NEW PALESTINE — Mt. Vernon got more of a scare than it would have liked in Wednesday’s Hoosier Heritage Conference boys tennis match against New Palestine, but the end result got the Marauders right where they wanted to be.
Mt. Vernon, ranked No. 21 in the Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association state poll and No. 1 in District 4, defeated its rival 3-2 to improve to 6-0 in HHC matches.
On Monday, the Marauders travel to Delta for the final conference match of the season. A win would be the first-ever against the Eagles and a first-ever HHC title. Delta has won the last five conference championships and 12 of the last 13.
New Palestine, which had won seven matches in a row prior to Wednesday, dropped to 9-5 overall and 4-3 in league contests. The Marauders are 8-4 overall.
“Things were a little choppy, but in the end we took care of it, another conference win,” Mt. Vernon No. 2 singles player Manny Downs said. “We clinched a share of the conference title, but everybody on our team mutually agrees that’s not enough. We want it outright.”
Downs, who improved to 17-2 on the season, and Mt. Vernon’s No. 2 doubles team of Bryndan Wylie and Max Orelup were the first two off the courts. Downs defeated Arjomand Khokhar 6-3, 6-0. Wylie/Orelup were 6-2, 6-1 victors over Eli Sloan and Tyler Wilson.
“This is exactly what a rivalry match is,” Mt. Vernon assistant coach Gabe Muterspaugh said. “I was extremely proud of Manny. He’s been lights-out all year and one of our MVPs. He came out and took care of business early and so did our No. 2 doubles, Bryndan and Max. Those two got on the board quickly, now we had to find one more.”
Finding that third victory was not easy. New Palestine won the first set in all of the other matches.
New Pal’s Brady Torzewski, at No. 3 singles, defeated Tate Cougill 6-2, 6-3. Torzewski, who won the No. 3 singles title at the county tournament earlier this month, gave the Dragons their first win of the evening.
He has given them a win in every dual meet this season. After Wednesday’s victory, the junior improved his record to 16-0.
“Consistency,” Torzewski answered on the key to his success this season. “Last year I had really high highs and really bad lows. This year I’ve kind of just found the middle and stayed consistent.”
The most intriguing match of the night was taking place at No. 1 singles between Mt. Vernon all-stater and two-time county champion Adam Koon and New Palestine’s Moses Haynes.
Haynes took control early and won the first set 6-2. Koon, who hadn’t lost to a county opponent since a dual meet against New Palestine’s Ezra Schwier two years ago, grabbed a tough second 6-3.
In between the second and third sets, Haynes was treated for severe leg cramps. He tried to continue in the third, but defaulted with Koon leading 4-0.
It proved to be the deciding match as New Palestine’s Max Havel and Joey McPike won their three-set battle against Robbie Moore and Matthew Jones, 6-0, 3-6, 6-2.
But the big story was Haynes pushing Koon as far as any county player had in two seasons.
“Good for Moses, he played a great match,” Koon said. “Hate that he had cramps in that third set, it was going to be a battle. The first set, he just got me. He played great and I wasn’t playing my best, respect to him.
“Coach (Graham McMullen) wasn’t here tonight, but he gave us one job. He didn’t care who, but we needed three points tonight and we got three points tonight.”
Muterspaugh went over to Haynes right after the match ended.
“Hat’s off to Moses Haynes,” Muterspaugh said. “He played, in that first set, as well against Adam as I’ve seen anyone all year. Adam finally started coming around and showed why he’s an all-state player, but Moses Haynes showed he’s about as big a fighter as I’ve seen. I told (Moses) not to hang his head, he did everything he possibly could.”
“It would have been a close one,” New Palestine coach Jean Graham added on the Haynes-Koon match, if her junior No. 1 would have been able to continue. “Adam is a great player, no doubt about it, and Moses is such a good athlete.”
The two teams could meet again next week. Mt. Vernon hosts sectional play Wednesday and Thursday. The Mt. Vernon Sectional has gone from a five-team tournament to a four-team tournament this year. Pendleton Heights no longer plays in it. It’s just the four county teams, so the Dragons and Marauders could play again soon.
“We had won seven straight and we were in the hunt in this one to get No. 8,” Graham added. “The season’s not over. We’re going to live to play another day. The boys are playing well. Our doubles are playing better. We’re getting more consistent and we’re making less errors. They’re a real good group of kids and they’re good to work with.”
