Jay squeaks into final

Exactly a month ago, the Patriots didn’t lose a set to the Golden Falcons.

A lot can change in four weeks.

Heavily favored to win the program’s first sectional title in six years, the Jay County High School girls tennis team squeaked by the Winchester Golden Falcons 3-2 Wednesday in the sectional semifinal.

“Winning is good, but we have to get better,” said JCHS coach Dave Cramer, whose team improves to 10-5 and advances to the sectional championship today against the Union City Indians, who defeated the Randolph Southern Rebels 4-1 in the other semifinal Wednesday night.

On April 19, Jay County beat four-time defending sectional champion Winchester 5-0. (The Patriots topped all three sectional rivals by a 5-0 margin this season.)

One of those victories was a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 1 doubles on the efforts of Madison Dirksen and Rachel Muhlenkamp.

But that’s the spot where Winchester flipped the script the most. Sophomore Mabrey McIntire and Morgan Williams played with much more aggressiveness than a month earlier.

The Golden Falcon duo turned that loss into a 6-3, 6-1 win, during which Dirksen and Muhlenkamp weren’t able to match the gusto of their competition nor keep momentum on their side.

“Their No. 1 doubles made some major improvements,” Cramer said. “We handled them earlier. They outplayed us real easy tonight.”

Winchester also reversed fortune at No. 3 singles thanks to sophomore Reagan Riggin.

Riggin, who lost to Kierston Blunk 6-4, 6-1 in their first meeting, jumped ahead early and grabbed the opening set, 6-3. Riggin kept momentum in the second set, winning it 6-3 despite the overall team match having already been decided.

Jay County’s quickest victory of the night came from the team’s lone senior in the lineup. Lyric Garringer, the Patriots’ No. 2 singles player, only lost one game against Autumn Abel in cruising to a 6-0, 6-1 victory in a match that lasted less than an hour.

“She looked real good,” Cramer said. Garringer topped Abel 6-4, 6-1 when they met earlier in the season.

At No. 1 singles, Grace Brewster handed Kaylan McIntire a 6-2, 6-4 loss, which at that time put Jay County on top in the overall match score 2-1.

“Grace had to fight a little bit but took charge,” Cramer said.

Lilly Hedges and Holly Hemmelgarn had to work a little bit for their win against Kevlana Davis and Evy Hinds at No. 2 doubles. The Patriot tandem won the first set 6-3, but Davis and Hinds nearly forced a third set. However, Hedges and Hemmelgarn held them off for a 7-5 win in set two.

“Sorry it took so long,” Hedges joked to a teammate afterward.

“Our No. 2 doubles battled or else we wouldn’t have been where we’re at,” Cramer said. Hedges and Hemmelgarn secured the semifinal victory with their triumph. “They did what they had to do to win. That’s what counts. It’s great.”

Jay County had three straight sectional titles from 2013 to ’15. It has a chance to win the sixth title in program history Thursday against Union City, which will be looking for its first sectional championship.

The Patriots topped the Indians 5-0 April 27. Brewster and Blunk both won three-set matches, while the JCHS doubles teams combined to only lose one game.

If Wednesday’s semifinal was any indication, Cramer feels his team could be surprised once again.

“They played us tougher than anybody,” he said. “They’ll be a good match because we’re not playing good right now.”

Winchester’s No. 1 doubles team advances to the regional tournament, set for Tuesday and Wednesday at Marion.