Patriots outlast Stars

It was well worth the wait.
Nearly two hours after the match began, the suspense was over.
Conner Benter, a Jay County High School sophomore, battled with South Adams senior Zach Teeple during the third set.
Benter won six straight games to take the first 6-4, and Teeple nabbed the second rather easily, 6-1.
The third, as it played out, was the most difficult.
And it turned into the second straight win for the home team.
Facing match point, Teeple’s return on a Benter serve hit off the edge of the racket and headed wide off the court.
The match, and the night, was finally done.
Benter outlasted Teeple to win in three sets, giving the Jay County boys tennis team a 3-2 victory over conference rival South Adams on Wednesday.
It was the second win in as many nights for the Patriots (2-6), and the first Allen County Athletic Conference victory at Jay County for coach Scott Miller.
“It feels good,” said Miller, whose team was 0-3 in conference play a year ago after losing all four matches during his first season in 2014. “I’d like to build. Lot of room for growth on that end of things.
“It is what it is.
“It does feel good,” he reiterated. “It is nice to get that win. No matter what the circumstances were it was good to get that win. We’re going to take it.”
It all rested on Benter’s shoulders, and Miller didn’t shy away from letting him know. The Patriots had won both doubles matches, but the Starfires took the No. 1 and 2 singles matches as the team tally was 2-2.
It was down to the No. 3 singles players to decide the fate of the match.
Benter got out to a commanding lead in the decisive third set, rushing to a 4-1 advantage. The only win for Teeple in that span was during the fourth game when he broke Benter’s serve.
In the fifth game, things started to go awry for the Patriot sophomore. He gave up four straight points to surrender a 30-love lead, then battled to deuce before committing a double fault. A backhanded, cross-court winner by Teeple then gave him the game. Benter and Teeple again battled to deuce three times before Teeple won back-to-back games to trail 4-3.
Benter took the next game to get one game from a match victory, but he couldn’t put Teeple away. The Starfire served the ninth game, taking all four points, to make it 5-4. Benter fell behind in the 10th game before tying it at 30-30 with a well-placed forehand shot to the back left corner. An errant forehand by Teeple gave Benter the next point, and then his return on the subsequent serve missed wide to bring an end to the match.
“They were long games, long points,” Miller said of the final set. Benter and Teeple went to deuce in three games, and both players didn’t try to do too much. They simply returned one another’s shots to the middle of the court in an attempt to force the other to make a mistake.
“Both players knew what the stakes were and wanted to win the game,” Miller added. “Thankfully more of the points went Conner’s way and he pulled out the victory.”
Cindy Greer, coach of South Adams, said the final set came down to who could survive the longest.
“It wasn’t just a matter of who wanted it most, it was more endurance than anything,” she said. “They played hard.”
The Patriots’ other two victories came rather easily.
At No. 1 doubles, seniors Luke Weaver and Kyler Hudson cruised to a victory over Paul Stuckey and Jamison Kistler. The Patriots won the first set 6-0. Their only loss of the evening came during the first game of the second set, but they won the final six to win 6-0, 6-1.
At No. 2 doubles, in just their second match together, Gabe Blankenship and Xavier Ninde defeated Jack Wallace and Cam Stevens 6-1, 6-2. It was their first win as a team.
“(Ninde) and Gabe settling in, playing that way tonight makes me more confident in their ability to be the 2 doubles team that I need them to be,” Miller said. “If we are going to try to do anything at sectional this year we have to be able to compete … at that 2 doubles spot.
“I feel at this point they are coming around good.”
South Adams junior David Muselman knocked off Garrett Rodgers 6-2, 6-0 at No. 1 singles, and Greer said she is pleased with the way he has played all season long as the top Starfire player.
The other win for the Starfires came at No. 2 singles, as Aidan Bahre defeated Payon Heniser 6-0. 6-3.
In the only two junior varsity matches, a pair of Patriots both defeated Wes Stout in singles action. Ben Muhlenkamp first won 6-1, then Calvin Whitney beat Stout 6-0.