ben Kawsky/Mark Krizmanich 6-2, 6-1 [[In-content Ad]]