Positives come from loss

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No matter the court, the Patriots were overmatched.

The scores were indicative of it.

But after the first match of the year, Scott Miller had plenty with which to be pleased.

The Jay County High School boys tennis team dropped its season opener Tuesday, 5-0, to the visiting Tigers of Alexandria-Monroe.

“Little victories is going to have to be how we start the season,” said Miller, Jay County’s coach. “We’re working in a positive direction.”

The first little victory came at No. 1 doubles. Xavier Ninde and first-year player Ethan Myers were matched up against a pair of Tiger seniors who lost in the regional championship last season.

Jay County’s duo wasn’t able to win a game in its 6-0, 6-0 defeat, but Ninde and Myers kept a positive outlook throughout the match. It didn’t matter that they had difficulty returning the serve of seniors Matt Etherington and Dane Hueston. Nor was it too big of a deal that the Tigers’ net play was too strong — they often slammed points that cleared the fence around the court.

Ninde and Myers focused on the next point regardless of what happened previously.

“It was a lot of fun to watch,” Miller said, smiling. “They went into it with a really good attitude, they played the match with a really good attitude and they came away from it with a really good attitude.

“It encourages me moving forward with those two because if they can have fun out there and they play hard every point, regardless of what the score is they’re going to find themselves in some winning positions before the season is over.”

This is the third season Etherington and Hueston have been playing together. That experience, as well as their height and strength, was just too much for Myers and Ninde.

“They don’t even have to talk, they just know where each other is,” AMHS coach Matt DeVault said.

At No. 2 doubles, Jay County’s Sheldon Upp and Christian Romero, another first year player, lost 6-1, 6-1 to Peyton Abbott and Caleb Lipps. Upp had little varsity experience entering the season opener, so he and Romero are still learning to play with one another.

“For them to get a couple games against a pretty good Alexandria team, that is a victory for us,” Miller said.

Senior Garrett Rodgers lost the first set of his No. 1 singles match 6-0 to Avery Paddock. Rodgers was in a 2-1 hole in the second set before winning consecutive games to make it 3-2.

Paddock answered by nabbing a 4-3 lead, and Rodgers took the eighth game to tie the set at four apiece.

A few too many errors late gave Paddock the final two games and the match win.

Miller was pleased with the rebound he saw out of Rodgers after being shut out in the opening set.

“Garrett is playing great tennis,” he said. “Came into the season with a really great attitude. He just needs to trust himself and gain confidence.

“As long as he does those thing you’re going to see some positive results from him this season.”

At No. 2 singles, fellow senior Payton Heniser lost 6-2, 6-0 to Sam Hensley, who had a quick, fast serve that often caught Heniser off guard.

“Sam is an amazing little kid,” DeVault said. “He is the most frustrating kid to play. Has a short, quick serve (and) short, quick swing. He runs down every ball.”

Conner Benter, Jay County’s No. 3 singles player, dropped his match 6-0, 6-0, to Alexandria-Monroe sophomore Trevor Simison.

Benter played Simison closer than the score suggests, as they were neck and neck nearly every game.

Benter just wasn’t able to string together solid play enough to steal a game or two.

“Overall I’m pleased with his attitude and pleased with the way he’s playing,” Miller said. “I think that if he sticks with it and keeps working on these things and doesn’t get frustrated and give up, he’s going to see results.”