By RICHIE HALL
NOBLESVILLE – The Fishers boys tennis team picked up its first win of the season Tuesday, and it also was the Tigers’ first Hoosier Crossroads Conference win of the season.
Fishers beat Noblesville 5-0 at the Millers’ tennis center. The Tigers took the Nos. 1 and 3 singles matches in straight sets, then No. 2 Gavin Conrad, got past the Millers’ Ethan Feliciano in a third-set super tiebreak. The scores were 4-6, 6-4, 10-5.
Fishers also won both doubles matches in straight sets. It was a nice victory, as the Tigers had fallen to their first three opponents to open the season: HCC opponent Zionsville 4-1, North Central 3-2 and Park Tudor 5-0.
“We need a few wins to get some confidence,” said Fishers coach Dave Heffern. He said this year’s Tigers squad is an “inexperienced team,” so they are looking to build confidence.
The first rankings from the Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association (IHSTeCA) came out on Monday. All three of Fishers’ previous opponents are ranked: Zionsville is No. 5, Park Tudor is No. 6 and North Central is tied for 13th.
The Tigers are 18th in the poll, and will likely see some more top teams when they compete in the John Shirley Invitational this weekend at North Central’s Barbara Wynne Tennis Center. Heffern said if the team improves, he thinks Fishers should be ranked between 10th and 15th by the end of the season.
Carmel is ranked No. 1, followed by Brebeuf Jesuit at No. 2. The Millers fell to Brebeuf and No. 17 Avon last week, picking up a Monday 5-0 win at Lawrence North before meeting up with the Tigers.
It was a tough match for the Millers, but coach Chris Pyle said that after a team talk, he was pleased to see the seniors take the lead in helping the team get it back together.
“A lot of the seniors took that upon themselves,” said Pyle. The coach said that “you’ll see a little bit of a chance as far as on-court culture coming forward” for the rest of the season.
Fishers 5, Noblesville 0
No. 1 singles: Aiden Foley def. Jack Brenneman 6-1, 6-0
No. 2 singles: Gavin Conrad def. Ethan Feliciano 4-6, 6-4, 10-5
No. 3 singles: Cooper Valance def. Parker Stallings 6-3, 6-2
No. 1 doubles: Jack Butler and Thomas Bender def. Rory Bushong and Liam Shepard 6-4, 6-2
No. 2 doubles: John Mills and Vaughn Curtus def. Dane Campbell and Coleman Kratz 6-3, 6-3
Noblesville 5, Lawrence North 0
No. 1 singles: Jack Brenneman def. Harrington 6-1, 6-0
No. 2 singles: Ethan Feliciano def. Gilles 6-1, 6-1
No. 3 singles: Zane Panning def. Frisk 6-0, 6-0
No. 1 doubles: Rory Bushong and Liam Shepard def. Carillo and Z. Fisher 6-0, 6-0
No. 2 doubles: Coleman Kratz and Hudson Robinson def. M. Fisher and Drake 6-0, 6-0
In addition to Carmel and Fishers, three more Hamilton County tennis teams appeared on the first IHSTeCA rankings.
Guerin Catholic is rated 16th, Westfield is ranked 22nd and Hamilton Southeastern is rated 28th. The Royals went up against No. 5 Zionsville on Tuesday, but fell 5-0.
“On a blisteringly hot day, the Royals competed well, never quit, but came up short against a very tough conference opponent,” said Southeastern coach Doug Gernert. “We will continue to get better.”
The Royals will compete at the John Shirley Invitational on Saturday.