Ryan Wiseman and Carson Contos, paired in doubles for only the second time this season, quickly rediscovered their chemistry on Thursday.
The seniors, the No. 1 tandem for the seventh-ranked Center Grove boys tennis team, helped the Trojans edge Greenwood, 3-2, in the semifinals at their own sectional.
Center Grove, playing without three starters, led by a 2-1 score when Wiseman and Contos provided the clinching point by defeating the Woodmen duo of Thomas Burtt and Aiden Luttrell, 6-4, 6-4. The Trojan duo took five consecutive games in the second set to get it done.
The win sets up today’s championship match against No. 22 Whiteland, which handed Indian Creek a 5-0 loss for the second time this season in the other semifinal.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryPrior to Thursday, Wiseman and Contos had partnered only for a match at the Jasper tournament in the regular season.
“It’s definitely harder when you play doubles with someone you haven’t been playing with the whole year,” Contos said. “But I feel like me and Ryan, we have pretty good chemistry. We’ve been on the team together for so long.”
Added Wiseman, “We just had to play solid. It was just about hitting good shots.”
Greenwood senior Ethan Gray won at No. 1 singles over Trojan freshman Max Williams, 6-0, 6-1, the same score by which Center Grove senior Luke Embrey downed Woodmen senior Nick Belovic in the second singles spot.
The No. 3 singles match was the last to conclude, with Charlie Brooks of Greenwood defeating Trojan sophomore Evan Davis, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6). Center Grove’s second doubles team of Glenn Swaney and Bennett Strain prevailed over Sam Fenner and Noah Paswater, 6-0, 6-4.
In the other semi, Whiteland won all five matches in straight sets. The first and second singles players, senior Quinten Gillespie and sophomore Ty McCullars, each won by a score of 6-0, 6-0.
Dylan Gross scored a 6-2, 6-0 decision over the Braves’ Aiden Pemberton at No. 3 singles; the Warriors won by that same score in both No. 1 doubles (Christian Felker and Ariss Mardanzai) and No. 2 doubles (Josh Pitts and Travis Robinson).
Similar to Center Grove’s top duo, Felker and Mardanzai were teaming only for the fourth time.
“I’m normally a singles person, but I like playing doubles with Christian,” Mardanzai said. “I feel like we communicate well and know how to put the ball in play.”
Indian Creek finished with a 13-6 record. With only two seniors in the lineup — Jaden Schrougham at No. 1 singles and Jake Mitchell as part of the top doubles team — Braves coach Mike Perry looks forward to more success in the seasons ahead.
“Obviously, you hate losing those guys, the good news is the guys who’ll be back are going to be even stronger,” Perry said. “And we’ve got a few guys coming up who will help us. A lot of the teams we lost to this year were very senior-heavy, so I think that gives us a lot to look forward to.
“We’re looking forward to working hard and having a special season next year.”
