Can’t pick off Eagles

NOBLESVILLE — In the 30 days leading up to the regional, the Patriots were rolling.

While they dropped four matches, they picked up eight victories.

No one came in hotter than Eli Dirksen, who built a 15-match win streak and hadn’t lost since the month of August.

None of that mattered to the Eagles, as they ended the Patriots’ season.

The Jay County High School tennis team fell 5-0 to the Delta Eagles on Saturday in the IHSAA Regional 14 hosted by Noblesville for the third consecutive season.

“I hate it for the seniors,” said JCHS coach Donald Gillespie, who graduates five of the seven players in his lineup. “We had a good group of kids this year. … Started very inexperienced. When I say reload instead of rebuild, to me that means I need upperclassmen to come in and we got that.”

Along with the hopes of advancing as a team being put to bed, the chance of Dirksen or the No. 1 doubles pair, Kadyn Carpenter and Alex Miller, moving on individually ended as well.

Coming into the regional tournament, Dirksen won 15 straight matches, with his last loss coming on Aug. 20, 5-7, 7-5, 10-6 to Alexandria-Monroe’s No. 1 singles player.

Not only did Delta’s Kody Vest end that streak, he didn’t give up a game to the Jay County (9-11) star for a 6-0, 6-0 sweep.

“He’s a really good net player,” Dirksen said. “I just could not get the ball past him whenever he went to the net. I remember him the past two years I played him and he’s been a really good player. …

“But it’s definitely been a good time (on the win streak). I definitely need to give credit to my coaches and teammates, just keeping my head up.”

Dirksen fell to Vest in the regional opener in 2023 and 2022 as well. (Delta swept Jay County 5-0 in 2022, while Eli Dirksen’s cousin, Abraham Dirksen, pulled off the sole victory against the Eagles in 2023’s 4-1 loss.)

Dirksen came close to winning a game a few times, like in the third game of the first set. The seniors traded points before Dirksen made deuce on a Vest forehand into the net. He came up short of the win as Dirksen sent his own forehand into the net and then had to hit a volley in self defense that went wide right.

“I just feel bad for Eli,” Gillespie said. “The kid played out of his mind. Even coach (Tim) Cleland said that’s the best he’s played. Those weren’t easy shots he was hitting at the net. Eli had some really low balls. The kid just got him back, some days you get that.”

Also falling 6-0, 6-0 was Gabe Pinkerton in the No. 3 singles match to Luke Atkinson, who Gillespie described as a “buzzsaw.”

Tucker Griffin found the most success of the Patriots. While only aiming to win at least one game, he found himself taking three games against the Eagles’ No. 2 singles player Owen Cupp in the first set.

The JCHS senior couldn't build upon the success in the second set, falling 6-3, 6-0.

Blake Kahlig and Carter Wellman finished their final match as Patriots with a 6-0, 6-2 loss at the No. 2 doubles position to Tyce Dishman and Aaron Elliot.

Carpenter and Miller were the last Jay County players on the court, falling to Ben Miller and Brady Williams seconds after Dirksen and Vest wrapped up. The freshmen constantly tested the Eagles duo, but only claimed one victory from it in the 6-0, 6-1 loss.

In the game the JCHS freshmen won, — it was the third game of the second set — they scored points on a self defense volley by Miller that landed wide left, a strong volley by Carpenter, and a pair of forehands by both Eagles on serves from Miller.

“I hope they build from this,” Gillespie said. “If you look at their second half of the season, they grew. I thought that they played Bluffton and South Adams very well.

“I had people come up to me and say, ‘Your No. 1 doubles is improving from the first part to the second part.’ And that’s what we need to do.

“I’m very proud of them and they’ll be fun to work with for the next three years.”