ANDERSON — Most coaches say that, once the season is over and the tournament begins, freshmen are no longer really freshmen.
That certainly seemed to be the case on Friday during the Highland Sectional championship match.
With Frankton (14-7) having won at No. 1 singles and the Eagles winning at No. 1 doubles coupled with Anderson’s victories at No. 2 singles and No. 2 doubles, the fate of the title rested at No. 3 singles, where the Indians’ freshman Brett Ellis was up against the Eagles’ Gage Poor.
Ellis pulled out a 6-2, 6-3 win to wrap up Anderson’s title, the first for Brett’s father and first-year coach David Ellis. It was also the Tribe’s seventh straight sectional crown.
“I knew Frankton was strong at No. 1 singles with Alex Poe; he’s an incredible player,” Brett Ellis said. “I knew they were also strong at No. 1 doubles, so I knew my match would probably be very important.”
He also knew what the theme is of a match at No. 3 singles. “It’s all about consistency,” Ellis said. “At the start of the season, it wasn’t my strength. I think I’ve improved in that area. I’m incredibly happy to be able to do something to help my team win the sectional.”
Anderson’s Zach Heider defeated Frankton’s Marcus Haley 6-1, 6-1 at No. 2 singles. The Tribe’s No. 2 doubles team of Zach Gooding and John Weis won 6-2, 6-2 over Ryan Willmann and Brandon Gore.
The Eagles’ Alex Poe ran his four-year varsity record to 80-6 with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Jay Barber, a win that kept him alive in the state tournament.
“I think I’m more focused than I’ve been before and more consistent,” Poe said. “I think I’m smarter than I was last year. I’m not being so hard on myself.” Poe’s record this season is 23-0. Currently, his next foe is unknown.
Frankton’s No. 1 doubles team of Jon Gardner and John Whitcomb topped Mark Loose and Eric Elpers 6-2, 7-5 and also will advance to the next round against a yet-unnamed opponent.
“We got the guys through, but that’s not what we were wanting,” said Frankton coach Dennis Poe, who had just coached the Eagles for the final time as a team. He is stepping down after four years at the helm. “Anderson’s a very good team, but it’s been great having these guys with me the whole way.”
Dave Ellis, who had served as an assistant coach for previous AHS sectional champions under coach Bill Thomas, admitted that this time it wasn’t the same.
“It was definitely different,” he said. “I feel a little more ownership with this team. I thought everybody played really well for us.”
It also was a big deal that his son was playing the day’s pivotal match.
“I was a nervous wreck,” Ellis said. “I told him (during a changeover in the match) this is what we do all the clinics and all the hitting for. I told him he could do it. He has grown into being a consistent player.”
The Indians (16-6) will advance to the Delta Regional on Tuesday to face the Norwell Sectional champ.
“Everything now is just icing on the cake,” Ellis said.
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