Patriots stumble against Winchester

Copyright, 2017. The Commercial Review

All Rights Reserved.

Dave Cramer is quick to admit his Patriot team didn’t play its best.

With the Golden Falcons across the net, it was a bad time to struggle.

The Jay County High School girls tennis team fell to 1-3 on the season Monday as it lost a 5-0 match to sectional rival Winchester.

“I’m kind of disappointed in the effort,” said Cramer, Jay County’s coach. “We’ll have to get a lot better than this. They are the ones we have to beat at sectional. It will be a different match then.”

Dennis Streeter, whose Winchester team beat Jay County 4-1 last season to win the program’s first sectional title, said he’s happy with the win but doesn’t want to jinx his team next month for sectional.

“I feel pretty good about it,” he said “All the second sets came closer. I told Dave it could be pretty tight in the sectional.

“They are the team for me to beat. (It) should be pretty even.”

At No. 2 singles, Jay County senior Megan Johnson had to battle Winchester senior Grace Retter seemingly every point. Johnson and Retter didn’t play too aggressively on offense, instead simply returning a playable ball every shot. After dropping the first set 6-3, Johnson found herself in a 5-1 hole before taking the seventh game. Trailing 5-2, Johnson battled Retter to deuce three times, but Retter hit consecutive backhand winners to win the match.

“It was two of a kind, two backboards,” Streeter said. “Neither one of them killed the ball or nothing. It was interesting to watch. I bet they are both tired because they hit a lot of balls.”

Francine Muhlenkamp, Jay County’s No. 3 singles player, lost the opening set to Winchester senior Autumn Dixon 6-3. Muhlenkamp was one game away from forcing a third set as she was ahead 6-5, but Dixon won the 12th game to force a tiebreaker.

Dixon got the first two points before Muhlenkamp won the next two to even the score. Four consecutive attack errors put Dixon on top 6-2, and a forehand winner at the net gave Dixon the match.

“She has worked hard this past season and you can tell she’s come a long way,” Streeter said.

Cramer noted Muhlenkamp tried to do too much offensively and wasn’t making solid contact on her shots.

At No. 1 singles, Jay County junior Shelby McClain fell to sophomore Mariah Roberts, 6-2, 6-2. Roberts, who was Winchester’s top player as a freshman, caught McClain off guard with her serve on occasion, and used strong forehand shots to paint the sidelines just outside of McClain’s reach.

“(Roberts) is a club player,” Cramer said. “She’s had all the lessons and that makes a big, big difference. She’s just a sophomore and we’ll have to deal with her for two more years.”

“When she’s on, she’s pretty wicked,” Streeter said.

Jay County cousins Audrey Dirksen and Kayla Dirksen fell at No. 1 doubles, 6-1, 6-3. The Dirksens were ahead 3-1 in the second set but Winchester senior Leah Wren and sophomore Riley Helms rallied to take the next five games and the set.

At No. 2 doubles, Betsy Muhlenkamp and Emily Reier of Jay County lost to Brianna Bogue and Kate Hendrikson 6-1, 6-3.

“They’re better than that,” Cramer said of his doubles teams. “I know they’re better than that.”



Junior varsity

Jay County got wins from a singles player and one doubles team as it lost 7-2.

Klarisa Hemmelgarn won her No. 2 singles match over Bailey Rossa, 8-3. At No. 2 doubles, Elyse Bost and Sarah Muhlenkamp teamed for an 8-6 win over Olivia Hershberger and Madi Frantz.

Katy Hamilton dropped her No. 1 singles match 8-6, and Ella Roessner fell at No. 3 singles, 8-0.

The Patriots’ No. 1 doubles team of Carissa Mercer and Theresa Romero fell 8-1, Kaitlyn Ruiz and Janae Kirby lost at No. 3 doubles 8-2 while Kristy Alig and Dawn Minnich dropped their No. 4 doubles match, 8-6. At No. 5, doubles, Ashlyn May and Erin Emery fell 8-2, and at No. 6 doubles Gabi Paxson and Mackynzie Fairchild lost 8-1.