Cougars Battle No. 16 Delta in Thriller, Fall Just Short in 3-2 Heartbreaker In a highly anticipated conference showdown Tuesday night, the Greenfield-Central boys tennis team — ranked No. 30 in the state — went toe-to-toe with No. 16 Delta in a match that lived up to the hype. With both teams showcasing grit and talent, the contest came down to three intense third-set battles, ultimately resulting in a narrow 3-2 victory for Delta. Delta took the lead early, showing strength in doubles, where Jacob Welch and Kasen Jarnecke at No. 1 doubles and Ethan Ortwein and Raleigh Gantt at No. 2 doubles were unable to overcome their experienced opponents, falling in straight sets, giving Delta a 2-0 lead. The match would come down to all three singles positions with matches lasting over 3 hours. No. 3 singles Andrew White fought valiantly, bouncing back from a tough first set to take the second 6-2. In a dramatic third set, White came up just short in a tiebreaker, falling 2-6, 6-2, 6-7 in what proved to be a pivotal match. At No. 1 singles Nathan Roberts set the tone early with a commanding 6-2 first set. After dropping the second 5-7, Roberts dug deep to take the third set 6-4. At No. 2 singles, Alex Michalek delivered one of the night’s most thrilling performances. After cruising through the first set 6-1, Michalek found himself locked in a back-and-forth battle. Michalek was down 2-5 in the third set before coming all the way back to force a third set tiebreak to win 6-1, 5-7, 7-6. The jv team also had some good matches but fell 6-10. The highlight for jv was 1 doubles freshman pair Kayden Green and Jackson Herrin winning 6-0 against a solid delta doubles team. Despite the loss, the Cougars (8-1) showed they can compete with some of the best teams in the state. With several matches going the distance, it was a hard-fought battle that came down to just a few key moments. While there were plenty of positives to take away, the match also highlighted areas where the team can continue to grow. As the season moves forward, the Cougars know that continued focus and hard work will be key to reaching their full potential. The Cougars will look to bounce back Wednesday night against Triton Central.