Hosting an IHSAA tennis sectional, Warsaw opened up the tournament Wednesday evening with a match against Tippecanoe Valley. The Tigers used a team effort to advance to Thursday's semifinal round with a 4-1 victory over the Vikings.
“They boys came out, stayed focused, and kept that energy up for the whole match,” Warsaw head coach Stacy Lind said.”
Always with a smile on his face, Warsaw No. 2 singles competitor Ted Grandon had plenty to be happy about in his first match of the playoffs, as he defeated Valley’s Thad Shambaugh 6-0, 6-0 in straight sets. Grandon got to business quickly and never let his foot off of the gas, cruising to the victory in a little over half an hour. The Tiger junior used perfect ball placement as well as a rocket of a serve to make things incredibly difficult for Shambaugh, while also giving his team a 1-0 advantage in the match.
“He brings a positive atmosphere to this team. He did a good job of staying focused,” Lind said “He’s got an incredibly well-rounded game.”
Not long afterwards, the first of the two doubles matches concluded. Warsaw’s No. 2 pairing of Spencer Love and Luke Smith also earned a straight-set victory, taking care of the Vikings’ Brenton Miller and Liam Newcomer. The duo played off each other perfectly to come away with a win that put the Tigers just one victory away from advancing to the semifinals.

    Tippecanoe Valley senior Tristyn Ragon returns a volley during his No. 1 singles match...Nieter

A few minutes later, they would get it. Warsaw’s lone senior Drew Ryser along with sophomore Henry Norton have combined to make a formidable No. 1 doubles pairing all season long. Going up against Valley’s Ian Cookset and William Mellott, Ryser and Norton were electric, with both players using incredible serving and vocal teamwork to pick up a 6-1, 6-0 victory that advanced the Tigers to the next round of the playoffs regardless of whatever else happened.
“They’re now 21-3 this season. Drew works really hard, he loves the competition and is a huge part of this team,” Lind said. “Henry is always out there playing his heart out. They make a great pairing.”
The final score of the match between No. 1 singles players Charlie Norton of Warsaw and Tristyn Ragon of Valley did not indicate how hard-fought the match was. Each point was a battle as the competitors left everything they had on the court. While Norton eventually won 6-0, 6-0, Ragon fought valiantly to the end, making the Tiger junior work extremely hard for each point down the stretch.
The Vikings were able to pick up one win on the day, as sophomore Noah Mellott picked up a 6-3, 6-2 victory against Warsaw junior Miles Rager to put his team on the board. The sophomore showed tremendous poise and execution to come away with the win.
“I’m proud of my guys. They played their hearts out today and as a coach that’s all I can ask for,” Tippecanoe Valley head coach Thadd Mellott said after the match. “I’ve seen a lot of growth from Noah this season, the future looks good for him,”
Warsaw will play Whitko in the semis Thursday. On the other side of the bracket, Wawasee will face off against Columbia City.