Wabash High School

Varsity vs. Madison-Grant High School The Wabash High School boys’ tennis team opened its season Tuesday against non-conference opponent Madison-Grant at Honeywell Park. The Argylls edged out the Apaches, earning a 3-2 victory in a tightly contested match. At No. 1 singles, Eli Mattern was the first off the court, cruising to a 6-1, 6-0 win over Nelson of Madison-Grant. Mattern controlled the match from start to finish, using a strong service game and consistent shot-making to secure the Apaches’ first point. Cooper Long followed with another dominant performance at No. 2 singles. Long dictated play with a mix of power and precise placement, defeating Chastain 6-0, 6-2 to give Wabash its second point of the night. “We knew coming into the season Eli and Cooper would be strong competitors for us,” said Coach Mattern. “It was great to see them both play well today and get off to a positive start. Both have high expectations and have worked hard over the summer. As a team, we need to build around their leadership and work ethic to find another point or two in matches like today.” At No. 3 singles, senior Dylan Pence battled in a marathon match against Hood. After dropping the first set in a tiebreak, Pence rallied to take the second set 7-5, forcing a decisive super tiebreak. Despite a late push after falling behind 3-7, Pence came up just short, losing 10-7. In doubles play, juniors TJ Tracy and Karson McKenzie made their debut at the No. 1 spot after moving up from No. 2 doubles last season. The pair fought hard but fell 4-6, 4-6 in a match that saw plenty of momentum swings. At No. 2 doubles, newcomers Eli Dafoe and Reed Wiles played their first varsity match. Despite falling 0-6, 1-6, the duo showed steady improvement as the match progressed, gaining valuable experience and demonstrating strong potential moving forward. In junior varsity action, Carter Pegg competed in singles, dropping a close 5-8 decision. After some early nerves, Pegg settled in and showed marked improvement on serve, holding more consistently as the match went on. While the Apaches came up just short in the team score, Coach Mattern was encouraged by the effort and potential on display. “Each player has things to work on and areas to improve, but the foundation for a strong season is there,” he said. Wabash (0-1) will travel to Fremont on Saturday to compete in a tournament.