ANDERSON–The biggest strength of the Lapel tennis team this season has been the dominance of the singles players, especially the two unbeaten players at the top of the roster. But a tweak to the doubles lineups has made the Bulldogs a little stronger and led to the clinching moment of Friday’s sectional final.
Junior Reid Ratzlaff and freshman Dawson Allen completed a 6-2, 6-0 win over Caleb Lipps and Peyton Abbott in the No. 2 doubles match for the third and deciding point as Lapel rolled to their fifth straight sectional title with a 4-1 win over Alexandria-Monroe.
The lone point for the Tigers was secured in the No. 1 doubles match, when last year’s semi-state qualifiers Matt Etherington and Dane Hueston won a hard-fought match over Zach Krebs and Ross Hagen 6-3, 7-5.
The rest of the matches, however, were dominated by the Bulldogs. Senior Joseph Conrad, now a four-time sectional champion, rolled past Avery Paddock 6-1, 6-1. He said winning a team sectional title five years in a row is special for Lapel.
“It’s a pretty big honor,” Conrad said. “It’s a big deal for us to get four in a row and, hopefully more for the next generation.”
No. 2 singles player, sophomore Jesse McCurdy routed Sam Hensley 6-0, 6-2 in the first match to go final. McCurdy and Conrad remain unbeaten on the season and having such a strong duo is a big advantage for Lapel head coach Justin Coomer.
“Joseph is awfully good at number one,” Coomer said. “And, outside of the super powers in Indy, McCurdy is about as good a number two as there is anywhere. That’s nice when you have two points come out and take care of business.”
As for the switch in the doubles teams, Hagen and Ratzlaff swapping positions, it has paid dividends for the Bulldogs. Coomer said it was a matter of which players’ games meshed the best.
“Zach hits a really hard ball and Ross is a little longer and more active at the net,” Coomer said. “I thought maybe Ross might compliment Zach a little more. We might have waited a little too long to do something like this, but I think it’s working out so far.”
Now the Bulldogs will turn their attention to a Tuesday showdown with Delta, the team that has now won 26 sectionals in a row and ousted the Bulldogs last year in the regional finals. Coomer feels it is a good matchup this time around, but his team has to win psychologically before even taking the court.
“I think we match up well,” Coomer said. “We have to get past the ‘Delta’ on the shirt. If we just go up there and play, it’s a dogfight either way.”
Union City will play Marion in the other semi-final with the winners to face off Wednesday at Marion.