Duos dominate

There was no doubles trouble to be had for the Patriots on Monday.

The Jay County High School tennis team romped to a home win over the Muncie Central Bearcats, sweeping all five matches with the doubles pairings leading the way.

“I saw some bright spots, especially in the doubles a little bit,” said Jay County coach Donald Gillespie. “There were some weaknesses too, we’re going to have to clean some things up.”

Many of those bright spots emanated from the doubles courts, where the Patriots (5-3) swiftly snatched both matches. At No. 1 doubles, Alex Miller and Kadyn Carpenter steamrolled the Bearcats’ James Sue and Karter Hyneman, 6-0, 6-3.

“Definitely didn’t play the best that we’ve ever done,” Carpenter said. “But it wasn’t a bad match by any means.”

The Patriot pair trampled their Bearcat opponents in the opening set, earning three breaks and not conceding a game. They then earned breaks in two of the first three games of the second set before surrendering Muncie Central’s first break of the entire match to reduce the JCHS edge to 5-3.

Undeterred, the Patriots got the break right back to seal the victory, with a pulverizing spike by Carpenter and a pinpoint drive down the line by Miller finishing it off with a flourish.

“I will never complain about a win, but definitely a lot of things I can improve on myself,” Miller said. “Talking to my partner, little things. Little things are going to win you big matches, and that’s where I need to work on right now.”

But despite the desire for continued improvement, Miller and Carpenter’s chemistry held firm throughout the match and helped spur the victory.

“We’ve been friends for a really long time, so we’re always hanging out and doing stuff together,” Carpenter said. “So I think that helps a lot.”

Brock Wasson and Gabe Overton beat Miller and Carpenter to the punch, wrapping up their 6-1, 6-0 triumph over Tyko Holowell and David Miller at No. 2 doubles a few seconds before their counterparts salted away their victory.

Wasson and Overton nearly didn’t get the chance to dominate on Monday night, as they were replaced in the lineup by Nick Snow and Jace Vance in the Patriots last match. Jay County operates with a challenge system, where players or pairings can call out those above them on the ladder and move up with two consecutive set wins.

“It doesn’t even create animosity, it creates great chemistry,” Gillespie said. “But the kids come out more focused at practice now.”

That focus translated to the match for Wasson and Overton, who earned their spot back on Friday and looked every bit deserving of it, breaking their opponents five times and winning the final 11 games en route to the commanding victory.

While it was the doubles courts that spearheaded the Patriot attack, Jay County didn’t slow down on the singles side either, recording straight-sets wins at all three slots.

Patriot freshman Paul Dirksen coasted to victory against senior Caleb Byrn, winning 6-2, 6-1.

“It was a good match today,” Paul Dirksen said. “The other opponent played very good, but I just did my best and got the win.”

The youngster added several entries to his burgeoning highlight reel during the match. In the opening set, he showed his soft hands and deft touch by quelling a Byrn drive at the net and planting it just over the net with backspin to earn the point via a double bounce.

He then sealed set one with two aces sandwiched around a double fault, with the last ace being a blast pinpointed at the back of the service box that handcuffed Byrn.

Finally, he terminated the match with his fourth break of the second set, again displaying his finesse by guiding a serve-return barely over the net that bounced twice before Byrn could arrive.

The match expressed Paul Dirksen’s unique combination of power and technical ability.

“Paul I thought got started a little slow,” Gillespie said. “Then he picked up and controlled it — that first serve of his is pretty good … that kid can blast the ball.”

At No. 2 singles, Paul’s cousin, Henry Dirksen, had to work harder and longer for victory, but ultimately outlasted Alex Navarro-Cortez, 6-4, 6-3.

“Henry just wasn’t into it tonight,” Gillespie said. “He wasn’t playing his game.”

Even so, the freshman found a way, solidifying a first set win by going up 3-2 with the lone break in the fifth game.

While Navarro-Cortez was the first to record a break in set two, knotting the score at 3-3, Henry Dirksen showed his resilience by breaking his opponent back in the subsequent game.

He then caught a break to earn another break, sending a blistering backhand that bounced off the top of the net and barely onto Navarro-Cortez’s side, giving Henry Dirksen two breaks in the final three games and cementing the match win.

It was smoother sailing for the Patriots at No. 3 doubles, where Jay County junior Clark Wellman overcame Adrian Collins, 6-2, 6-1.

In total, the Patriots didn’t surrender a single set and enabled just three Bearcat breaks all during the entire contest. The strong effort could provide vital momentum as the Patriots prepare to embark on their Allen County Athletic Conference slate in the coming weeks.

“I was very happy with the way they played,” Gillespie said. “I saw some good points. There’s a few things we can clean up, I think, but overall, good match tonight.”