By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – In a sport that demands quiet during points, Bedford North Lawrence is starting to make a lot of noise.
Fueled by heart-pounding intensity, the Stars recorded another hold-the-breath victory, clipping Linton 3-2 on Thursday afternoon. BNL improved to 2-0 with its second straight match decided by one court, that stat notable because last season the Stars suffered seven losses in reverse fashion.
Asher Thompson posted the deciding point with a three-set triumph at No.2 singles as the Stars shifted their lineup from the opening night with positive results.
“The match was decided by energy and mental toughness,” BNL coach Ian Dillman said. “We checked both of those boxes.”
The Stars won at the top of the singles. Jackson Corey started it with a dominating 6-4, 6-2 victory over Jake Rose at No.1, and Thompson clinched it with a thrilling 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win over Conner Daily.
“Last year whenever Jackson came off, it wasn’t always with the best outcome,” Dillman said. “However, today showed a new Jackson. He was dominating the points and wasn’t getting in his own head. Asher won the first set with ease, let up in the second but pulled through in the third. His mental toughness has improved since last year and I couldn’t be more excited with that type of player.”
BNL’s third point came at No.2 doubles, with Orion Hill and Micah Carter rolling to a 6-2, 6-1 win over Ian Mauder and Xander Kenworthy.
“Micah and Orion were a force to be reckoned with,” Dillman said. “They stayed ahead and didn’t let anything stop them. Micah had to swap rackets to a completely different model because his strings broke, but he was able to play some great tennis is uncomfortable circumstances.”
The Miners prevailed at No.3 singles as Kingston Crane slipped past BNL freshman Aden Ralston 7-5, 7-6 (8-6 in the tiebreaker). At No.1 doubles, Linton’s Silas Nagy and Owen Smith topped Neal Patel and Braxton Fugate 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-2 in a three-set battle.
“Every court was close that lost,” Dillman said. “Aden was coming back in the second set but lost in a tiebreaker. Neal and Braxton played some of their best tennis I’ve ever seen from either of them.
”I have to give a shoutout to Aden. As a freshman he has come in with a lot of noise. You can hear him all the way down on the doubles court yelling. This is what I’ve been begging for as a coach, the cheering yourself and your teammates on messes with your opponents.”
BNL will host the Rob Spencer Invitational on Friday, facing Bloomfield and Borden in a round-robin format.
BNL 3, Linton 2
Singles
1 Jackson Corey, BNL d. Jake Rose 6-4, 6-2
2 Asher Thompson, BNL d. Conner Daily 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
3 Kingston Crane, L d. Aden Ralston 7-5, 7-6 (8-6)
Doubles
1 Silas Nagy and Owen Smith, L d. Neal Patel and Braxton Fugate 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-2
2 Orion Hill and Micah Carter, BNL d. Ian Mauder and Xander Kenworthy 6-2, 6-1
