We meet again.
Delta and Westfield tennis teams are getting in the habit of meeting each other in the Noblesville Regional.
Those two teams will meet again today (Wednesday) at 5:15 p.m. for the regional championship. The Eagles and the Shamrocks played a classic match a year ago in boys’ tennis with Delta winning 3-2. The same two schools have met in the regional each of the past three years in girls’ tennis, with Westfield winning twice and Delta prevailing last spring.
Under sunny skies on a gorgeous 73-degree Tuesday afternoon,. Delta and Westfield each made quick work of their regional semifinal opponents.
Sixth-ranked Delta (20-2) limited Jay County to only five games in a 5-0 victory. The Patriots finished the season with a 19-4 record, the most wins in school history.
11th-ranked Westfield (15-4) was almost as stingy in a 5-0 victory over Alexandria. The Shamrocks gave up only eight games.
Delta played one freshman, four sophomores, a junior and a senior in the lineup against Jay County, which also featured a very young lineup.
Sophomore Jackson Darby won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles and improved to 19-5 for the season. He has won 12 in a row.
Sophomore Charlie Vannatter also won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2 singles. He is now 21-4 and has won 15 consecutive matches.
Junior Luke Atkinson made it a 6-0, 6-0 sweep of singles with his victory at No. 3 singles. He raised his record to 23-2 with his 20th straight win. This also was his 60th career varsity victory in his first three seasons of DHS Tennis.
At No. 1 doubles, senior Tyce Dishman and sophomore Brandon Grubbs gained a 6-1, 6-0 victory. They also are 23-2 for the fall and have won 15 in a row. This was the 70th career varsity victory for Tyce, who becomes the 15th player in DHS boys’ tennis history to achieve 70 or more varsity victories.
At No. 2 doubles, freshman Easton Duckworth and sophomore Kiptyn Schwartz gained a 6-1, 6-3 victory over a Jay County duo who had played the past two seasons at No. 1 doubles.
Duckworth is 18-4 in his first season of high school tennis and has won seven in a row. Schwartz improved to 10-3 with his seventh straight varsity win. Junior Roman Ashcraft is the third member of the No. 2 doubles crew and holds a season record of 14-1 at the varsity level.
Combined, the Eagles are 21-4 at the No. 2 doubles position this season.
The winner of the regional will advance to Saturday’s Homestead Semistate and will play against either 10th-ranked Penn or Goshen.