Jay Co. falls in Trojan Kickoff

NEW CASTLE — Abraham Dirksen started the season on a good note.

The rest of the Patriots cannot say the same.

Abraham Dirksen picked up the only pair of wins for the Jay County High School boys tennis team on Saturday when they fell to Connersville and New Castle 4-1 in the Trojan Kickoff Duals.

Abraham Dirksen picked up a pair of wins for the Patriots in the No. 1 singles position. Kolton DeBoard from Connersville took two sets and a tiebreaker to defeat. He took the first 6-3, lost the second 1-6 before winning the 10-point tiebreaker 10-6.

Abraham Dirksen powered through New Castle’s Leo Underwood with a quick 6-4, 6-2 victory.

Against Connersville, the No. 2 singles Eli Dirksen and No. 3 singles Isaac Miller couldn’t pull through. They lost 6-2, 6-4 and 6-3, 6-1 to Clayton Roszell and Anthony Struewing respectively.

Despite the early losses, they refused to lay down in the second match of the day. Both players’ matches lasted two hours before ultimately falling to their opponents from the Trojans.

Eli Dirksen dropped the first set 6-4. He led his opponent 5-1 in the second set, but couldn’t hold on as a tiebreaker was forced, ending in a 7-6 (7-3) loss.

Miller’s match against the No. 3 singles Trojan had three tiebreakers before the defeat. He won the first tiebreaker to take the first set 7-6. He couldn’t repeat in the second set, falling 7-6 before losing the 10-point tiebreaking third set 10-6.

Neither doubles duo were able to pick up a win for the Patriots either. No. 1 doubles pair Sam Myers and Gage Sims fell 6-2, 7-5 to Kaidin Brock and Tyler Caudill of Connersville and 6-4, 6-2 to Vincent Farris and Jake Jenkins of New Castle.

In the No. 2 doubles, Liam Garringer and Luke Muhlenkamp fell 6-2, 6-4 against Maddox Rees and Parker Thumb. In the second the Trojans’ duo of Caden Blackford and Austin Nunez topped the Patriots 6-0, 6-1.