By RYAN WALKER
The tennis season for Norwell officially ended to the hands of Huntington North Thursday afternoon in the sectional championship. The loss was a repeat of last year, where the Vikings took down the Knights in the same sectional title match.
Yet the similar finish in 2021 doesn’t disappoint head coach Noah Tobias.
“I’ve said from the beginning of the season (to the team), I just want you to work your hardest, and if you do that, I’m not going to be disappointed, and I repeated myself tonight, “he said. “I can’t be disappointed in you because you left everything out there and did everything you could to win, and that’s all I could ask of you.”
The final score ended at 3-2 with wins for No. 1 singles Ethan Ottinger, who advances to the state tournament individually, and No. 2 singles Grant Mishler, who came back after losing in the first set.
Before Ottinger and Mishler’s victories, Huntington North won quickly in three matches, clinching the title before Norwell was able to get points on the board.
The two remaining games still had to be played to get the official scores in, but Ottinger’s match meant more than just a meaningless point.
With his win, he moves on to next week’s individual sectional that is yet to be determined for details. Tobias believes that his reliable No. 1 singles player can make a run in the tournament.
“I have all the confidence in the world that he’s going to be able to win a few more matches,” he said. “He’s a dangerous player, and he’s got a few more matches under his belt for sure.”
Mishler, on the other hand, didn’t have the advantage of playing for the right to continue his season, as the only ones to advance as individuals are No. 1 singles and doubles. He lost the first set 4-6, then powered through for a 6-2 victory. During the third set, Tobias went over to talk to him, and Mishler had already known the team didn’t have a chance to win as a team but was determined to get a win, and he did 7-5.
“I’m super proud of him,” Tobias said. “It’s just like every other match that he’s had, come from behind victory.”
Mishler was questionable coming into the match with an injury but was allowed to play due to it being muscle related, according to Tobias.
“He was hurting the entire time, I can tell. But I just told him he needs to keep fighting through it,” he continued.
The rest of the scores for the matches were Ottinger in his win over Max Fusselman, 6-1, 6-2. No. 3 singles for the Knights was Bodie Zimmer, who was defeated by Sean Holmes 6-2, 6-0.
In No. 1 doubles, Norwell’s Winston Frauhiger and Brason Chaney lost their match over Joseph Bowers and Ethan Zahn 6-1, 6-3. At No. 2 doubles, Jaden Payne and Jake Hoover for the Knights lost to Dale Schweller and Mason Kline 6-2, 6-3.
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