(Photos by Kris Everett)
Beautiful fall weather finally arrived at the Norwell tennis sectional Friday and the action at the Knights Tennis Complex featured a pair of matchups between Adams County teams and Wells County squads.
At the end of a competitive night of tennis, it was the two Wells County schools who survived, as Bluffton and Norwell advanced to Saturday morning’s sectional championship match. A champion was supposed to already be crowned but wet weather pushed the timeline for the tournament back several days.
One Adams County player, however, still has life in his season as Ean Brown went unbeaten in his two matches, against Bellmont Thursday and Bluffton Friday, to stay alive in the singles tournament.
Norwell had little trouble with South Adams, winning 5-0, but Adams Central and Bluffton played a contentious match and the Tigers came from behind to win two matches in three sets to advance.
The winner of Saturday’s championship match will advance to the Peru Team Regional, where they could meet up with Huntington North, a team that was moved this year out of the Norwell sectional.
Norwell 5 South Adams 0
No. 1-Grant Mishler (N) d. Conner Hyman, 6-4, 6-2
No. 2-Bodie Zimmer (N) d. Ian Neuenschwander, 6-1, 6-0
No. 3-Gavin Reynolds (N) d. Kane Sturwold, 0-6, 6-4, 6-4
No. 1-Jaden Payne/Jake Hoover (N) d. Will Mawhorr/Cole Hyman, 6-0, 6-1
No. 2-Edwin Archbold/Aedyn Quintanilla (N) d. Gabe Neuenschwander/Kade Sprunger, 6-1, 6-0
Bluffton 3 Adams Central 2
No. 1-Ean Brown (AC) d. Anthony Hartman, 6-3, 6-1
No. 2-Nolan Lambert (B) d. Ethan Gentis, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
No. 3-Logan Heiman (AC) d. Lance Moser, 6-2, 6-1
No. 1-Benjamin Maggard/Kade Abbett (B) d. Cody Ausland/Krew Clark, 6-0, 5-7, 6-0
No. 2-Dane Schlagenhauf/Coy Lantz (B) d. Tyler Ausland/Mason Fruechte, 6-2, 6-4