Triton No. 1 Mace Eads returns volley with Glenn’s Michael Machnic at the Bremen Boys Tennis Sectional Wednesday afternoon. (Photos by Mike Deak)

BREMEN – It’s that uneasy feeling when an entire tennis complex goes from noisy to quiet. You feel everyone watching, and all of a sudden, expectations and effort takes a leap.

As everyone on the DeSantis Courts filed onto the side of the complex, just two people were left scuffing their shoes on the hardcourt. Triton’s Mace Eads and John Glenn’s Michael Machnic were wrapping up their No. 1 singles match, with the hopeful eyes of two programs willing victory from one another to keep their season alive. Eads, already up a set, would power his way to a 6-2 capper to lock up a 3-2 win for Triton, pushing his team into the semi-finals of the Bremen Boys Tennis Sectional.

Triton No. 3 Carter Kuntz

Eads displayed several sides of form to get the 6-4, 6-2 result on Machnic, using a big first serve in the first set. When Machnic decided to fall back on huge, looping lob shots in the second set, Eads took what Machnic left open and pounded home winner after winner. Tied at 15-15 with Eads up 5-2 in the second, a crafty winner by the Triton ace seemed to end any doubt of a Glenn rally.

Glenn, which beat Triton 3-2 in the first match of the season in mid-August, did not have Machnic that afternoon. Eads had beaten Kevin Schmalzried in straight sets – Schmalzried played two doubles Wednesday afternoon.

“Mace really played a great game at one, and I think he can do it again,” said Triton head coach Al Peckham. “I think he has the confidence and can win again.”

Triton opened the night with a win at three singles in just 40 minutes, a love-love result from Carter Kuntz over Eric Blankenmeyer. Aaron Stichter at two singles gave Triton a 2-0 lead a short time later, defeating Alex Ross in an efficient 6-1, 6-2 win.

Triton No. 2 Aaron Stichter

Peckham wasn’t so sure what he would get from his doubles teams, and had reason to worry as both Falcons’ duos claimed quick first-set winners. The No. 1 doubles grouping of Louis Delinski and Gabe Weiss used a loose style to move the ball to all four corners of the court against Chase Butler and Keygan Mosier. Triton’s penchant for the unforced error – notably in longer rallies – allowed Glenn to coast to a 6-3, 6-1 final to stay alive for the individual state tournament.

Schmalzried teamed up with Trace Jones at No. 2 and had very little trouble in putting away Tyler Heckaman and Jared Bules love and four.

The Glenn surge to tie the score shifted all the attention to the No. 1 court, and a wandering eye to the eastern sky where rain and plenty of phone alerts of postponed sectionals all over the adjoining area were heightening pace. The one singles match ended as the drizzle began to turn to rain drops.

Triton will venture into the Bremen semis, where it will meet the host Lions, which claimed a 5-0 win over Triton on Sept. 12 at DeSantis. Peckham is hopeful his club has made some adjustments for the rematch, both from the Bremen regular season match, and from its experience Wednesday.

“When we played Bremen earlier this year, I thought we didn’t play real poorly, Bremen was just really solid,” Peckham said. “Bremen is just really strong. All we can do tomorrow, weather permitting, is go out there and try our best. Again, what our motto is from year’s past is try to force them to hit one more shot. That’s always what we try to do. Don’t give up on anything and get your opponent to hit one more shot.”

The semi-finals of the Bremen sectional are slated for 4:30 p.m. Thursday. The other matchup will feature Plymouth, the 19-time defending sectional champion, against LaVille. The sectional championship is scheduled to take place Friday at 4:30 p.m.

Triton No. 1 doubles player Chase Butler hammers a volley against John Glenn.