Regional title propels Braves into another semistate

David Hughes, The Tribune-Star, Terre Haute, Ind.
·2 min read

Oct. 7—It's a familiar theme for Terre Haute South High School's boys tennis program.

The Braves knocked off Owen Valley 4-1 on Wednesday, winning the Crawfordsville Regional title and clinching a spot in the Center Grove Semistate on Saturday. They improved their record to 14-12 in the process.

"We played very well these past two rounds and probably some of the best tennis we have played all year," South boys tennis coach Ethan Caldwell told the Tribune-Star.

"After our sectional win against Terre Haute North, our players found some new motivation to keep playing hard and to leave everything out on the court. I have been very proud of the way they have been playing, especially for such a young team."

According to the ihsaa.org website, this was South's 22nd regional crown in boys tennis. Its last previous championship occurred in 2020.

The Braves' semistate opponent will be No. 3-ranked Zionsville, which owns a 19-2 mark. The match will start at noon Saturday, with the survivor moving on to the state quarterfinals for a noon clash next Friday. The state champion will be determined the next day, Oct. 15, on Carmel's courts.

"I honestly don't know much about Zionsville, mainly due to putting more attention and focus on the matches we play during the main season and our conference matches," Caldwell mentioned.

"What I do know is that they have a very strong program and usually see success in the postseason year after year and they are usually always ranked in the top 10 every year. They will be a tough team and a fun team to play against on Saturday."

Caldwell said the Braves' main focus Saturday will be to "play the best tennis possible."

"Zionsville is a good team," he added. "But I think that fuels the fire in my players more than anything. My team always loves a challenge and will never back down from one. I try to get my team to focus on their own game rather than worry about Zionsville's record or how many talented players they have. If my guys go out there Saturday with a positive mindset and the will to win, then anything is possible. Sure they will be a tough team, but that is the great thing about high school tennis. Anything can happen."

Admission is $7 per spectator, with children 5 and younger allowed in for free.