The final regular season tennis matches of 2025 for Z-Land teams were played by the Bellmont Braves in Saturday’s Delta Invitational and much like the rest of this season, the shorthanded Braves were on the hunt for moral, individual victories. The team avoided the shutout in two of three matches and they’ll use that momentum to challenge sectional teams this coming week.
The Bellmont boys, who were without a coach just three months ago, recruited an extra freshman over the summer just to have enough players to field a team.
New head coach Mason Vrablic, a former player for BHS and an assistant on last year’s team, maneuvered the season with no JV players and even got the team a win with the right lineup early in September. Since then, he’s toyed with different combinations on the doubles side of play, allowing his young players to gain experience for next season, where the team should be much more competitive with another year’s experience under their belts.
The Braves began Saturday’s Invite at Delta against Lake Central, a giant school with a powerhouse tennis program that competes annually in the same sectional as juggernaut Munster. The Indians took care of the Braves with a 5-0 sweep.
In the second round, the Braves scored a victory at No. 2 doubles against Muncie Burris. The two freshmen, Grayden Kable and Caleb Coats, teamed up to beat a pair of seniors in Sonti Cabada and John Eenigenburg by the score of 7-6 (7-2), 6-4. The growth shown by the two ninth graders compared to early August was a testament to the hard work by both this season, said coach Vrablic.
Bellmont then faced Richmond in the final round of the day and were again defeated by a score of 4-1 with a different lineup then the round before. Coats was paired with Kasey Teeter, whose fiery brand of play can sometimes bring out the best in the young freshman. Teeter and Coats beat Ronan Cross and Gavin Mitchell of Richmond by the score of 6-0, 6-0.
With those moral victories in mind, the Braves will have a chance to practice on their home courts Monday and Tuesday with an eye on picking the right lineup to challenge Adams Central. The Jets were 4-1 winners earlier this year, but a three-set marathon match at No. 2 singles could have easily gone the Braves’ way and the team will likely eye a different lineup to give them their best chance at a 3-2 shock victory on Wednesday in the Norwell sectional.
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