Warsaw Tennis Team Contending For Three Championships
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Anthony Gadson-agadson@timesuniononline.com
The Warsaw boys tennis team advanced three courts to Saturday’s Northern Lakes Conference Championships title matches, but Plymouth did more. Finishing the NLC regular season at 7-0, the Plymouth Pilgrims picked up eight conference points for that feat, and will pick up another eight for their performance in this week’s conference tournament, as all five courts advanced out of Thursday’s semifinals, which was held at Warsaw Community High School. Wrapping up the regular season at 5-2, the Warsaw Tigers got six points, and may add another seven if they perform well at Saturday’s finals, held at Northridge. At Saturday’s finals, Warsaw senior Sam Rice and senior Nic Jansen will compete for titles at No. 1 and 2 singles, respectively, while the Tigers’ No. 2 doubles team of sophomores David Homme and Justin Stout will as well. “To advance three positions, I’m very pleased,” Warsaw head coach Rick Orban said. Homme and Stout were the first Tigers to punch their tickets into the finals, upsetting Goshen’s top-seeded duo of Peter Vukovich and Zach Ganger in three sets, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6). “I’m really proud of our 2 doubles team,” Orban said. “They’re young. The first time they’ve played varsity on a stage like this. Goshen was the No. 1 seed, is a good team, well-coached. For them to win it in the third-set tiebreaker – man. That’s a little bit of maturity.” Rice also needed three sets to put Goshen’s Hudson Kay away, losing the first 6-4, but coming back to take the second 7-5. In the third set, Rice jumped out to a 5-0 start, but then sputtered, losing four-straight games before eventually winning it 6-4. “When Sam went up 5-0 in the third set, it just looked like we just absolutely going to finish it off,” Orban said. “He could have sat back and said, ‘How did I blow this?’,” he added. “He didn’t do that. He stayed solid and played that last game extremely well. He did everything he needed to do.” Rice will face Plymouth’s John Hunter in the finals, a player he fell to 7-5, 6-2 on Sept. 4 in Warsaw. “He needs stay more patient,” Orban said. “He beat himself in that match. Had a lot of double faults, overhit the ball. If he stays patient, like he did tonight, he’s going to give him a heck of a match.” With Jansen breezing past NorthWood’s Ryan Menzie 6-0, 6-0, Orban didn’t have too much detail on that one. “He did a great job – stayed focused,” he said. In the finals, Jansen will face Plymouth’s John Gerard, a player he downed 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 earlier this year. At No. 2 doubles, Homme and Stout will face Plymouth’s Braydon Davidson and Nick Felke. “I think it’s going to be a great match between Sam and Hunter (at No. 1 singles),” Orban said. “I also think it’s going to be a great match at 2 doubles. And Nic, he’s the No. 1 seed and beat (Gerard) earlier in the year. I’d love to come out of it with three firsts. That’d be pretty cool.” Along with playing for three titles, the Tigers will also vy for a pair of third-place finishes. Senior Caleb Ray will face Concord’s Mitch Boyer in the third-place match at No. 3 singles after falling 6-1, 6-1 to top-seeded Nate Knapp of Plymouth. And at No. 1 doubles, Warsaw junior Christopher Herendeen and senior Cole Baker lost 6-3,6-3 to Plymouth’s Ryan Johnson and Max Holloway, pushing them into a third-place match against Goshen’s Logan Troyer and Zach Troyer. “Our 1 doubles team struggled,” Orban said. “They really did. And 3 singles did too. You have an off day. Don’t get me wrong, Plymouth 1 doubles is a very good team and their 3 singles player is a very good player. But I think we should have been more competitive.” Following their 0-5 performance in the opening round, the Wawasee Warriors got a win on Day 2, as junior Cal Heinisch defeated Northridge’s Simon Grevengoed 7-5, 6-3 at No. 3 singles.. Heinisch moves on to Saturday’s fifth-place match against NorthWood’s Evan Nix.
