SYRACUSE - Coach Rick Orban changed the lineup for his Warsaw boys tennis team's Northern Lakes Conference match at rival Wawasee Tuesday afternoon.
The outcome was the same as it has been more times than not when these two Kosciusko County rivals square off.While the host Warriors were more competitive this time around, the Tigers still came away with a 4-1 victory.
"Wawasee is getting better and better, and it's starting to show," said Orban, whose Tigers improved to 9-3 overall and 4-1 in the NLC. "(Coach) Roger (Brady) is doing a really good job with them, they look more confident."
The Warriors opened the match with confident play, but it was the Tigers who finished things.
At No. 1 singles, Wawasee junior Nathan Brady beat Warsaw senior Will Coen 6-1 in the first set. Coen took care of business in the second and third sets, however, winning 6-3 and 6-1.
"Will Coen played really solid tonight," said Orban. "After he lost the first set, we talked, and I told him what I wanted him to do and he went out and did it. He looked really good the last two sets."
Wawasee coach Roger Brady was disappointed his top singles player had Coen on the ropes and let it slip away.
"I'm disappointed because Nathan had Warsaw's kid on the ropes," said Roger Brady. "He's really struggling with confidence. Tennis is such a mental game, and sometimes the mind gets in front of the raquet. The kids played hard, it was just a mental thing. I'm disappointed for, not in, the kids."
With the 4-1 loss, Wawasee fell to 3-8 overall and 0-5 in the NLC.
"We have made progress, and we're improving," said Roger Brady. "Warsaw used to beat us 5-0. We're getting better. The No. 1 thing is there's some consistency. They've had the same coach now for three years. The kids are playing in the summer now and taking lessons. That stuff didn't happen before. The kids are really working hard."
Wawasee's lone win came at No. 2 singles where junior Garly Windle beat junior Scott Campbell 6-0, 6-4.
In the first match to finish, Warsaw senior Richard Feng beat sophomore Westin Becker 6-0, 6-2.
In No. 1 doubles action, Warsaw seniors Shawn Carmichael and Andrew Cutshall beat senior Ryan Smith and junior Nick Price 7-5, 6-4.
In the No. 2 doubles match, Warsaw's duo of senior Steven Hodges and sophomore Keaton Joyner bat junior Jeff Miller and sophomore Derek Zurcher 6-4, 6-1.
Warsaw is in action again Thursday when the Tigers host NorthWood.
