Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Warsaw's boys tennis team played Plymouth on Thursday and lost 3-2, but circumstances being circumstances, Warsaw coach Andy Lewis did his best to shrug the loss off.
"If we would have lost to Plymouth last year," the seventh-year coach said, "I would have come unglued."
But this is 2000, not 1999. And eight players from the 1999 team graduated. The 2000 team is long on youth and short on experience, forcing Lewis to be patient. The 2000 team started 0-3, won a match, then fell to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in the Northern Lakes Conference with last night's loss. Out of seven players in the lineup, three - seniors Travis Yoder and Ryan Dill and junior Brad Simmons - saw varsity action last year.
"If we would be 2-2 right now," Lewis said before the Plymouth match, "I would take it."
Thursday's match was played in sweltering heat that caused players to change shirts four to five times before their matches ended. Lewis estimated the temperature on the court to be 120 degrees.
Plymouth improved to 4-2 overall and 1-0 in the NLC with the win.
In the No. 2 singles match, Plymouth junior Brandon Curtis beat Warsaw sophomore Branden Conley 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, and in the No. 3 singles match, Plymouth sophomore Brandon Shanks beat Warsaw freshman Luke Wright 6-1, 6-2.
Plymouth's No. 1 doubles team of juniors Nathan Gordon and Landon Lauber knocked off Warsaw seniors Dill and Yoder 6-4, 6-4.
In other matches, Warsaw No. 1 singles player Brad Simmons beat Adam Delp 7-5, 6-1, and Warsaw's No. 2 doubles team of Kenneth Honneffer and Tyler Wallen won 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 in the last match to finish.
Simmons fell behind 5-2 in the opener but went on to win the match 7-5, 6-1 over Plymouth junior Adam Delp.
Simmons' relentlessness on the court - in the sizzling heat he delivered sizzling forehands, often placed in the corners -Êappeared to wear out Delp.
"That takes a lot of wind out of your sails," Lewis said. "He's very athletic. He definitely broke his spirit tonight. Being up 5-2 then not being able to win is enough to break anyone's spirit.
"I saw some pretty good things out of our players tonight. Conley, a sophomore, split against Plymouth's No. 3 player last year. We have a freshman at No. 3 singles (Wright) who is 2-3 after tonight."
While this team doesn't yet resemble some of Lewis' talented teams in past years, he bristled when asked if he would label 2000 as a "rebuilding year."
"We're looking at getting better toward the end of the year," he said. "We just need to find a way to win, to get through the emotions we go through. We're young and inexperienced. We make rookie mistakes.
"There's definitely a lot more teaching to be done with a young team."
The learning continues Tuesday when the Tigers host Northridge in another NLC match.
PLYMOUTH 3, WARSAW 2
Singles
No. 1 - Brad Simmons (WAR) def. Adam Delp 7-5, 6-1
No. 2 -ÊBrandon Curtis (PLY) def. Branden Conley 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
No. 3 - Brandon Shanks (PLY) def. Luke Wright 6-1, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 -ÊNathan Gordon/Landon Lauber (PLY) def. Travis Yoder/Ryan Dill 6-4, 6-4
No. 2 -ÊKenneth Honneffer/Tyler Wallen (WAR) def. Brian Kralovansky/Eric Teall 7-5, 4-6, 6-2
JV: WARSAW 4, PLYMOUTH 1
Singles
No. 1 - Jared Weidner (PLY) def. Adam Richardson 7-5
No. 2 -ÊRyan Ellsworth (WAR) def. Brian Barry 8-2
No. 3 -ÊSherwin Bajas (WAR) def. Jon Pulliam 8-4
Doubles
No. 1 -ÊJason Ladd/Colin Nichols (WAR) def. Josh Dietz/Tim Rooney 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 -ÊMark Sherman/Andrew Zale (WAR) def. Nathan Dunning/Justin Thoden 8-3
