By By STEVE MORRISON / Vigilant/Argus
NILES – Plym Park's tennis courts produced some quick and decisive tennis competition as neighboring Edwardsburg's Eddies faced the Brandywine Bobcats in Lakeland Conference competition on Wednesday.
The Eddies came home with a 5-3 win, but were tested at second singles by Kevin Muntz for the Bobcats.
While the Eddies swept the singles play, the Bobcats owned most of the doubles competition.
Andy Pletcher, Zac Ake, Latilav Trneny, and Frank LaPorte dominated the singles with two victories by each Edwardsburg player in as many sets.
Brandywine's superiority in tandems showed as they won first, second and third doubles, only denied a tie by succumbing in fourth doubles.
The Bobcats' No. 1 doubles team of Ethan Mason and Cody Udell won the first set convincingly, 6-1 over Jared Hanstra and Cameron Breisch. Then they held off the Eddies' duo for a 7-5 win in the second set.
Coming from behind at 1-3, in the initial set, Zach Edquist and Dan Reidenbach took a 4-3 lead and won 6-4. The twosome took a 4-3 lead, with a slam by Reidenbach in the second frame, closing the contest victorious at 6-3.
Due to absences of two starters, Jeremy Zimmerman and Kyle King were moved up to third doubles by Bobcat coach Dave Sidenbender. They responded solidly with a 6-2, 6-3 victory.
Sidenbender suggested, "Athleticism and the idea of what to do was their reason to move up."
Pletcher, for Edwardsburg was superb in first singles. with unblemished winning results. Trneny and LaPorte were nearly as effective, losing only one game apiece en route to easy consecutive wins in third and fourth doubles.
The most contested singles match of the afternoon was between Edwardsburg's Ake and Brandywine's Muntz at No. 2 singles.
Muntz vaulted into a 4-1 lead in round one, but Ake, with returns of varying degrees, recovered to tie at 5-5. At that juncture Ake seemed to throw up a brick wall, stopping Muntz 7-5, and then winning the second bout 6-1.
Edwardsburg Coach Mark Zarycki was candid about the results.
"I told the team it would be a close match. Our singles had to win. Four doubles (Drew Jones and Tanner Woods) came up big for us. They lost to Brandywine, Saturday. They had to win for us to win it, and they did! They did a nice job," he recounted.
"I was happy with the way we competed today; we won three matches (in doubles). Our two singles was playing well, he (Muntz) was up 4-1," Sidenbender responded. "I thought we did all right."
Edwardsburg…5
Brandywine…3
Singles
1. Cody Pletcher (E) d. Tyler Weeks (B) 6-0, 6-0, 2. Zak Ake (E) d. Kevin Muntz (B) 7-5 6-1; 3. Ladislav Trneny (E) d. Chris Brady (B) 6-1, 6-0, 4. Frank LaPorte (E) d. Jake Fiero (B) 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
1. Ethan Mason/Cody Udell (B) d. Jared Hanstra/Cameron Breisch (E) 6-1, 7-5, 2. Zach Edquist/Dan Reidenbach (B) d. Nick Mortimor/Jason Karamen (E) 6-4 6-3, 3. Jeremy Zimmerman/Kyle King (B) d. Brandon Horvath/Lucas DeVernry (E) 6-2 6-3, 4. Drew Jones/Tanner Woods (E) d. Colten Ditto/Josh Bager (B) 6-1 6-2
Buchanan Invitational
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – There is a reason by Jackson Lumen Christi is ranked No. 1 in Division IV and it proved it on Saturday at the Buck Classic II Tennis Tournament.
The tournament was held at Leeper Park in South Bend and Edwardsburg High School.
Lumen Christi scored 90 points to easily win the event.
Portland, ranked No. 8 in Division IV finished a distant second with 41 points. Bridgman was third with 41 points, Paw Paw fourth with 37 points and host Buchanan fifth with 34 points.
Rounding out the order of finish were Edwardsburg (19), Hillsdale (13) and Brandywine (12).
Jackson Lumen Christi won seven out of the eight flight championships.
The only flight it didn't win was No. 4 doubles where Portland grabbed first place with a win over Paw Paw.
The Bucks grabbed their best finishes in the first two doubles flights where they finished second.
Lumen Christi's David Riley and Anthony Roe defeated Buchanan's Grayson Oake and Tyler Siebert 2-6, 6-2 and 6-2 at No. 1 doubles, while Christi's Tony Clark and Brian Kelley defeated the Bucks' Zack Devereaux and Ryan Henckel 6-0 and 6-2 at No. 2 doubles.
Edwardsburg's top finish came at No. 3 singles where Ladislav Trneny finished third after defeating Jay Carey of Hillsdale 6-0, 6-0.
The Bobcats got a fourth place finish from Dan Reidenbach and Zach Edquist, who were defeated by Tyler Sylveter and Kyle Waters of Paw Paw 6-2 and 6-3.
Buck Classic II Tennis
Tournament
At Edwardsburg
and Leeper Park
Team Scores
Jackson Lumen Christi 90; Portland 43; Bridgman 41; Paw Paw 37; Buchanan 34; Edwardsburg 19; Hillsdale 13; Brandywine 12
Flight Championship
1 Singles
1st – Tommy Calderone (JLC) d. Tyler Hubbell (Hillsdale) 6-0, 6-0
3rd – Andrew DAgostino (Brid) d. Tyler Lindorf (Buch) 6-2, 6-4
Consolation champ – Sam Abbott (Paw Paw) d. Tyler Weeks (Brandy) 6-0, 6-0
2 Singles
1st – Joey White (JLC) d. David Hauck (Brid) 6-0, 6-1
3rd – Jamie Whitfield (Buch) d. Chris Steinman (Port) 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
Consolation champ – Jordan Nelson (Paw Paw) d. Derek Spiteri (Hills) 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
3 Singles
1st – Paul Jarzynka (JLC) d. Charlie Pawlick (Brid) 6-0, 6-0
3rd – Ladislav Trneny ( Ed) d. Jay Carey (Hills) 6-0, 6-0
Consolation Champ Cannon Strzlka (Port) d. Kevin Bain (Paw Paw) 6-0, 6-0
4 Singles
1st – Jacob VanderWeide (JLC) d. Carson Seal (Port) 6-1, 7-5
3rd – Trace Frandsen (Brid) d. Cameron Davis (Paw Paw) 6-1, 6-1
Consolation Champ Frank LaPorte (Ed) d. Nathan Hendkel (Buch) 6-1, 6-2
1 Doubles
1st – David Riley/Anthony Roe (JLC) d. Grayson Oake/Tyler Siebert (Buch) 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
3rd – Alex Bruce/Michael Cole (Port) d. Tyler Brown/Kyle Rousch (Paw Paw) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
Consolation Champ Josiah Badger/Tyler Allen (Brid) d. Jared Hamstra/Cameron Breisch (Ed) 6-1, 6-0
2 Doubles
1st – Tony Clark/Brian Kelley (JLC) d. Zack Devereaux/Ryan Henckel (Buch) 6-0, 6-2
3rd – Tyler Sylvester/Kyle Walters (Paw Paw) d. Dan Reidenbach/Zach Edquist ( Brandy) 6-2, 6-3
Consolation Champ Brandon Smith/Joseph Koeier (Brid) d. Bryce Carlton/Alex Holdren (Port) 7-5, 2-6, 6-0
3 Doubles
1st – Alan Goldfarb/Stephen Doerr (JLC) d. Dan Quinn/Dylan Mooney (Port) 6-7(3), 6-4, 7-5
3rd – Ian Gulbis/Skyler Huffman (Paw Paw) d. Aaron Klug/Matt Klutz 6-3, 6-1
Consolation Champ – Holly Lucas/Kris Underly (Buch) d. Brandon Horvath/Lucas Devenney (Ed) 6-1, 6-1
4 Doubles
1st – Matt Fox/Jim Dempsey (Port) d. Kyle Fevig/Michael Brown (Paw Paw) 6-3, 6-3
3rd – Chris Reardon/Trevor Schaff (JLC) d. Jake Welsh/Josh Whitfield (Buch) 7-6(4), 6-4
Consolation Champ – Taylor Ort/Cody Udell (Brandy) d. Adam Klug/Cody Hertzler (Brid) 6-4, 6-4