NorthWood got just what it needed to score a 3-2 Northern Lakes Conference boys tennis win over host Warsaw Thursday.
The match came down to No. 1 singles, and the Panthers’ Wes Troyer got off to a fast start, taking the first set 6-0 over Colton Lind.
Lind came back to take the second set 6-3 before Troyer took a third-set tiebreaker 7-5 for the set and the NorthWood win.
Warsaw evened up the match at two wins each when Kyler Bartol came roaring back after dropping a first-set tiebreaker to Landon Holland. Bartol blanked Holland in the second set, then held him off in the third for a 7-5 win.
The Tigers also took a three-set win at No. 1 doubles, as Bailey Buhrt and Spencer Britton won 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 over the Panthers’ Jared Hoffman and Brent Mast.
The latter portion of the matches were played without the presence of Warsaw coach Rick Orban, who left the courts feeling ill. He later went to a hospital, but no update on his health is available.
NorthWood’s other two wins came in straight sets at No. 3 singles, where Warsaw’s Caleb Williams lost a second-set tiebreaker to Jack Wyson, and at. No. 2 doubles, where Nolan Knight and Reuben Williams fell 6-2, 6-2 to Trevor Klotz and Trajan Schwartz.
Warsaw won five of nine matches in the junior varsity competition. Brandon Chan won at No. 3 singles, as did Brian Elliott and Michael Ray at No. 1 doubles, Jake Kaufman and Nick Rata at No. 2 doubles, Kanton Waddle and Garrett Rodger at No. 3 doubles and Dawson Vilamaa and Gage Lind at No. 4 doubles.
The NorthWood win moved the Panthers to 4-1 in the conference and 7-3 overall, breaking a tie with the Tigers for second place in the NLC.
Warsaw fell to 6-5 and 4-2 in the NLC. The Tigers play their final conference match of the season Monday, hosting NLC leader Concord.
