Northeastern MS/HS

It took #14 ranked Fishers (student pop. 3,689) to end the Knights (student pop. 423) season, beating the Knights at all positions 5-0. The Knights were able to fight in games, but wound up on the wrong end of the scoring in the Regional Semifinal, winning only 2 games in matches as a team against Fishers. The Knights should not hang their heads however, as 16 of the 32 matches in the Regional Semifinals across Indiana in Boys Tennis were won by 5-0 scores. With that, a further 10 matches were lost 4-1 by teams in the Regional Semifinals, with a grand total of 6 matches in Regional Semifinals being 3-2 and competitive. "This speaks to the need for a few divisions in Boys Tennis, with 4A, 5A, and 6A schools, as well as private schools that recruit athletes needing their own separate State Tournament," stated Coach Haynes. Still, the Knights ended up with the Richmond Sectional Crown, defeating 35 time Sectional Champion Richmond, as well as Hagerstown and Lincoln, which had goals of winning their first sectional title since 1983. Northeastern instead defied all expectations and won their 7th Sectional Title, and the Knights' first since 2013. "No one saw us as a threat, and absolutely no one saw us coming. When I came to coach the boys, I don't think they knew they could win the Sectional, and they hadn't won a match in Sectional in years. The first five minutes of seeing these boys hit, I knew we could. My job as a coach was to get them to believe they could win when they had not in 10 years, and to make them believe they should win, because they had the talent to. That's what coaching is; having a clear vision of the goal even when the players don't yet see it, and help them get there. I had a little under 60 days to get it right, and we got it right just in time. To win this one was sweet, we did it the right way, and the boys deserve it," said Haynes. The Knights as a team finish 12-5, 6-2 in the TEC (2nd in the Regular Season--4th Overall), and Sectional Champion (7x-1994, 95, 2010, 11,12, 13 and 2023!). Scores from Regional: Singles: #1 Connor Burk lost to Aidan Foley 6-0, 6-0. #2 Matthew Truitt lost to Gavin Conrad 6-0, 6-1 #3 Canyon Johnting lost to Cooper Vallance 6-0, 6-0 Doubles: #1 Kaiden White & Landon Scarrette lost to Jack Butler & Thomas Bender 6-0, 6-1 #2 John Wallace & Hayden Chalfant lost to Vaughn Curtis & Johnathan Mills 6-0, 6-0 Season Records for the Knights: Singles: #1 Connor Burk 11-8 Overall, 4-4 TEC #2 Matthew Truitt 12-7 Overall, 5-3 TEC #3 Canyon Johnting 9-11 Overall, 5-3 TEC Doubles: #1 Landon Scarrette & Kaiden White 13-6 Overall, 6-2 TEC #2 John Wallace & Hayden Chalfant 15-5 Overall, 7-1 TEC