NorthWood’s Bryce Harner lets rip on a shot against Goshen in Thursday’s NorthWood Boys Tennis Sectional semi-finals. (Photo by Mike Deak)

NAPPANEE – Neither program would call Thursday’s wins ‘pretty’, but both clubs will play for a crown Friday.

NorthWood needed some work but got past conference rival Goshen, 5-0, and Jimtown sunk Fairfield, 4-1, to set up Friday’s championship match.

It was business as usual for NorthWood’s one doubles, as Jack Wysong and Landon Holland continued its winning ways with a one and one rundown of Brenton Pham and Carter Schmucker. Chase Horner was a quick finisher of Wyatt Fisher, one and one, at three singles. At two doubles, more of the same from Bryce Harner and Treyton Martin, who put away Moses Sawatzky and Cormac Liechty three and three to secure the match.

Wes Troyer had to work to put away Ryan Harmelink as the two put on a good show in a 6-2, 6-3 final. As matters were all but wrapped up, Ben Vincent and Carlos Lichty reminded the masses why they were the top two No. 2 singles players in the Northern Lakes Conference. Vincent, unbeaten on the season, was pushed to the brink by the 16-win Lichty. Vincent needed a tiebreaker, 7-4, to get the point at 7-6 in the first set. As both showed similar frustrations with their own play, as well as the other calling each others deep shots out, Vincent grabbed the huge game at four-all in the second set. With Lichty against the wall, Vincent broke the Goshen junior’s serve to pull out a 6-4 sigh of relief to close out the match.

“I thought Carlos played an outstanding match and played an uptempo match that made Ben change his game,” said NorthWood head coach Tif Schwartz. “I think Ben got frustrated with himself, but he did a good job snapping out of it in the second set. And it did help him to have all of his teammates done and down here cheering him on. That first set I thought was very critical. And once he got it, it did change the form of the match, and while Carlos gave him all he could handle, Ben just had a little more. Great match.”

NorthWood’s quest to make good on its Northern Lakes Conference sweep and add another title to the board will get a second chance Friday. The Panthers were knocked out of the tournament in shocking fashion in 2018 by Fairfield, and now are seeking its first sectional title since repeating in 2006 and 2007. The Panthers are looking for its fifth sectional title in program history.

“Our guys are fired up and really want to win this,” Schwartz said. “This has been a goal for a while since the beginning of the season. It started with getting conference, then sectional. I think at this point, the sectional would be a huge step for us since we haven’t won one for 12 years. These guys are playing at a high level right now. I think the guys will respond well to tonight and should come out ready to go tomorrow.”

Jimtown reached the final by holding off Fairfield. The Jimmies won both doubles courts, then after Colin Hochstedler grabbed a court back at one singles for the Falcons, both its two singles, Bill Pawlak, and three singles, Beau Kaler, claimed wins to secure the championship spot opposite the Panthers. Jimtown has only two titles to its historical credit, one in 2017 and the other in 2009.

Play in the championship begins today at 4:30 p.m. at the NorthWood courts.