Tigers Advance To Tennis Regional Final
October 4, 2017 at 4:12 p.m.
Tigers Advance To Tennis Regional Final
By Dale [email protected]
That’s exactly what they got, as the Tigers scored wins at both doubles positions and at No. 3 singles to beat the Apaches at Culver Academies’ state-of-the-art Gable Tennis Center.
The match was moved indoors because of a brief rain shower, though the host Eagles and Plymouth later played their semifinal outdoors, with Culver Academies winning 4-1.
Culver Academies, a 5-0 winner at Warsaw on Aug. 30, will play the Tigers in tonight’s 5 p.m. regional final.
The winner will advance to Saturday’s semistate, which will also be played at Culver Academies.
Warsaw improved to 10-6 on the season, while Wabash finished its campaign with a 20-2 mark after losing for the first time since Aug. 26.
“Wabash was 20-1, they had an incredible season, and they have a really good team,” said Rick Orban, whose team was playing in the regional round of the state tournament for the sixth consecutive year.
“We talked about it (Monday), Jan and I, and we said 3-2 ... if we were gonna win this we were gonna win it 3-2. Our No. 3 singles came out to play, we knew that was a weakness for Wabash. Caleb (Williams) did an incredible job. And naturally, our No. 1 and No. 2 doubles played well.”
While the Orbans were right about the 3-2 victory, there was little drama in the final outcome as the Tigers were winners in the first three matches to finish.
Freshman Caleb Williams scored the first team point, beating Wabash junior Gage Ballard 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 singles.
Warsaw juniors Nolan Knight and Reuben Williams pushed the Tigers’ advantage to 2-0 with a 7-5, 6-2 win over sophomores Asif Khan and Jonah France at No. 2 doubles.
At No. 1 doubles, the Tiger tandem of senior Bailey Buhrt and junior Spencer Britton beat senior Matt Stein and junior Alex Driscoll 6-1, 6-4 to secure the team victory.
“I’m really pleased with it,” Rick Orban said of the win. “I don’t care who you play, when they’re 20-1 they’re coming in expecting to win.”
Wabash scored its first team point at No. 2 singles, as senior Luke Mattern beat Warsaw senior Kyler Bartol 6-2, 7-5.
The final match to finish was the only match to go to a third set.
After falling 6-2 to Warsaw senior Colton Lind in the first set, Wabash sophomore Rob Ford rallied to win the second and third sets by identical 6-4 scores.
“Colton wins the first set, Wabash wins the second set, and then it’s 6-4 in the third,” said Rick Orban. “Their kid played a heck of a match. He’s a sophomore, and he played mentally strong all the way through it.
“He’s got a huge advantage because he’s a lefty, you just don’t face that many lefties. The spin is slightly different, but I was proud of Colton, he took him right to the very end.”
With a win in tonight’s title match against Culver Academies, the Tigers would claim their first regional title since 2013.
In the regular season matchup with the Eagles, the Tigers led in multiple matches before losing.
“When we played CMA (earlier in the season) Colton was up 5-2 in the first set and lost,” said Rick Orban. “Our No. 1 doubles was up 5-2 in the second set and lost. No. 2 doubles was up 5-2 and lost. Trust me, I reminded them of that. It’s not like we would come in here and go ‘Wow, we lost 5-0, we don’t have a shot.’ We’ll come in with confidence.”
WARSAW 3, WABASH 2
Singles: No. 1 – Rob Ford (Wab) def. Colton Lind 2-6, 6-4, 6-4; No. 2 – Luke Mattern (Wab) def. Kyler Bartol 6-2, 7-5; No. 3 – Caleb Williams (War) def. Gage Ballard 6-0, 6-0
Doubles: No. 1 – Bailey Buhrt & Spencer Britton (War) def. Matt Stein & Alex Driscoll 6-1, 6-4; No. 2 – Nolan Knight & Reuben Williams (War) def. Asif Kahn & Jonah France 7-5, 6-2
Records: Warsaw 10-6, Wabash 20-2
Other semifinal: Culver Academies 4, Plymouth 1
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That’s exactly what they got, as the Tigers scored wins at both doubles positions and at No. 3 singles to beat the Apaches at Culver Academies’ state-of-the-art Gable Tennis Center.
The match was moved indoors because of a brief rain shower, though the host Eagles and Plymouth later played their semifinal outdoors, with Culver Academies winning 4-1.
Culver Academies, a 5-0 winner at Warsaw on Aug. 30, will play the Tigers in tonight’s 5 p.m. regional final.
The winner will advance to Saturday’s semistate, which will also be played at Culver Academies.
Warsaw improved to 10-6 on the season, while Wabash finished its campaign with a 20-2 mark after losing for the first time since Aug. 26.
“Wabash was 20-1, they had an incredible season, and they have a really good team,” said Rick Orban, whose team was playing in the regional round of the state tournament for the sixth consecutive year.
“We talked about it (Monday), Jan and I, and we said 3-2 ... if we were gonna win this we were gonna win it 3-2. Our No. 3 singles came out to play, we knew that was a weakness for Wabash. Caleb (Williams) did an incredible job. And naturally, our No. 1 and No. 2 doubles played well.”
While the Orbans were right about the 3-2 victory, there was little drama in the final outcome as the Tigers were winners in the first three matches to finish.
Freshman Caleb Williams scored the first team point, beating Wabash junior Gage Ballard 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 singles.
Warsaw juniors Nolan Knight and Reuben Williams pushed the Tigers’ advantage to 2-0 with a 7-5, 6-2 win over sophomores Asif Khan and Jonah France at No. 2 doubles.
At No. 1 doubles, the Tiger tandem of senior Bailey Buhrt and junior Spencer Britton beat senior Matt Stein and junior Alex Driscoll 6-1, 6-4 to secure the team victory.
“I’m really pleased with it,” Rick Orban said of the win. “I don’t care who you play, when they’re 20-1 they’re coming in expecting to win.”
Wabash scored its first team point at No. 2 singles, as senior Luke Mattern beat Warsaw senior Kyler Bartol 6-2, 7-5.
The final match to finish was the only match to go to a third set.
After falling 6-2 to Warsaw senior Colton Lind in the first set, Wabash sophomore Rob Ford rallied to win the second and third sets by identical 6-4 scores.
“Colton wins the first set, Wabash wins the second set, and then it’s 6-4 in the third,” said Rick Orban. “Their kid played a heck of a match. He’s a sophomore, and he played mentally strong all the way through it.
“He’s got a huge advantage because he’s a lefty, you just don’t face that many lefties. The spin is slightly different, but I was proud of Colton, he took him right to the very end.”
With a win in tonight’s title match against Culver Academies, the Tigers would claim their first regional title since 2013.
In the regular season matchup with the Eagles, the Tigers led in multiple matches before losing.
“When we played CMA (earlier in the season) Colton was up 5-2 in the first set and lost,” said Rick Orban. “Our No. 1 doubles was up 5-2 in the second set and lost. No. 2 doubles was up 5-2 and lost. Trust me, I reminded them of that. It’s not like we would come in here and go ‘Wow, we lost 5-0, we don’t have a shot.’ We’ll come in with confidence.”
WARSAW 3, WABASH 2
Singles: No. 1 – Rob Ford (Wab) def. Colton Lind 2-6, 6-4, 6-4; No. 2 – Luke Mattern (Wab) def. Kyler Bartol 6-2, 7-5; No. 3 – Caleb Williams (War) def. Gage Ballard 6-0, 6-0
Doubles: No. 1 – Bailey Buhrt & Spencer Britton (War) def. Matt Stein & Alex Driscoll 6-1, 6-4; No. 2 – Nolan Knight & Reuben Williams (War) def. Asif Kahn & Jonah France 7-5, 6-2
Records: Warsaw 10-6, Wabash 20-2
Other semifinal: Culver Academies 4, Plymouth 1
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