SECTIONAL CHAMPS

After failing to convert on double match point, Alex Krieg’s first serve sailed long. Then, Winchester’s Aaron Wallace wasn’t expecting the speed of Krieg’s second serve and hit it into the net.
The point gave Krieg the set and the match, locking up a sectional championship for the Patriots.
Jay County’s boys tennis team avenged a 3-2 loss Sept. 18, beating the Winchester Golden Falcons 3-2 Thursday to win the sectional championship.
It is the first sectional title for the host Patriots since 2007.
Jay County advances to the Marion regional on Tuesday, and will play the winner of the Delta sectional. The ninth-ranked Eagles meet Yorktown at 11 a.m. Saturday in the final.
“I wasn’t too worried because I knew I had a little leeway since I won the first set,” Krieg said of his decisive match at No. 2 singles. “Near the end I saw (Wallace) was starting to get frustrated, and once he got frustrated he started to play worse.”
Realizing he was part of the only match left on the court, Krieg said he didn’t let the nerves get to him.
It wasn’t the same for his coach.
“I was following that match very closely,” said first-year coach Scott Miller, whose team swept the doubles matches. “I knew exactly what the score was and when he had double match point I was starting to shake a little bit. When he lost the first match point, I was starting to worry that the nerves were going to get to him.”
But they didn’t. In fact, Krieg kept his composure throughout the match, getting revenge from his loss to Wallace earlier in the season.
Krieg trailed 4-1 in the opening set Thursday, but rallied to win five straight to win 6-4. He found himself trailing again in the second set — this time 3-2 —before he won back-to-back games to nab a 4-3 lead. Wallace tied the set at four, and with all eyes on their match, Krieg came through with two straight victories to secure the title.
“It feels great,” Miller said of the championship. “(It’s) not exactly how I thought things were going to go, but in the end we got three (wins) and that’s all we needed.”
Both WCHS coach Dennis Streeter and Miller knew it was going to be a close match.
“I knew it would be really tight,” Streeter said. “I knew that their doubles would probably come out ahead. I was just hoping all three of our singles players could win and (Miller) knew it too.
“That’s why I kind of watched the singles a little closer.”
The Golden Falcons, who had won back-to-back titles, got the first victory of the match when Arick Miller took advantage of an ailing Alex Clark to win 6-1, 6-0 at No. 3 singles. Clark, who retired in the semifinal Wednesday against Randolph Southern with a knee injury, fought through the pain Thursday but Miller used Clark’s lack of mobility to his benefit.
Jay County’s doubles teams followed with victories to put the Patriots ahead in the match 2-1. Adam Jutte and Jay Houck teamed up at No. 1 doubles to beat Austin Bogue and Mason Melton 6-3, 6-3. At No. 2 doubles, Sok Vormohr and Garrett Rodgers defeated Levi Baldrige and Hagen Lawson 6-1, 6-3.
All Jay County had to do was win one of the remaining singles matches.
At No. 1 singles, Winchester junior Wesley Martin defeated JCHS senior Zach Pryor 6-4, 6-3. Pryor was a late scratch because of a back injury when the two teams met Sept. 18, and Scott Miller said not getting a chance to play two weeks ago worked against him.
With Martin’s victory, he advances as an individual. Only the top singles player and doubles team can move on without a team.
“The style of play Zach was going against tonight was just a tough style for him,” Miller said of Martin’s tendency to keep the ball in the middle of the court and extend points. “Not getting a chance to play him in the match earlier in the season, I think, really cost him. I really believe things would have been a lot different, but unfortunately he wasn’t able to get that opportunity.”
With the team match tied 2-2, Krieg got the win the Patriots needed.
“Alex Krieg coming through at No. 2 singles is an outstanding victory for him, an outstanding victory for the team and we’re excited,” Miller said.”
Miller, who took over this season from longtime coach Barry Weaver, hopes this title can help build the program in the future.
“That was an exciting win for us,” he said. “It is great for Jay County tennis. It’s been a while since we’ve gotten a sectional victory, and hopefully we can build on this and move forward.”