Warsaw’s Colton Lind returns a shot in one singles play during the Tigers’ sectional-opener with Wawasee Wednesday. (Photos by James Costello)

WARSAW — It’s sectional time, and Warsaw tennis coach Rick Orban wouldn’t miss it for anything.

Not even pneumonia could keep the longtime Tigers tennis boss away. Orban — who was hospitalized at Fort Wayne Lutheran after suddenly falling ill during his team’s home meet with NorthWood back on Sept. 14  — was back on the sidelines for Warsaw’s Sectional 63-opener with Wawasee Wednesday night, and the Tigers gave their coach a warm welcome back with a businesslike, straight-set sweep of the challengers at home in Warsaw.

“It’s good to be back,” said Orban, who was wheeling around an oxygen tank at Wednesday’s sectional meet. “I just love postseason. I’ve loved it for 32 seasons between the girls and boys so I was really relieved to get out here and get back with the kids.”

The Tigers advance to play Tippecanoe Valley in the semifinals at Warsaw Thursday at 4:30 p.m., when Whitko faces off with Columbia City in the other semifinal.

Wednesday’s result echoed an earlier Northern Lakes Conference meet between the Warriors and Warsaw back on Sept. 12, when the Tigers also swept all five matches. Wawasee did manage to split sets at one doubles in that first meeting, but playing with a modified lineup in the sectional rematch, the Warriors doubles lineup was the first to fall the second time around.

With Brady Robinson out of the lineup, Colin Rhoades moved up from the JV lineup alongside Evan Richey at two doubles, and it took Warsaw’s Nolan Knight and Reuben Williams little more than 45 minutes to dispatch the partners, 6-1, 6-0. Richey’s former partner Jake Cowan was bumped up from two doubs to replace Robinson, and he and Jacob Krugman fell to Warsaw’s one doubles tandem of Bailey Buhrt and Spencer Britton, 6-0, 6-0, soon after as the Tigers already owned two match points in under an hour.

Spencer Britton hits a backhand volley in one doubles play.

“Robinson… he ended up quitting. There was an ordeal and discipline deal there,” explained Wawasee coach Vince Rhodes.

“We talked about doing some things at doubles, which I was extremely pleased with that they actually did it. They were willing to try a couple of different things,” Orban said.

Warsaw clinched the quarterfinal when Colton Lind finished off Dylan Staley, 6-0, 6-2, at one singles. Kyler Bartol put away Wawasee’s Zach Leedy, 6-2, 6-0 at two singles, and Caleb Williams completed the sweep battling back from a 3-0 deficit in the first set for an eventual, 7-5, 6-3, victory over Graham Perek at three singles in the closest match of the night.

“This is his third year playing, and he’s one of those kids that when he’s playing well like that you leave him alone. You don’t want to mess with him. He’s starting to figure out the strategy part mixing his shots up, which I saw a lot of that tonight,” said Rhodes of Perek.

“The other kid was having a few errors there at the beginning of the first couple games, too, but he was hitting hard and deep at his feet, too. He does a nice job with that.”

“Colton played really strong at singles tonight. Kyler played strong at singles. Caleb played really very well. Wawasee’s three singles kid hit some nice shots,” said Orban.

“All in all, I was pleased with what I saw. Vince always has a good team. He’s a good coach. His kids are very polite, and it’s always fun to play them.”

Wawasee bows out of the season with a 4-11 record and must say goodbye to four seniors in Robinson, Staley, Cowan and Richey.

“It’s going to be hard to fill the number one. I think Zach Leedy is going to play a lot in the offseason and so will Perek. So if we can fill the three spot in there and work on a couple doubles guys — we’ve got a couple baseball players maybe talked into coming out and playing,” Rhodes said.

Wawasee’s Zach Leedy hits a shot in two singles play.

“I’ve got kids that are interested in playing in summer leagues; we’ve just got to get them out and get them playing more. From the time I get them from their freshman year to their senior year they know what to do, but they don’t have the strategy and that’s basically what it takes… If we could find an indoor facility, that would help us a lot too.”

The Tigers move a notch over 7-6 and remain in the hunt for their sixth-straight sectional title Thursday versus Valley.

“We don’t play them during the season. I’m one of those coaches, I really don’t scout much. I’ve always thought that you’ve got to show up and beat the team that shows up. We’ll see,” said Orban.