Brownstown Central sophomore Lane Steward returns a backhand during his No. 3 singles against Silver Creek on Monday. The Dragons topped the Braves 4-1 in the Mid-Southern Conference match.
Arv Koontz | The Tribune
Brownstown Central’s Smith Hackman returns a forehand during his No. 1 singles match against Silver Creek on Monday. The Dragons beat the Braves 4-1.
Arv Koontz | The Tribune
Silver Creek’s boys tennis team showed Brownstown Central that it is still the team to beat in the Mid-Southern Conference.
The Dragons improved their MSC record to 3-0 with a 4-1 win over the Braves on Monday.
Braves Coach Donnie Thomas said, “The better team won. They just keep pumping out the players. There’s nothing you can do about that, and ours keep going to play football.”
Pierson Wheeler won the Braves’ point by defeating Alex Smith 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) at No. 2 singles. Creek’s Camden Smith topped Smith Hackman 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles and Lane Seward fell 6-1, 6-1 to Riley Clift at No. 3 singles.
Creek’s No. 1 doubles team of Evan Chevalier and Chase Richardson won 6-1, 6-1 over Conner Gwin and Bryce Reaser, and Cohen Cissell and Brennan Cooper topped Evan Schneider and Elix Preston 6-1, 6-1.
Wheeler said, “I enjoy playing number two singles. I try to wear out my opponents and move them around side-to-side.” He said he feels that is why he was able to beat Smith.
“I’ve improved my serving,” he said. “My first serve is very improved. My forehand has improved. I have a one-handed backhand that’s fast.”
Wheeler, who began playing tennis in sixth grade said, “I enjoy it because it’s an easy sport and it’s more relaxed. Donnie is a good coach. He helps all of us out and makes us better every day.”
Thomas said, “Pierson outlasts his opponents. That’s what he did last year and he only lost three times last year. He just wears the other guy down. He wanted it worse than the other kid. He’s very competitive. He got a little ragged there in the second set, but when it came down to crunch time he bore down.”
Thomas continued on Wheeler, “He’s very unorthodox with his shots compared to the other kid and that frustrates a player that gets out there and really works on his shot. Pierson just out-hustles them. He needs to work on his backhand. That’s where he got hurt in that second set.”
The Braves (1-2, 1-1 MSC) will travel to Edinburgh today for a 4:45 p.m. match and will host Scottsburg Thursday for another MSC match.
“We need to get (Scottsburg) back from last year. They barely beat us. We were one shot away from beating them,” Thomas said.
On what to improve on going forward, Thomas said, “Each of them needs to work on different things. Two doubles need to move. They stay up at the net too much and get the ball put between them because they’re just standing.”
“Lane’s got to get a little more punch on his shots. He’s a ping pong player, and the other kid was similar too and he just plays the ball up in front of him too much. He’s got to get to where he can get a good passing shot off.”
In junior varsity action, Brownstown’s Sam Rohr and Cayden Hall lost in singles, and Jace Reaser and Caysen Robertson lost in doubles.