FLOYDS KNOBS — As expected, No. 11 Jeffersonville with meet 15th-ranked Floyd Central in today’s Floyd Central Regional championship.

Jeff swept Silver Creek with five straight-set victories and the Highlanders defeated rival New Albany 4-1 in Tuesday’s regional semifinal to earn spots in today’s title match.

The Red Devils beat Floyd twice during the season, including a 3-2 victory on Sept. 12 and a 4-1 victory on Sept. 18 in the Hoosier Hills Conference semifinals.



JEFF SWEEPS DRAGONS

Despite having the flu and missing school on Monday, Red Devils’ No. 1 singles player Jordy Rigsby led the sweep over the Dragons.

Rigsby said he wasn’t as sharp as he has been, but he mustered enough to defeat Silver Creek sophomore Jake Steele 6-3, 6-3.

“I didn’t play my best,” the Jeff senior captain admitted. “But I played pretty well. I’m feeling fine, but I wasn’t on my game like I have been.”

Jeff coach Mark Reilly said Rigsby’s play and his leadership are key to the Devils making a run in the tournament. On a team filled with sophomores and freshmen, Rigsby was the only player on the team to experience the 2010 regional championship.

“He’s got the confidence that we can be competitive with anybody,” Reilly said. “That trickles down to the other guys. He’s not very vocal but he’s our leader.”

Sophomore Austin Hunt gave Jeff an impressive point at No. 2 singles with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Brennan Thompson.

“He was very focused,” Reilly said. “He was able to really roll at the [No. 2 singles] spot.”

“He’s been great at 2 singles,” Rigsby said of Hunt. “He’s been a real asset to our team.”

Freshman Brock Winchell gave Jeff a sweep at singles with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Andrew Eckert at No. 3.

Jeff was equally dominant in doubles. Chase Kayrouz and Justin Padgett beat Anthony Less and Nick Sprinkle 6-2 and 6-3, while the Red Devils’ No. 2 doubles team of Cam Coward and Jack Reilly improved to 21-1 as a pair with a 6-3, 6-0 triumph over Braden McCartney and Gabe Bauer.

Silver Creek coach Robert Briscoe admitted that his team was just overmatched.

“We came here with a gameplan, but Jeff was just the better team,” Briscoe said. “I don’t think we played poorly at any one spot, but when you play Jeff, you’re up against it, especially this season. This will make us stronger for next season.”

Rigsby said beating the Highlanders for the third time will be a chore.

“We expect it to be a hard match, but we expect to win,” he said. “It’s going to take a lot of hard work, but we hope to win.”



FC TAKES DOWN BULLDOGS

Floyd Central’s success on Tuesday — as it has for years — started with its doubles teams.

Both Floyd Central teams — Drew Hussung and Jack Stoner at No. 1 doubles and Andrew Nguyen and Codie Endris at No. 2 — won 6-0, 6-3 over their New Albany counterparts.

“We pride ourselves on our doubles teams,” Highlander coach Rick Miller said. “We think we have the best doubles teams around. We feel like that’s a strength we have.”

Miller said the Hussung-Stoner and Nguyen-Endris duos will have to sweep Jeff for the Highlanders to win today’s regional title.

“We have to win both [points] tomorrow,” he said. “We’re trying to eke out a win somewhere that we didn’t last time [against Jeff]. If that happens, I think we’ll be in good shape.”

Miller was also impressed with the play of senior Justin Batliner at No. 2 singles. Batliner swept New Albany’s strong senior Arvind Dhanapahl 6-1 and 6-2.

“Justin Batliner played helaciously,” Miller said. “He won 2 and 1 and [Dhanapahl) is a good player. He played great. He hit the ball well. If I was an elementary teacher, he’d get a gold star in my grade book.”

Ryan Plunkett got the Highlanders’ other win, 6-4, 6-0 over the Bulldogs’ Alec Bates.

New Albany’s one win came at No. 1 singles where Kyle Landrum beat Alex Martin 6-3, 7-5. Landrum will continue in singles tournament at Floyd Central against either Charlestown’s Chris Braun or Quinton Coffman of Corydon Central, who face off today, likely on Thursday for a spot in the individual semistate.

“I think [Landrum has] established himself as one of the best players in the area,” New Albany coach Bob Dusch said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a player improve as much from his junior to his senior season as Kyle has — and he’s done it with hard work.”

As for the end to another season, “I’m just disappointed, of course. That’s all,” Dusch said.

Floyd Central will get its third crack at Jeff in today’s championship. Despite the two losses, Batliner is looking forward to another shot at the Red Devils.

“We’ve already lost to them twice, but we’re better for it,” he said. “Everybody’s going to have to do their part. Nobody can slack off at any point, but if we play like we’re capable, we’ll be all right.”



BRAUN MOVES ON

Charlestown’s Chris Braun swept Clarksville’s Austin Johnson to stay alive in the No. 1 singles individual regional. Braun will face Coffman — or await the winner of that matchup — in the next round.

“Chris did a nice job of keeping the lead,” Charlestown coach Chris Ryan said.



ANOTHER WIN FOR PIRATES

Also moving on for Charlestown was Zach Gibson and Kyle Jackson at No. 1 doubles. Gibson and Jackson moved on in the doubles tournament with a three-set, 6-2, 4-6, 6-0 win over the Crawford County pair of Tyson Sloan and Remmington Griswold on Tuesday.

It is not known if Gibson and Jackson will need to play again. If either Jeff’s or Floyd Central’s No. 1 doubles team wins but its team loses, Gibson and Jackson will have to play again. If not, they move on to the semistate.

“These guys played with maturity in the third set, sticking to their game plan, and keeping emotions out of the match,” Ryan said. “To win a sectional championship in their sophomore season is something they will be proud of for a long time.”



FLOYD CENTRAL REGIONAL

FLOYD CENTRAL 4, NEW ALBANY 1

    Singles — Kyle Landrum (N) d. Alex Martin 6-3, 7-5; Justin Batliner (F) d. Arvind Dhanapahl 6-1, 6-2; Ryan Plunkett (F) d. Alec Bates 6-4, 6-0.

    Doubles — Drew Hussung-Jack Stoner (F) d. Brett Medley-Ryan Zirnheld 6-0, 6-3; Andrew Nguyen-Codie Endris d. Jacob Kenard-Tanner Goller 6-0, 6-3.



JEFFERSONVILLE 5, SILVER CREEK 0

    Singles — Jordy Rigsby d. 6-3, 6-3; Austin Hunt d. Brennan Thompson 6-1, 6-0; Brock Winchell d. Andrew Eckert 6-1, 6-3.

    Doubles — Chase Kayrouz-Justin Padgett d. Anthony Less-Nick Sprinkle 6-2, 6-3; Sam Coward-Jack Reilly d. Braden McCartney-Gabe Bauer 6-3, 6-0.



SINGLES REGIONAL

    Chris Braun (Charlestown) d. Austin Johnson (Clarksville) 6-2, 6-3.

    

DOUBLES REGIONAL

    Zach Gibson-Kyle Jackson (Charlestown) d. Tyson Sloan-Remmington Griswold (Crawford County) 6-2, 4-6, 6-0.