Valley draws short-handed Whitko with chance to make final
BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
The Rochester boys tennis team received a bye for their sectional at Peru while Tippecanoe Valley drew Whitko for their sectional at Warsaw, according to the IHSAA draw revealed Monday night.
Here is an outlook for the two RTC area teams.
Rochester
Rochester is in the unfamiliar situation of receiving a bye. Since they had been in a four-team sectional with Culver Academy, Knox and North Judson from 2004-22, they had been in a sectional in which no byes were given.
Now they are in a five-team grouping in Sectional 52 at Peru, and they will wait to face the winner of the quarterfinal between Manchester and Maconaquah.
Maconaquah has only six players and forfeits No. 3 singles. Manchester edged Rochester 3-2 during their Three Rivers Conference meeting.
In the other half of the draw, Peru drew Wabash. Peru is the five-time defending sectional champion, and they have won 32 sectionals in their history.
Peru will also host the regional at Thrush Courts.
Rochester won four straight sectional titles from 1980-83 but has not won a sectional title since.
Tippecanoe Valley
Valley drew a bye and will meet Whitko in a semifinal at Warsaw.
Whitko’s team consists of five players, and the Wildcats are expected to forfeit No. 2 doubles.
Valley is led by top singles players Cameron Manuel and Tristyn Ragon and No. 1 doubles team Ian Cooksey and DeOndre Hamilton.
In the other half of the draw, Columbia City also received a bye and will meet the Warsaw-Wawasee winner in the semifinals. Columbia City is the two-time defending sectional champion.
Valley has never won a sectional title in program history.
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