Sept. 12 — Two of the state’s perennial men’s tennis powers met Wednesday night in Zionsville — and the match did not disappoint.
Fifth-ranked Zionsville beat second-ranked Carmel 3-2 in a thriller in what could be a precursor to a meeting later this year in the section.
“It was a battle,” Zionsville head coach Earl Allen said. “Early in the year, you know it’s on the cards, so you build and build to get ready for this game. For us to win, it’s a big confidence boost and guys are motivated.”
It was a post-season atmosphere for the team with a large crowd of teammates, parents and fans cheering every point and surrounding every field.
Allen said that alone would provide significant benefits to the Eagles as they enter the second half of the season.
“Anybody in the state who can beat Carmel — it can build confidence and confidence,” he said. “Most of the time, you just want to know you can do it and stay close — but to do that and get a win in an environment like this — it’s huge for us.”
The match ended with the top two singles places.
Carmel led 2-1 in the other three games, meaning Zionsville had to win the final two spots to get a victory.
They earned the tie at No. 2 singles, when senior Carson Fu won 6-4, 7-5.
Fu faced adversity throughout the second set, leading 3-0 early on and then trailing by the end. His opponent also had a lengthy injury timeout and they were forced to switch courts midway through the set due to darkness, but Fu won the final three games to secure the victory.
“It was a gutsy win,” Allen said. “It was a game that could have gone badly with all the stops and starts. We just wanted him to stay focused on his team and play good tennis.”
That brought all the attention to Court 1 Singles and to Zionsville’s Jose DeAndrade and Carmel’s Wesley Worobel.
Carmel Junior won the first set 6-3, but DeAndrade won the second set 6-4. DeAndrade then dominated the third set, winning it 6-2 to clinch the match for himself and his team.
“We just told him to play his game and play at the pace he wants,” Allen said. “We wanted him to build the points the way he likes and not necessarily let Wes run the game.”
At third singles, Zachary Reed lost 6-3, 6-0 for the Eagles.
The No. 1 doubles team of Tyler Barker and Tyler Reed lost 6-4, 6-2, but the No. 2 doubles team of Monroe Holifield and Gordon Moore won by the same score.
“Our doubles teams were phenomenal,” Allen said. “They played really well and got along well. We tried different combinations because we have new players in those positions, but they performed well.”
The Eagles will be back in action against Brownsburg on Thursday, then face No. 1 Brebeuf on Monday before the HCC tournament.
Allen said the Eagles are in a good spot, but have room for improvement over the final three weeks of the regular season.
“It’s been great and for us, we’re not stagnating yet, we’re building,” Allen said. “It was a great win tonight, but we told the guys, ‘The work starts tomorrow.’ We have to look at every opportunity as a new event and keep working until we achieve our goals.”
Will Willems is the Sports Editor of the Lebanon Reporter. Follow him on Twitter @Will_Willems.
