Patriots cruise to 5th straight title match (05/22/04)

MARION — It always seems to come down to this.

Today will mark the fifth straight year in which the Marion girls tennis sectional title will be decided by a championship match between the host Giants and Jay County. Both teams advanced to the finals Friday in a fashion that has become common during the rivalry — with shutout semifinal victories.

The Patriots reached the sectional championship with their third win of the season, a 5-0 destruction of a young Mississinewa Indian squad. Marion (7-6) defeated Blackford by the same score, and the teams will meet in today’s sectional championship match at 10 a.m.

“I think it says a lot for Jay County if we can come back here every year and make the final match,” said Jay County coach Barb Stults. “Marion is well-rounded and has a lot of talent on the team.

“I think the girls will come back with confidence tomorrow and do their best.”

In order to upset the Giants Saturday, Jay County will need to reverse its recent history against them.

The Patriots have lost five in a row to the two-time defending sectional champions, including a 4-1 loss earlier this season. They also lost by a 3-2 score in last seasons sectional final, and 4-1 in the 2002 championship match.

Their last win against the Giants came in the 2001 championship match, which broke a streak of nine consecutive Marion titles. They could use a replay of that year, in which they won just three regular-season matches before running off three consecutive tournament wins to take the sectional title.

Jay County entered the tournament this year with just a 2-11 record before picking up their third victory in Friday’s semifinal win over Mississinewa (0-12). It may have been just the boost Jay County needed as a couple of long droughts came to an end.

Prior to the meeting with the Indians, No. 2 singles player Stephanie Homan was winless in 12 tries this year. She isn’t anymore.

Homan thrashed Mississinewa freshman Ashley Eakins 6-1, 6-1 for her first victory of the season.

She grabbed a 5-1 lead in the first set, and finished it off on a great drop shot which bounced for a second time just before a hustling Eakins got a racket on it. She won the final game of the second set thanks mostly to a trio of double faults by Eakins.

“I’m glad I got my win,” said Homan, adding that she was afraid of becoming the first player in school history to experience a winless season.

Whitney Schemenaur also put an end to her long drought. The No. 1 singles player had lost 12 consecutive matches since winning in the season opener against Blackford.

Schemenaur trailed 2-1 early against junior Angel Warran, but evened it at 2-2. She won the fifth game of the first set from deuce and never looked back.

She didn’t lose another game in the first set, and went on to a 6-2, 6-2 victory.

“I’m proud of the girls,” said Stults, who added that she hoped the shutout victory would be a boon to the confidence of the entire team. “I’m glad to see that Whitney and Stephanie got their victories. I thought they did very well.”

Angie Stults completed the singles sweep as she rolled over Kim Eads. The freshman was no match for Stults in a 6-2, 6-1 final.

The No. 1 doubles pair of Julie Sours and Erin St. Myers continued its outstanding year, improving to 10-3 with a win over the freshman duo of Stacey Koontz and Brandy Coleman.

Sours and St. Myers hit winners all over the court as Koontz and Coleman struggled to catch up. The Patriot pair won the final game of the first set at love, with the final point coming as St. Myers coaxed her shot to just barely roll over the net.

They also won the final game of the second set at love for a 6-0, 6-1 win.

At No. 2 doubles Erin Schmiesing and Whitney Schemenaur hopped over .500, bumping their record to 6-5 as they dropped just one game. They crushed the freshman twosome of Casey Koontz and Courtney Baldwin 6-1, 6-0.[[In-content Ad]]