Dragons blank Braves in conference match

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BROWNSTOWN

Brownstown Central’s boys tennis team ran into a buzzsaw Monday night.

The Braves, expected to finish in the top three of the Mid-Southern Conference, hosted Silver Creek for a key conference match.

What the Braves didn’t anticipate were the huge improvements made by the Dragons.

Silver Creek, ranked No. 4 for District 8, used its depth to earn a 5-0 win over the Braves (2-1, 1-1 MSC).

The Dragons grew so much in talent in the offseason that 2017’s No. 1 singles player was at No. 2 doubles.

At No. 1 singles, Dragons standout freshman Grant Miller defeated the Braves’ Ethan Carlin 6-2, 6-1.

Jacob Bishop topped Ethan Wischmeier 6-1, 6-3 at No. 2 singles, while Jack Hawkins beat Adam Pottschmidt 6-2, 6-3 at No. 3 singles.

In No. 1 doubles play, the tandem of Nate Eckert and Jackson Jacobi bested Gunnar Zickler and Jackson Lahrman 6-1, 6-1.

The Dragons also took No. 2 doubles, as Jake Teegarden and Kooper Jacobi defeated Max McClure and Reece Carlin 6-1, 6-0.

Brownstown coach Mitchell Taylor said his team improved as the match went along.

“They really responded when I called them out (to the fence),” he said. “All I can ask when they are playing guys this good is to compete as hard as they can and to find a weakness in their game. I hope my guys learned some lessons as far as playing with better players and getting better while doing it.”

The Dragons, which returned all but two players from last season, are expected to win the MSC and also a 29th straight sectional title in 2018. They are also hoping to win their first regional title in 16 years.

“Silver Creek didn’t lose many guys from last year and got a really good freshman,” Taylor said. “They came out and played aggressive, which is what I’m trying to get my guys to do. I think everyone played better in their second sets, not just the score, but how they played.”

Brownstown will face MSC and sectional foe Scottsburg on Thursday after traveling to Edinburgh tonight.

The Braves return their entire varsity lineup this fall and have big expectations for the rest of the season.

“Before the season started, I had the players write down their goals for the season,” Taylor said. “A lot of the older guys wrote that they want to win the conference and sectional. Playing Silver Creek tonight, conference might not be in the picture, but I think we can still finish second. They all want to win sectional, but I’m trying to keep them grounded. We have to play every match to the best of our ability and not look ahead.”

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