A dominating performance carried the Brownstown Central boys tennis team to the semifinals after the Braves defeated Trinity Lutheran in the opening round of the Seymour Sectional.

The Braves won 4-1 over the Cougars on Wednesday and will face Austin at 4:45 p.m. today at Seymour.

Braves coach Mitchell Taylor said the team’s leadership played a major role in the decisive victory.

“I think our seniors know what it takes to win sectional matches,” he said. “They competed with their opponents, brought it all tonight and played well.”

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Brownstown’s Ethan Carlin defeated Trinity Lutheran’s Jace Crockett 6-2, 6-0 at No. 1 singles.

Taylor said Carlin had a strong performance and was able to show strength by taking good shots at balls and backing off when he didn’t have a good look.

“He knew how to put balls away, and he didn’t try to take chances on the ones he didn’t need to,” he said. “It’s really good he could do that because it’s easy in tennis to make a mistake when you’re trying to get a ball you won’t have a good hit on and make a mistake. In tennis, those mistakes can add up on you after something like that.”

Taylor said he was pleased with how Ethan Wischmeier performed at No. 2 singles, defeating Trinity’s Pierce McCammon 6-0, 6-0.

He said Wischmeier’s effort is the same no matter what sport he plays.

“He’s a kid that competes at every level,” Taylor said. “You can see that in his game.”

Wischmeier also brings a level of intensity to the matches, Taylor said.

“When he’s out there, it’s all business,” he said.

Kelian East was the only Brave that couldn’t secure a win, but Taylor said he put in a good effort in his 6-1, 6-2 loss to Trinity’s Noah Voelker at No. 3 singles.

“I can’t ask more from him for what he has been doing,” he said. “He has played much better tennis throughout the year, but he has potential to play really good tennis.”

The Braves swept the doubles portion of Wednesday’s match.

Jackson Lahrman and Gunnar Zickler defeated Trinity’s Cameron Gruenwald and Hunter Morgan 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 doubles.

At No. 2 doubles, Reece Carlin and Max McClure defeated Trinity’s Caleb Gruenwald and Luke Pollert 6-0, 6-3.

“My focus with them is to not hit winners at the baseline all year,” he said. “They’ve really learned how to manage opportunities and put balls away, and I saw that tonight.”

Cougars coach Clayton Engel said he was disappointed how the match turned out, but he felt his team gave the best effort it had.

“I think overall, we played our best and played a strong team in Brownstown,” he said. “Our program is still in a building phase, and I think given those circumstances, we played well.”

The Cougars finished the year 2-9, and Engel said he saw improvements in the team throughout the season.

“When we started the season, they weren’t hitting the balls the way they are now,” he said. “We talked about ball placement all year and the mental side of the game, and I think all of them have improved in those areas, and that’s all you can ask for.”

The Braves were not able to play Austin this year, so it will be the first time the two teams will face off this season.

Taylor said he wants his players to put everything they have into the match.

“If you leave everything out there on the court, you’re going to be happy as long as you leave it all out there,” he said.

And the recipe for bringing home a sectional trophy is simple.

“We have to win the most matches to win the sectional but need to focus on one at a time,” he said. “This is this most important match of the year.”