September 9, 2014 at 5:28 p.m.
Stars rough up Patriots
Jay Co. opens ACAC with a 5-0 loss
Stars rough up Patriots
South Adams High School’s boys tennis team continued its tear with a 5-0 victory Monday night over the host Jay County Patriots.
Four of the five wins for South Adams came in straight sets, with the No. 2 doubles team of Kam DeLong and Bret Litwiller needing three sets to prevail over Sok Vormohr and Garrett Rodgers of JCHS.
“It was a good win because it was a conference match,” said South Adams coach Cindy Greer, whose team improves to 7-2 on the season and 1-1 in Allen County Athletic Conference play. “I was very pleased at how they came out and were ready to play.”
DeLong and Litwiller took the first set 6-4 over Vormohr and Rodgers, and the JCHS tandem evened the match at one set each by winning the second 6-2.
The two teams split the first four games of the third and final set, until a series of well-placed shots by the Starfire duo and unforced errors by the Patriot duo gave DeLong and Litwiller a 5-2 advantage in the decisive set.
With DeLong serving in the eighth game, the Starfires got out to a 40-15 advantage. The Patriot team forced deuce when Litwiller couldn’t get to a return shot from Vormohr down the left side of the court and DeLong had a shot sail past the baseline.
The advantage went back and forth over the next 16 points, including two aces by DeLong and the ball getting stuck in Litwiller’s racket when he tried to return a shot from Vormohr. DeLong served for match point three times during the stretch, as the game went to deuce nine times.
The Patriot pair got the advantage point when DeLong had a lob attempt miss long, and Rodgers returned the ensuing serve back at DeLong, whose cross-court shot hit the net to give Vormohr and Rodgers the game.
Litwiller and DeLong bounced back after the marathon game to take the set and the match with five straight points on Rodgers’ serve.
Despite the loss for Vormohr and Rodgers, JCHS coach Scott Miller liked what he saw from his doubles team.
“I just felt like my No. 2 doubles team is coming so far so fast,” said Miller, whose team played in just its second dual match of the season. “I’m really pleased with the play of both Sok and Garrett. They work so hard in practice (and) they work hard in matches.
“The success they’re having — even though it’s not necessarily in wins, but even within games and points — is really starting to show. They’re excited when they do something right.
“Their personalities work really well together. As a coach you never know when you’re going to have that.”
At No. 1 singles, SAHS freshman David Muselman defeated JCHS senior Zach Pryor 7-5, 6-1. Pryor, who fell behind 4-3 in the first set but took the next two games, battled with Muselman at deuce in nearly every game.
Trailing 40-15 in the 10th game, Pryor forced deuce on an error by Muselman and a slam on a lob attempt by the Starfire freshman. But two unforced errors by Pryor gave Muselman the game, and the top SAHS singles player went on to win the next two games and the set.
“When he had the 5-4 lead in the first set and things got flipped around and he lost the set 7-5, from that point forward I think his attitude went downhill,” Miller said of Pryor. “He struggled from that point.”
Cole Myers of South Adams beat Alex Clark at No. 3 singles 6-2, 6-1, and the Patriots combined to win one game at No. 1 doubles and No. 2 singles.
South Adams’ Jared Grabau and Marcus Teeter beat Adam Jutte and Jay Houck at No. 1 doubles 6-0, 6-1, and at No. 2 singles, the left-handed Dexter Miller overpowered JCHS senior Alex Krieg to win in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0.
“It’s hard to duplicate that when I’ve got a group of right-handed players,” Scott Miller said of Miller. “When he got that first serve in, Alex (Krieg) was just baffled. It took two sets to figure it out and by the end of the second set, if that first serve was in he didn’t know what to do with it.”
Junior varsity
South Adam’s junior varsity team also picked up a win over Jay County, beating the Patriots 3-2. Cody Baker and Aidan Bahre both won singles matches 8-3 over Jay County’s Payton Heniser. The Starfires also got a win at No. 3 singles, with Zach Teeple beating Evan VanCise 8-7 (7-4).
Jay County earned its only two wins in doubles matches, with Luke Weaver and Kyler Hudson rallying from 5-2 down against Jamison Kistler and Daniel Burson to win 8-5 at No. 1 doubles.
At No. 2 doubles, Jason Minnich and VanCise beat Andrew Heimann and Paul Stuckey, 8-5.
Four of the five wins for South Adams came in straight sets, with the No. 2 doubles team of Kam DeLong and Bret Litwiller needing three sets to prevail over Sok Vormohr and Garrett Rodgers of JCHS.
“It was a good win because it was a conference match,” said South Adams coach Cindy Greer, whose team improves to 7-2 on the season and 1-1 in Allen County Athletic Conference play. “I was very pleased at how they came out and were ready to play.”
DeLong and Litwiller took the first set 6-4 over Vormohr and Rodgers, and the JCHS tandem evened the match at one set each by winning the second 6-2.
The two teams split the first four games of the third and final set, until a series of well-placed shots by the Starfire duo and unforced errors by the Patriot duo gave DeLong and Litwiller a 5-2 advantage in the decisive set.
With DeLong serving in the eighth game, the Starfires got out to a 40-15 advantage. The Patriot team forced deuce when Litwiller couldn’t get to a return shot from Vormohr down the left side of the court and DeLong had a shot sail past the baseline.
The advantage went back and forth over the next 16 points, including two aces by DeLong and the ball getting stuck in Litwiller’s racket when he tried to return a shot from Vormohr. DeLong served for match point three times during the stretch, as the game went to deuce nine times.
The Patriot pair got the advantage point when DeLong had a lob attempt miss long, and Rodgers returned the ensuing serve back at DeLong, whose cross-court shot hit the net to give Vormohr and Rodgers the game.
Litwiller and DeLong bounced back after the marathon game to take the set and the match with five straight points on Rodgers’ serve.
Despite the loss for Vormohr and Rodgers, JCHS coach Scott Miller liked what he saw from his doubles team.
“I just felt like my No. 2 doubles team is coming so far so fast,” said Miller, whose team played in just its second dual match of the season. “I’m really pleased with the play of both Sok and Garrett. They work so hard in practice (and) they work hard in matches.
“The success they’re having — even though it’s not necessarily in wins, but even within games and points — is really starting to show. They’re excited when they do something right.
“Their personalities work really well together. As a coach you never know when you’re going to have that.”
At No. 1 singles, SAHS freshman David Muselman defeated JCHS senior Zach Pryor 7-5, 6-1. Pryor, who fell behind 4-3 in the first set but took the next two games, battled with Muselman at deuce in nearly every game.
Trailing 40-15 in the 10th game, Pryor forced deuce on an error by Muselman and a slam on a lob attempt by the Starfire freshman. But two unforced errors by Pryor gave Muselman the game, and the top SAHS singles player went on to win the next two games and the set.
“When he had the 5-4 lead in the first set and things got flipped around and he lost the set 7-5, from that point forward I think his attitude went downhill,” Miller said of Pryor. “He struggled from that point.”
Cole Myers of South Adams beat Alex Clark at No. 3 singles 6-2, 6-1, and the Patriots combined to win one game at No. 1 doubles and No. 2 singles.
South Adams’ Jared Grabau and Marcus Teeter beat Adam Jutte and Jay Houck at No. 1 doubles 6-0, 6-1, and at No. 2 singles, the left-handed Dexter Miller overpowered JCHS senior Alex Krieg to win in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0.
“It’s hard to duplicate that when I’ve got a group of right-handed players,” Scott Miller said of Miller. “When he got that first serve in, Alex (Krieg) was just baffled. It took two sets to figure it out and by the end of the second set, if that first serve was in he didn’t know what to do with it.”
Junior varsity
South Adam’s junior varsity team also picked up a win over Jay County, beating the Patriots 3-2. Cody Baker and Aidan Bahre both won singles matches 8-3 over Jay County’s Payton Heniser. The Starfires also got a win at No. 3 singles, with Zach Teeple beating Evan VanCise 8-7 (7-4).
Jay County earned its only two wins in doubles matches, with Luke Weaver and Kyler Hudson rallying from 5-2 down against Jamison Kistler and Daniel Burson to win 8-5 at No. 1 doubles.
At No. 2 doubles, Jason Minnich and VanCise beat Andrew Heimann and Paul Stuckey, 8-5.
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