For the first time this season, the boys’ tennis team came home with a trophy Thursday night.

Delta won the championship round of the Kokomo Invitational with a 3-2 victory over 26th-ranked Kokomo in a match that lasted more than three hours.

The 13th-ranked Eagles improved to 12-2 with their fifth victory this season over a state-ranked team.  In addition to Kokomo, the Eagles also have beaten 14th-ranked Fort Wayne Carroll (twice), 27th-ranked Cathedral and 28th-ranked Greenfield-Central.

Delta’s only losses have been to No. 2 Homestead and No. 5 Culver Military. (Those teams played each other last night, with Homestead winning 3-2.)

Against Kokomo, Delta jumped out to a 1-0 lead when sophomore Luke Atkinson cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 3 singles.

Kokomo tied the match at 1-1 when Micah Taflinger beat Charlie Vannatter, 6-0, 6-3, at No. 2 singles.

Delta regained a 2-1 lead with a victory at No. 2 doubles, as Ben Miller and Brandon Grubbs gained a 6-3, 6-4 victory.

From there, the matches at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles continued for another 60-90 minutes.

Kokomo’s star senior, Caleb Taflinger, withstood a stiff challenge from Delta freshman Jackson Darby at the top singles spot.  Taflinger, who had beaten Darby 6-0 late this summer in a scrimmage match, faced a much tougher fight this time.  Taflinger pulled out a 7-5, 7-6 (3) victory.

That left the match in the hands of the No. 1 doubles teams.

Senior Aaron Elliott and junior Tyce Dishman had built a 5-2 lead in the first set, only to see Kokomo’s Harry Blake and Josiyah Mayfield roar back to win the set 7-6 (4).  But Elliott and Dishman regrouped and won the middle set 6-1, forcing a third set in front of everyone with the match on the line.

Elliott and Dishman were able to break serve twice in the final set and won it 6-4 with Elliott hitting three service winners in the last four points.

In the junior varsity match, the Eagles pulled off a complete sweep, winning 16-0 over the Wildkats.

Hunter Reed teamed with Carson Mick for a 6-2 victory.  It was Hunter’s first win of the season.

Jacob Tokar and John Atkinson remained unbeaten for the year.

Delta will return to action on Wednesday, Sept. 24 with a conference match at Pendleton Heights.  The next day the Eagles play a JV only match at Eastern.  Then on Saturday, the varsity hosts the Delta Invitational while the JV plays at the FW Carroll Invitational.  And finally, the Senior Day match will be Monday, Sept. 29 in a key conference match against Mt. Vernon.

Complete Results

DELTA 3, KOKOMO 2

Varsity Singles

1. Jackson Darby lost to C. Taflinger, 5-7, 6-7
2. Charlie Vannatter lost to M. Taflinger, 0-6, 3-6
3. Luke Atkinson def. McClelland, 6-2, 6-1

Varsity Doubles

1. Aaron Elliott/Tyce Dishman def. Blake/Mayfield, 6-7, 6-1, 6-4
2. Ben Miller/Brandon Grubbs def. Moos/McClain, 6-3, 6-4

JV Results
DELTA 16, KOKOMO 0

JV Singles

1. Cruea won 7-5
2. Ashcraft won 6-2
3. Zacek won 6-0
4. Alexander won 6-3
5. Coutinho won 6-4

JV Doubles

1. B. Williams / Carmichael won 6-0
2. Crist / J. Atkinson won 6-1
3. Mitchell / Schwartz won 6-1
4. Tokar / D. Durkovich won 6-0
5. Weddle / Krushenytskyi won 6-0
6. Case / J. Williams won 7-5
7. Ogle / G. Durkovich won 6-3
8. Berry / Moody won 6-1
9. Hartman / Hutchens won 6-0
10. Carrigan / Swift won 6-2
11. Reed / Mick won 6-2