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It took Wawasee's Chris Cavell and Valley's James Makula more than three hours to finish their No. 3 singles tennis match Thursday night in the Warsaw tennis sectional.
It took Warsaw less than an hour to win all five matches against Churubusco.
The Tigers' quick victory earned them a rematch with Wawasee in the sectional final Saturday.
The two teams faced off earlier in the year with Warsaw cruising to a 5-0 win.
The Cavell/Makula match lasted so long that as darkness fell on the Tiger tennis courts, the two netters were forced to move their match to the Warsaw Racquet Club. The match had no bearing on the outcome as Wawasee had won three of the first four matches to earn the right to play Warsaw.
The Vikings' lone win came in the form of Aaron Foster and Trenton Newsome's doubles triumph over Andrew Custer and Kris Hively, 7-5, 6-2. Foster and Newsome will advance to Saturday's doubles tournment. For the Warriors, it was just the second time all year Custer and Hively had played together.
Wawasee head coach Mandy Perzanowski shook up her lineup after the NLC championships in Plymouth last week. Cavell moved from doubles to singles play, while Justin McDowell moved from singles to doubles.
Perzanowski said the changes weren't to face Warsaw, but to just shake things up.
"Any way we can get a win I'm happy with. We didn't change for any other reason than we needed to make a change," said Perzanowksi.
Perzanowksi and her group will have a tough time against a Warsaw squad that manhandled Churubucso.
As a team, the Tigers lost just four games to the Eagles. Warsaw's lineup has shifted as well with Ben Voorhorst and Mike Chanthalangsy being switched in the No. 2 and 3 singles spots. During the NLC championships, Warsaw was asked to switch the two because it was perceived the Tigers were unfairly arranging their players to gain wins.
Despite the new lineup, Warsaw coach Andy Lewis feels his team is just as good if not better.
"I thought the whole team had it together. Sometimes you can have a tendency to come out flat-footed, but they didn't. All seven guys did what they were supposed to do. We just have to come out and play our game and we'll be the favorites."
The No. 1 doubles team of Blaine Sumpter and Ray Truman remained constant and consistently good. Last week the duo beat Plymouth's Kyle Benge and Matt Houin in three tough sets. Benge and Houin were undefeated before that match. The duo had little trouble against Churubusco's Adam Wyss and James Workman, winning 6-0, 6-0.
Warsaw's boys tennis track record dictates a win is on the horizon Saturday. In Lewis' tenure as head coach, the Tigers have finished in the top two at the NLC Championships 10 out of 11 years and have won the sectional eight out of 10 years. The two losses Warsaw suffered in sectional play were at the hands and rackets of Wawasee.
The Warriors earned a trip to the sectional final against an improved Valley squad. For the Vikings and head coach Rod Hamman, it was a dissapointing end, but overall it was a good season.
"I'm proud of them. Wawasee won the big points tonight. They play the net very well. Whenever you go out and try your hardest and play hard, even if you lose, that's all you can ask for," said Hamman
Valley ends the year with a record of 13-4 overall.
The championship is set for 10 a.m. at the Warsaw tennis courts. If weather is a factor, the matches will be moved to the Warsaw Racquet Club.
WARSAW 5, CHURUBUSCO 0
Singles
No. 1 -ÊJason Sells (W) def. Andrew Zolman 6-0, 6-0
No. 2 -ÊBen Voorhorst (W) def. Travis Reavis 6-0, 6-0
No. 3 - Mike Chanthalangsy (W) def. Andrew Schemm 6-1, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 - Blaine Sumpter/Ray Truman (W) def. Adam Wyss/James Workman 6-0, 6-0
No. 2 - Austin Francalancia/Alex Hannah (W) def. Austin Zolman/Brandon Ritterhouse 6-1, 6-1
WAWASEE 4, VALLEY 1
Singles
No. 1 - Kyle Jackson (W) def. Keith Kindig 6-3, 6-1
No. 2 - Ethan Drent (W) def. Robby Hamman 6-3, 7-6, 7-3
No. 3 - Chris Cavell (W) def. James Makula 7-5, 6-7, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 - Aaron Foster/Trenton Newsome (TV) def. Andrew Custer/Kris Hively 7-5, 6-2
No. 2 - Ryan Harkleroad/Justin McDowell (W) def. Lincoln Rose/Rosten Hamman 6-0, 6-1
