Center Grove’s No. 2 doubles team of Dimitri Kandris, left, and Carson Bush takes a break between games during regional action on Wednesday.
Sam Findley | For the Daily Journal
Partially due to injuries, Center Grove senior Evan Davis has shown his versatility by playing in every spot in the lineup this season.
In the postseason, he has found a comfortable fit with junior Max Williams at No. 1 doubles.
Davis and Williams helped the No. 7 Trojans shut out Shelbyville 5-0 in the regional championship Wednesday at Center Grove. The Trojans (21-5) will now face New Castle in Saturday’s noon semistate at Center Grove. The Trojans haven’t lost a point in four postseason tennis matches.
Davis and Williams beat Shelbyville’s Caden Caxton and Aiden Smith 6-4, 6-0.
“They pushed us hard in the first set in (No. 1) doubles,” Center Grove coach David Beasley said. “It was a good test for our doubles.”
Davis said he and Williams played about five regular-season matches together and played together some during the summer.
“We have different play styles,” Davis said. “I can do more from the baseline since I used to play singles and Max has been a doubles player for a long time now, so having a baseline and a net player has worked really well for us.”
Williams has played with three different partners this season.
“When we switched before the state tournament, I wasn’t too concerned about it because I knew we played well together,” Williams said. “Our different playing styles go well together, which helps in a lot of tough matches.”
The duo’s only losses were to Carmel and Park Tudor’s top doubles teams.
The Trojans’ top three singles players only dropped two games total against Shelbyville.
“We told the kids no matter what other shirt the team we are playing is wearing, you keep the gas pedal down,” Beasley said. “Just play the ball.”
Sophomore Tyler Lane shut out Aidan Asher at No. 1 singles. Junior Loc Pham defeated Caden Bottorff 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 and sophomore Daksh Patel topped Logan Prickett 6-1, 6-0 in the third position.
At No. 2 doubles, sophomores Carson Bush and Dimitri Kandris defeated Reece Prickett and Karson Schaf 6-1, 6-1.
Beasley likes how the team has been playing in the postseason.
“We’ve been battling a ton of injuries this season,” Beasley said. “We are close to 100% healthy. It’s a blessing. We played a very sparse lineup throughout the whole season because of Tyler’s injury. Daksh and Loc were injured. We’re playing a full lineup now, so we’re pumped.”
In the individual portion of the tournament, Indian Creek sophomore Landon Sichting and senior Aiden Pemberton defeated Triton Central’s Griffin Sego and Benjamin Toth 6-0, 6-3 in the sectional final.
“They got off to great start and never let up,” Indian Creek coach Mike Perry said. “I don’t think they played any better than they did today all season.”
Sichting and Pemberton are 21-2 heading into the regional Oct. 15. Perry said it was the first individual sectional title for the Braves since a doubles team won in 1996.
