Three close matches proved to be the difference on Tuesday in a boys’ tennis dual meet at the Waveland Tennis Complex.
Des Moines Roosevelt won two of the six singles matches in a third-set super-tiebreaker, then captured the No. 3 doubles match in similar fashion to beat visiting Ankeny Centennial, 7-4, in a non-conference meet.
“We continue to make progress every day,” said Centennial coach Tami Lewton. “We only returned one of our top six players from last year. Our new players are playing great, but we are needing to learn how to win tight matches. While of course we are disappointed that we lost, our eyes are on districts. If we can get everyone on board for that, we will be a dangerous team.”
Roosevelt (5-0) remained unbeaten on the season. The Roughriders had lost only one match in their first four dual meets combined.
Caleb Peterson and Brayden Wellendorf each won their singles matches for the Jaguars (1-4). Those two then teamed up for another victory at No. 1 doubles.
Centennial also got a win from the No. 2 doubles team of Kellen Jones and Joel Nelson.
“Caleb continues to do a fantastic job, Holden (Smith) at No. 3 is starting to figure things out, and so is Nathan (Smith) at No. 5,” Lewton said. “They both lost in a super-tiebreaker. Brayden as a freshman continues to amaze me with his calm demeanor on court and his competitiveness. It is rare to see in a freshman.
“Our doubles continues to improve. At No. 2 Joel and Kellen are starting to figure things out. They lost in a super on Saturday, but pulled it out (against Roosevelt). Jack Lacey and Nick Hiney are a force (at No. 3). Neither are in our singles lineup, but they compete with the best of them in doubles losing in three sets both Tuesday and Saturday.”
The Jaguars will face crosstown rival Ankeny in a CIML Iowa Conference showdown on Thursday.
Here are the match-by-match results from Tuesday:
Roosevelt 7, Centennial 4
Singles–Peterson (AC) beat Brown, 6-1, 6-0; Borts (R) beat Jones, 6-1, 6-2; Kempkes (R) beat H. Smith, 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (4); Wellendorf (AC) beat Zeff, 7-6 (7), 6-2; LaPrade (R) beat N. Smith, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 1-0 (4); Bright (R) beat Nelson, 6-1, 6-3.
Doubles–Peterson-Wellendorf (AC) beat Brown-Borts, 6-2, 6-2; Jones-Nelson (AC) beat Kempkes-Zeff, 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (10); LaPrade-Cataldi (R) beat Hiney-Lacey, 5-7, 7-5, 1-0 (8); Bright-Kehoe (R) beat H. Smith-N. Smith, 6-0, 6-3; Van Ngoy-Arnold (R) beat Halverson-Law, 6-3, 6-0.