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Warsaw Community High School tennis coach Rick Orban said his team was focused Friday.
More importantly, the second-year boys head coach said, his team is playing with confidence.
Focused on the job at hand and playing like a team on a mission, the Tigers hosted and won the Warsaw Sectional with wins over Churubusco and Tippecanoe Valley.
The Tigers needed little more than 30 minutes to beat Churubusco 5-0 in the semifinal match and then got lopsided wins in all three singles matches and at No. 2 doubles to beat Valley 4-0 in the weather-suspended championship match.
"The kids were focused," said Orban, who took over last season for Andy Lewis and who has led the Tigers to back-to-back sectional championships. "They were excited. More importantly, they're playing with a lot of confidence right now. They don't think they're going to lose. This is a great time of the year to play like that."
The No. 1 doubles match, which pitted Warsaw juniors Zach Tucker and Jake Wallen against Valley seniors Brady Kinsel and Derrick Rose, was suspended because of poor court conditions after it began raining.
The match will resume at 4:30 p.m. Monday. Valley, which advanced to the title match with an exciting 3-2 team win over Wawasee in the semifinal, won the first set of the weather-suspended match 7-5, while Tucker and Wallen lead 5-3 in the second set.
Friday's wins improved Warsaw to 12-1 on the season. The Tigers have won 12 straight since opening the season with a 3-2 loss to Penn.
Wawasee ended its season with a 0-14 record, while Valley finished its season 2-13.
"Tippy Valley is a good team," said Orban, who guided the Tigers to a regional title last season. "They had six matches this year where had they won one more point they would have won. They had nothing to lose. They have great kids and good coaches who have been around a while. When you're playing a team that has nothing to lose, they swing freely, and I told our kids that."
The Tigers set the tone early in the championship match, as senior Ben Voorhorst defeated Valley sophomore Matt Smith 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 singles in approximately 35 minutes.
A few moments later, Warsaw senior Ben Kawsky and junior teammate Mark Krizmanich finished off Valley juniors David Geng and Kyle Lowe 6-1, 6-1 at No. 2 doubles.
Warsaw's third senior in the lineup, Mike Chanthalangsy, defeated Valley junior Joshua Foster 6-1, 6-0.
"It all starts with our senior leadership," said Orban, whose Tigers will play the winner of the DeKalb Sectional Tuesday in the regional at Concord High School. "Mike Chanthalangsy and Ben Voorhorst and Ben Kawsky at No. 2 doubles decided they were going to win this match. They didn't want to give up a game in the two matches, that was their goal. That has a tremendous effect on the rest of the team. As a coach, you can't ask for more than that."
In the No. 1 singles match, Warsaw sophomore Deon Shafer defeated Valley junior Rosten Hamman 6-0, 6-2.
In the second set of his match, Shafer showed off his talent when he used a backwards, between the legs return that just missed landing in play. The attempt, which narrowly missed landing in play, drew a large applause from the Warsaw cheering section.
"Warsaw is a very strong team," said Valley coach Rod Hamman. "They definitely deserve to win the sectional title. They have a chance to go a long way (in the tournament.) They have quality players up and down the line."
To advance to Friday's sectional final, which was played under the new lights at the WCHS tennis courts, Valley won both doubles matches against Wawasee and got a three-set win by Smith at No. 3 singles.
Wawasee's Rees Woodcock defeated Smith 6-4 in the first set before Smith came back and won 6-3, 7-5 in exciting fashion.
In the No. 1 doubles match against Wawasee, Kinsel and Rose defeated Hayden Shock and Dorian Speicher 6-3, 6-2 and at No. 2 doubles Geng and Lowe defeated Vince Baumgartner and Jose Rodriguez 7-6 (8-6) 6-3.
(Championship)
WARSAW 4, T. VALLEY 0 (suspended)
Singles
No. 1 - Deon Shafer (W) def. Rosten Hamman 6-2, 6-0
No. 2 - Mike Chanthalangsy (W) def. Joshua Foster 6-1, 6-0
No. 3 - Ben Voorhorst (W) def. Matt Smith 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
No. 1 - Zack Tucker/Jake Wallen (W) played Brady Kinsel/Derrick Rose 5-7, 5-3 (suspended)
No. 2 - Ben Kawsky/Mark Krizmanich (W) def. David Geng/Kyle Lowe 6-1, 6-1
(Semifinal matches)
WARSAW 5, CHURUBUSO 0
Singles
No. 1 - Deon Shafer (W) def. Andy Schemm 6-0, 6-0
No. 2 - Mike Chanthalangsy (W) def. Alex McDowell 6-0, 6-1
No. 3 - Ben Voorhorst (W) def. Austin Murray 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 - Zack Tucker/Jake Wallen (W) def. Elliott Gaff/Ryan Mey 6-1, 6-1
No. 2 - Ben Kawsky/Mark Krizmanich (W) def. Zac Sorg/Trevin Geiger 6-0, 6-1
T. VALLEY 3, WAWASEE 2
Singles
No. 1 - Justin McDowell (W) def. Rosten Hamman 6-1, 6-1
No. 2 - Raphael Busch (W) def. Joshua Foster 6-2, 6-0
No. 3 - Matt Smith (TV) def. Rees Woodcock 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
Doubles
No. 1 - Brady Kinsel/Derrick Rose (TV) def. Hayden Shock/Dorian Speicher 6-3, 6-2
No. 2 - David Geng/Kyle Lowe (TV) def. Vince Baumgartner/Jose Rodriguez 7-6 (8-6), 6-3
