For the Daily Journal
The game plan was simple for Whiteland senior Quinten Gillespie in the latest match of his long rivalry with Greenwood senior Ethan Gray.
‘We kept talking to Quinten to play more offensive than he has been,” Whiteland coach Mike Gillespie said of his son. “The last month of the season he’s been playing more and more offensive. That’s not his natural instinct, but he’s been doing it and he’s been playing really well.”
Gillespie topped Gray 6-3, 6-2 Wednesday in the singles sectional at Center Grove. Gillespie will play Perry Meridian’s Isaac Lian at 4:30 p.m. in today’s final. Lian got the Falcons’ only point in a 4-1 loss to Center Grove in the regional championship.
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The seventh-ranked Trojans will face No. 25 Terre Haute North at noon Saturday in the Center Grove Semistate. The Trojans beat the Patriots 3-2 earlier this year.
Gray had won the previous two meetings with Gillespie this season by winning a third-set super tiebreaker.
“I hate the fact that one of those two boys weren’t going to move on,” Mike Gillespie said. “They’re both elite tennis players. Ethan is a fantastic player. Both of them have driven each other and made each other better players.”
Quinten Gillespie said he believes Gray was surprised with his approach.
“He knew I was a good player but I don’t think he’s seen me play like that before,” Quinten said. “I played really well and maybe he had a little bit of an off day. I’ve worked so hard for this, it’s good for it to finally pay off. It’s good to beat him because the last three times I played him, I lost. It was a big relief when I won that last point.”
Gray had beaten Gillespie in three sets in the singles sectional last year.
“To me, the better kid today was without question Quinten,” Greenwood coach Jeremy Runge said. “Most days I say it’s 50-50, he just played better. It couldn’t happen to a better kid. I was telling Mike (Gillespie), it’s the end of the era,” Runge said. “They’ve been playing each other since middle school. It was really fun while it lasted.”
Runge said Gray’s goal was to go as far as he can ever since middle school.
“I know this is going to hurt for a while,” Runge said. “I keep telling him he has a lot to be proud of; he’s a heck of a tennis player. This one match doesn’t define his career.”
Center Grove captured both the sectional and regional without three starters.
Trojans coach Ivan Smith was pleased how his team handled its approach to Perry Meridian.
“You always kind of nervous because it’s a team we played and didn’t have much trouble (winning 5-0),” he said. “I told them we’re going to set the rules and dictate what’s going to happen and not react to them. I felt like we did.”
Trojans freshman Max Williams, subbing for one of the missing players, lost 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 to Lian. Sophomore Evan Davis, another substitute, topped Lane Terry 6-0, 6-1 at No. 3 singles.
“It felt good winning my first two varsity matches in regionals,” said Davis, who is now 2-2 after losing two sectional matches. “I had to tell myself not to push and press; that led me well to beat him.”
Trojans senior Luke Embrey lost only one game against Ryan Wombles at No. 2 singles. Center Grove’s Carson Contos and Ethan Stone defeated Christenzio Salemi and Tyler Corbin 6-4, 6-4 at No. 1 doubles. The Trojans’ No. 2 doubles team of Glenn Swaney and Bennett Strain won 6-2, 6-2 over Jackson Justice and Kolton Wright.
Franklin’s No. 1 doubles team of Jackson Klem and Sam Auger advanced to today’s sectional doubles final by beating Franklin Central’s Jack Huber and Garrett Smith 6-3, 6-0. Klem and Auger will play Shelbyville’s Layton Stieneker and Matthew Bunton.
