The high school tennis rivalry between Ethan Gray and Quinten Gillespie offers up its final serves this afternoon.
Both seniors are regarded among the state’s premier boys singles players. Fair or otherwise, only the winning player gets to extend his prep career beyond the second round of the Center Grove Sectional.
Gray, a three-year starter at No. 1 singles for Greenwood, blitzed Southwestern’s Tristan Pappano, 6-0, 6-0, on Tuesday. Gillespie, who has been Whiteland’s top player all four seasons, proved every bit as convincing in a 6-1, 6-0 defeat of Cole Langston of Indianapolis Shortridge.
“It’s going to be exciting,” Gillespie said. “It’s going to be a good match, obviously. This is the third time this season, and we played four times last year. Whoever loses, it’s a good last match to go out on. Whoever wins, I wish him the best of luck whether it’s me or Ethan.
“I always look for good competition, and he’s definitely that. It’s good to be able to play someone who is higher level.”
The Gray-Gillespie rivalry actually began when the two played against each other as 11-year-olds. Their respective high school careers simply placed it beneath a brighter spotlight.
“I’ve gotten to enjoy playing him more over the years,” Gray said. “It’s been, like, a staple of my high school career playing against him. I played him four times last year, and this will be the third time this year.”
Neither player is exactly sure of the series record, though Gray has won the majority of no fewer than eight matches between the two since the start of the 2018 season.
“That sounds about right,” Gillespie said. “I think he has an edge on me.”
In team regional competition on Tuesday, seventh-ranked Center Grove downed Shelbyville, 4-1, to advance to today’s final. The Trojans will face Perry Meridian, which scored a hard-fought 3-2 victory over southside rival Roncalli.
Scoring points for Center Grove (16-5) were freshman Max Williams at No. 1 singles, senior Luke Embrey at second singles and sophomore Evan Davis at No. 3 singles. All won in straight sets, as did the Trojans’ No. 2 doubles combination of Glenn Swaney and Bennett Strain.
The Golden Bears’ lone point was at No. 1 doubles, with seniors Layton Stieneker and Matthew Burton getting past Center Grove seniors Carson Contos and Ethan Stone, 6-3, 7-5.
Also advancing from Johnson County is Franklin’s top doubles tandem of senior Jackson Klem and junior Sam Auger. The duo cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 sectional victory over Grant Emerick and Matthew Clements of Southwestern to improve to 14-7 this season.
“They’re both real coachable and they work pretty hard to get better,” Franklin coach Rusty Hughes said. “Jackson and Sam do a good job of going from a defensive set to an offensive set. Sam does a good job of setting Jackson up, but Sam has gotten to the point where he can finish pretty well, too.”
