Warriors, Sells Fall At Regional
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
DUNLAP - Excitement abounded Wednesday night as netters from around the area vied for a chance to continue their tennis seasons. Wawasee, who shocked Warsaw in the sectional final last weekend, took on Northridge after upending Dekalb 3-2 Tuesday night.
The Warriors were unable to continue their Cinderella story, losing to the Raiders 5-0.
At one point in the match, Wawasee had three matches in progress with a chance to win.
The last time Northridge and the Warriors squared off, the Raiders won 3-2, winning all three singles matches.
Once again the Raiders controlled singles play. Andy Dowell struggled with Wawasee's Kyle Jackson but pushed through with a 6-2, 6-3 win.
Ethan Drent struggled and lost handily to Northridge's Jeremy Clarke 6-1, 6-2.
The same could not be said for Wawasee' s Chris Cavell. Cavell was handled in the first set 6-1 by Raider Blake Sandberg. Cavell battled back in the second set despite being down 4-1 to win 6-4. Sandberg finally triumphed in the deciding third set 6-3.
Both doubles matches went three sets, a testament to the Warriors whose fate was already decided.
Andrew Custer and Kris Hively won the first set over Northridge's Zach Waggoner and Derek Heign 6-4. Custer and Hively drew to 5-4 in the second before losing in a tiebreaker 7-5. After being informed of their team's fate, Custer and Hively dropped the third set 6-2. In no. 2 doubles action, Wawasee's Ryan Harkleroad and Justin McDowell fell to Mitch Pletcher and Cole Miller 6-4, 3-6, 6-0. Harkledroad and McDowell won the deciding match against Warsaw in last weekend's Warsaw sectional but were unable to give the Warriors a match win against Northridge.
Despite the 5-0 score Wawasee coach Mandy Perzanowski is anything but disappointed with her group's effort.
"I'm not disappointed. I think they stepped it up tonight. We fought. They played the best they could. I really thought we came into the match with a good chance. They just got outlasted. But I was a great season, more than I could expect and I'm proud of them," said Perzanowski.
Perzanowski, who will leave for the United States Air Force Academy in January, was absent from yesterday's match against DeKalb due to a scheduled military physical, which according to Perzanowski wasn't planned because of any thought her team would be out of the tournament.
The Warriors end their season with a record of 10-8 overall and 2-5 in the NLC. It was just the second time in school history Wawasee boys tennis made it to the regional final.
In Wednesday's singles tournament, Warsaw junior Jason Sells fell to Elkhart Central's Paul Warning 7-6 (7-0), 5-7, 6-3.
Sells gave warning to Warning that despite having a powerful serve and a decided reach advantage, Sells was not to be taken lightly.
Warning took the first set in a tiebreaker and was broken in the second set, 5-7. Sells jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Warning became dissatisfied with how Sells was calling shots on the baseline.
Warning requested for a line judge. Whether it was gamesmanship or an act of desperation, Warning's play improved after the request.
Sells was not upset by the move in fact he welcomed it.
"I was hoping he'd call for a line judge. I didn't affect my concentration. He just picked up his game," said Sells. "It was one of the best matches I've ever had. He was tough. I didn't think I could win so many games off of him."
The match lasted three hours and was one of the final matches of the night. Crowds gathered to watch the lanky Warning and speedy Sells.
The two went back and forth until Warning began to use his first serve more effectively.
"I just stepped back so I could see the ball better," said Sells of Warning's serve, "He just used it better late in the match."
Valley's Trent Newsome and Aaron Foster fell to a tough Concord squad of Landon Conrad and Alex Keifer 6-2, 6-2. Newsome and Foster earned the birth after defeating Wawasee's No. 1 doubles team of Custer and Hively in the Warsaw sectional last week.
NORTHRIDGE 5, WAWASEE 0
Singles
No. 1 - Andy Dowell (N) def. Kyle Jackson 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 - Jeremy Clarke (N) def. Ethan Drent 6-1, 6-2
No. 3 - Blake Sandberg (N) def. Chris Cavell 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 - Zach Waggoner/Derek Heign (N) def. Andrew Custer/Kris Hively 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
No. 2 - Mitch Pletcher/Cole Miller (N) def. Ryan Harkleroad/Justin McDowell 6-4, 3-6, 6-0
REGIONAL SINGLES TOURNAMENT
Paul Warning (Elkhart Central) def. Jason Sells (Warsaw) 7-6 (7-0), 5-7, 6-3
REGIONAL DOUBLES TOURNAMENT
Landon Conrad/Alex Keifer (Concord) def. Trent Newsome/Aaron Foster (Valley) 6-2, 6-2 [[In-content Ad]]
DUNLAP - Excitement abounded Wednesday night as netters from around the area vied for a chance to continue their tennis seasons. Wawasee, who shocked Warsaw in the sectional final last weekend, took on Northridge after upending Dekalb 3-2 Tuesday night.
The Warriors were unable to continue their Cinderella story, losing to the Raiders 5-0.
At one point in the match, Wawasee had three matches in progress with a chance to win.
The last time Northridge and the Warriors squared off, the Raiders won 3-2, winning all three singles matches.
Once again the Raiders controlled singles play. Andy Dowell struggled with Wawasee's Kyle Jackson but pushed through with a 6-2, 6-3 win.
Ethan Drent struggled and lost handily to Northridge's Jeremy Clarke 6-1, 6-2.
The same could not be said for Wawasee' s Chris Cavell. Cavell was handled in the first set 6-1 by Raider Blake Sandberg. Cavell battled back in the second set despite being down 4-1 to win 6-4. Sandberg finally triumphed in the deciding third set 6-3.
Both doubles matches went three sets, a testament to the Warriors whose fate was already decided.
Andrew Custer and Kris Hively won the first set over Northridge's Zach Waggoner and Derek Heign 6-4. Custer and Hively drew to 5-4 in the second before losing in a tiebreaker 7-5. After being informed of their team's fate, Custer and Hively dropped the third set 6-2. In no. 2 doubles action, Wawasee's Ryan Harkleroad and Justin McDowell fell to Mitch Pletcher and Cole Miller 6-4, 3-6, 6-0. Harkledroad and McDowell won the deciding match against Warsaw in last weekend's Warsaw sectional but were unable to give the Warriors a match win against Northridge.
Despite the 5-0 score Wawasee coach Mandy Perzanowski is anything but disappointed with her group's effort.
"I'm not disappointed. I think they stepped it up tonight. We fought. They played the best they could. I really thought we came into the match with a good chance. They just got outlasted. But I was a great season, more than I could expect and I'm proud of them," said Perzanowski.
Perzanowski, who will leave for the United States Air Force Academy in January, was absent from yesterday's match against DeKalb due to a scheduled military physical, which according to Perzanowski wasn't planned because of any thought her team would be out of the tournament.
The Warriors end their season with a record of 10-8 overall and 2-5 in the NLC. It was just the second time in school history Wawasee boys tennis made it to the regional final.
In Wednesday's singles tournament, Warsaw junior Jason Sells fell to Elkhart Central's Paul Warning 7-6 (7-0), 5-7, 6-3.
Sells gave warning to Warning that despite having a powerful serve and a decided reach advantage, Sells was not to be taken lightly.
Warning took the first set in a tiebreaker and was broken in the second set, 5-7. Sells jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Warning became dissatisfied with how Sells was calling shots on the baseline.
Warning requested for a line judge. Whether it was gamesmanship or an act of desperation, Warning's play improved after the request.
Sells was not upset by the move in fact he welcomed it.
"I was hoping he'd call for a line judge. I didn't affect my concentration. He just picked up his game," said Sells. "It was one of the best matches I've ever had. He was tough. I didn't think I could win so many games off of him."
The match lasted three hours and was one of the final matches of the night. Crowds gathered to watch the lanky Warning and speedy Sells.
The two went back and forth until Warning began to use his first serve more effectively.
"I just stepped back so I could see the ball better," said Sells of Warning's serve, "He just used it better late in the match."
Valley's Trent Newsome and Aaron Foster fell to a tough Concord squad of Landon Conrad and Alex Keifer 6-2, 6-2. Newsome and Foster earned the birth after defeating Wawasee's No. 1 doubles team of Custer and Hively in the Warsaw sectional last week.
NORTHRIDGE 5, WAWASEE 0
Singles
No. 1 - Andy Dowell (N) def. Kyle Jackson 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 - Jeremy Clarke (N) def. Ethan Drent 6-1, 6-2
No. 3 - Blake Sandberg (N) def. Chris Cavell 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 - Zach Waggoner/Derek Heign (N) def. Andrew Custer/Kris Hively 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
No. 2 - Mitch Pletcher/Cole Miller (N) def. Ryan Harkleroad/Justin McDowell 6-4, 3-6, 6-0
REGIONAL SINGLES TOURNAMENT
Paul Warning (Elkhart Central) def. Jason Sells (Warsaw) 7-6 (7-0), 5-7, 6-3
REGIONAL DOUBLES TOURNAMENT
Landon Conrad/Alex Keifer (Concord) def. Trent Newsome/Aaron Foster (Valley) 6-2, 6-2 [[In-content Ad]]