NEW MARKET — Last season Southmont defeated every Sagamore Conference foe 5-0 on their way to the SAC crown. Crawfordsville coach Craig Brainard remembered that from a season ago as the Mounties and Athenians squared off at Southmont on Thursday. Crawfordsville quickly went down 2-0 after losing at one singles and one doubles but the Athenians never panicked and would go on to win the final three spots and secure a big time county and conference win over the Mounties 3-2.
Two and three singles along with two doubles would all go to a set three after the Athenians stormed back at all of those spots after dropping the first sets. Wyatt Motz would go on to defeat Luke Tesmer at two singles 1-6, 6-1, 6-1 and the duo of Thomas Bowling and Nolan Watt picked up a 4-6, 6-1, 6-6 (7-1) win over Caden Jones and Gavin Downey.
The match came down to a battle between Harrison Haddock and freshman Rowan Gambrel. After starting off the third set down 0-3 Gambrel went on to win the final six matches of the decisive third set to defeat Haddock 2-6, 6-6 (7-5), 6-3.
“Proud is the perfect for how I felt about tonight’s match,” Crawfordsville coach Craig Brainard said. “It’s the Athenian way that we’re trying to embody. They came back from a tough loss last night (4-1 to Central Catholic) and moved on and fought all night long. To see Rowan fight into the third set and be able to force that third set to begin with, I was especially proud of him. We’ve been preaching that every point matters and he did what he needed to do when it mattered most.”
The win also happens to be the first of the season for the Athenians as they’ve been close and have fallen on the wrong side of some 3-2 defeats. The win against the defending SAC champions Brainard is hoping will give his team the momentum boost that it needs.
“If does feel good having one of those games go our way,” he said. “I’m hoping this is the breakthrough that we need to continue to pump our team up and light a fire under them moving forward. If they can keep this same mental attitude that they had tonight, good things will happen.”
The Mounties picked up wins at one singles and one doubles as Adam Cox defeated James Murphy 6-0, 6-1 and Mason Hall and Chayce Howell defeated Jude Coursey and Jude Hutchison 6-4, 6-2.
Mountie coach Nathan Poytner said the match simply coming down his team taking their foots off the gas after winning the first set at all five spots.
“When you come out and take care of business in the first set then let up, all you do is give them their fuel that they needed,” Poynter said. “That’s exactly what we did. Once you let up like we did it’s hard to get back into matches. Crawfordsville played well and played like they had nothing to lose. Our guys have to learn that they have to come out and play and not everything is going to be handed to them. If we aren’t going to show up and play hard then we’re going to get beat.”
The win for CHS puts them in the driver seat to claim the county title as well as gives them confidence heading into the rest of conference play.
“South is a sectional team and we could potentially see them again,” Brainard said. “I also think that with us coming in second in conference a year ago, we just beat the team who won, so maybe we can make a run at that as well.”
