A year ago, Seth Jasek literally put the junior in junior varsity tennis at Center Grove.
However, the improvements made by Jasek in the months leading up to his senior season were enough to land him a starting spot on the state’s fifth-ranked team.
Jasek ran his record at No. 3 singles to 9-1 on Thursday with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Whiteland junior Ariss Mardanzai in the championship match of the Johnson County tournament at Center Grove.
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The Trojans fed off the momentum to defeat the previously unbeaten 25th-ranked Warriors, 4-1.
“It’s amazing going from low JV all the way up to senior year and to varsity and No. 3 singles,” Jasek said. “I just wanted to be a part of the team and contribute whichever spot I was playing. It’s been a great year.
“It’s all about playing matches. What I’ve done through the season and even before was play match after match after match. What I did was work as hard as I could.”
Jasek, one of 10 seniors on the Trojans’ roster, impressed his coach with the hours applied to sharpening his tennis skill set and confidence.
“I’ll be honest. When (Jasek) was younger, I questioned whether he would ever even play in a meaningful match,” Center Grove coach Ivan Smith said. “The thing is, every year that he’s been here, he always asks questions. He always works hard. And this winter and spring, I don’t know if there’s anybody who worked harder than him.”
Trojan senior Luke Embrey won at No. 2 singles, handing Warrior sophomore Ty McCullars his first loss of the season, 6-1, 6-3. Whiteland’s lone point was scored by senior Quinten Gillespie at No. 1 singles, where he downed Center Grove senior Dhrumil Patel, 6-1, 6-2.
The victory gave Gillespie, the top singles player since the start of his freshman season, his 70th career win, tying former Warrior Sam Venter for the program record.
Center Grove’s top doubles tandem of Carson Contos and Landen Finlinson defeated Christian Felker and Dylan Gross, 6-2, 6-1. The Trojans’ No. 2 doubles pairing, Glenn Swaney and Bennett Strain, won by the same score over Josh Pitts and Travis Robinson.
Whiteland coach Mike Gillespie, whose squad was 12-0 prior to Thursday’s match, couldn’t fault the Warriors’ focus against Center Grove.
“I thought we competed well. I don’t think we were scared of them,” Gillespie said. “(Center Grove) is a very good team, and some years when you play against a No. 5 team in the state the players would come out a little nervous.
“I don’t think that was the case today. They were just a better team than us. I thought we played well at times, but just weren’t consistent enough.”
The Warriors return to action at the Mid-State Conference tournament Monday and Tuesday at Perry Meridian. Center Grove plays at Bloomington North on Monday.
