DUNLAP - Close may count in horseshoes and hand grenades, but for Warsaw Community High School's boys tennis team, close Wednesday was still a season-ending loss.
Playing the East Noble Knights in the semifinal round of the four-team regional at Concord, the Tigers rallied to even the team score, but fell 3-2 when senior Richard Feng lost a three-set match at No. 3 singles to senior Nick Ihrie."I'm proud of Richard, he played a great first set," Warsaw coach Rick Orban said of Feng, who won the first set 6-4 before Ihrie took control and won the second and third sets 6-2 and 6-0. "I can't complain, he really played hard. He played a great first set. East Noble's singles players are very good."
East Noble won all three singles matches, while Warsaw won both doubles contests.
"Going into this match, we knew East Noble was a very good team with a very good record," said Orban. "We knew their No. 1, 2 and 3 singles players, talent wise, were probably better than us. We also knew, talent wise, that our No. 1 and 2 doubles teams were probably better. It was a close match. East Noble is very good, and our guys played hard."
The Tigers ended the season with a 12-5 record.
East Noble improved advanced to last night's championship match, where the Knights fell 3-2 to the host Minutemen. East Noble finished its season with a 14-4 record, while Concord improved to 18-1 and advanced to Saturday's semistate at Leeper Park in South Bend.
Concord beat Jimtown 5-0 in Wednesday's other semifinal match.
With wins at the top two singles spots, the Knights took a quick 2-0 lead over the Tigers, as senior Derek Romer beat senior Will Coen 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles, and junior Kyle Johnson topped senior Bryce Scott 6-4-, 6-0 at No. 2 singles.
Backed up against the wall and facing elimination, Warsaw scored its first team point when the No. 1 doubles team of seniors Andrew Cutshall and Shawn Carmichael beat the East Noble duo of juniors Jeremy Mertz and Grant Manon 6-4, 6-3.
"We lost the two singles matches pretty quick, but our No. 1 doubles team really energized us," said Orban. "Our No. 1 doubles team really turned it on, and I think that gave our No. 2 doubles team a boost."
Trailing 2-1 in the team score, the Tigers evened things up when the tandem of junior Scott Campbell and sophomore Keaton Joyner beat East Noble juniors Chris Doyle and Quinton Howell 6-3, 7-6 (7-2).
With the score team score tied at 2-2, everyone's attention turned to the No. 3 singles match, where Ihrie's victory put the Knights into the regional final.
"Richard is the kind of kid that's very competitive," Orban said of Feng. "He likes that kind of situation. He played very well. I can't be disappointed. He played very well against a very good player."
While Warsaw's season is over as far as team competion, Cutshall and Carmichael advanced in the singles and doubles tournament.
The Tiger tandem will play the undefeated duo of Ryan Mey and Alex McDowell from Churubusco. Mey and McDowell are 19-0 on the season.
Their match is scheduled or 5 p.m. today at Concord, though the weather may alter that.
EAST NOBLE 3, WARSAW 2
(Singles)
No. 1 - Derek Romer (EN) def. Will Coen 6-0, 6-0
No. 2 - Kyle Johnson (EN) def. Bryce Scott 6-4, 6-0
No. 3 - Nick Ihrie (EN) def. Richard Feng 5-6, 6-2, 6-0
(Doubles)
No. 1 - Andrew Cutshall/Shawn Carmichael (W) def. Jeremy Mertz/Grant Manon 6-4, 6-3
No. 2 - Scott Campbell/Keaton Joyner (W) def. Chris Doyle/Quinton Howell 6-3, 7-6 (7-2)
Other semifinal - Concord 5, Jimtown 0
Championship - Concord 3, East Noble 2
Records: Concord 18-1, East Noble 14-4, Warsaw 12-5, Jimtown 16-6
