Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

Celina slips past Elida 3-2 for a WBL victory

By Gary R. Rasberry
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard

Celina first doubles player Sara Dorsten gets ready to serve during the Bulldogs' Western Buckeye League match against Elida on Monday. Dorsten combined with teammate Kinzie Gardner to win their first doubles match helping Celina to a 3-2 win over Elida.

It was a wild conclusion for Celina's opening Western Buckeye League girls tennis match of the season against rival Elida.
With the series tied up at two matches each, it came down to second doubles, where the NetDog team of Abbey Feltz and Katie Pyle looked ready to cruise in the second set with a 5-2 lead.
Or did they?
The Elida team of Caitie Kales and Kassidee Fletcher rallied back to win four straight games to take a 6-5 lead. The Celina tandem regrouped to win the next game to force a tie-break.
Things even got wilder before Pyle and Feltz won the tiebreak 8-6 to win the second set 7-6 to give Celina 3-2 series win at the High School Courts.
"We were maybe a little lucky there at second doubles," said Celina coach Jan Morrison. "... We shouldn't have let them get back in, but we're glad to escape with the win."
Pyle and Feltz had a solid first set against Fletcher and Kales, winning 6-2 before jumping out 5-2 in the second set. Pyle and Feltz then had trouble finishing points, allowing Fletcher and Kales to roar back to life to first tie, then take a 6-5 lead with the chance to win and force a third set.  
"I said to Ralph (assistant coach Ralph Stelzer) at 5-2 'Surely we can coast out.'," said Morrison with a laugh. "You never know."
Celina rallied in a back-and-forth 12th game, getting advantage before winning the next point to tie the set and force a best-of-seven - win by two - tie break. The NetDog team kept trying to shake off the troubles from earlier, forcing extra points in the tiebreak before winning.
The other Celina wins came from first doubles and third singles. The team of Kinzie Gardner and Sara Dorsten had little trouble in downing Emily Fernonder and Amy Sarno 6-2, 6-0 while in third singles, Shelby Decker downed Amanda Brickner 6-2, 6-1.
The top two singles players had tough days against solid foes. Amber Jaeger lost in first singles in matching 2-6 sets to Jesse Adkins, while Rachel Smith lost 3-6, 2-6 to Jessica Stambaugh.  
Celina is back in action today, hosting Mansfield Senior in non-league action at 1 p.m.
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard

Celina third singles player Shelby Decker charges in to make a shot against Elida's Amanda Brickner during their Western Buckeye League match on Monday afternoon. Celina slipped past Elida 3-2.

Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard

Celina second singles player Rachel Smith gets set to rip a two-handed backhand shot against Elida's Jessica Stambaugh during their Western Buckeye League match on Monday.

Additional online stories on this date
It was standing room only Monday morning in Celina Municipal Court when Kyle Schmitmeyer, 21, of 7915 Clover Four Road, was sentenced to 30 days in j [More]
The cause of a house fire that caused heavy damage to the structure and its contents at 8010 Celina-Mendon Road on Monday remains under investigation this morning. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
MINSTER - Negotiations between the school board and the teachers union remain stalled. More than 35 teachers attended the board of education meeting Monday where the district treasurer's new contract was approved.
The Celina Fieldhouse will get a new roof as city school board members unanimously approved the $56,750 project during the regular meeting on Monday night.
ST. HENRY - The stump of a 300-year-old tree may soon become a piece of artwork to admire by students and staff of St. Henry Consolidated Local Schools.
Local farmers have until Sept. 16 to pay a buy-in fee to be eligible for new supplemental agriculture disaster assistance programs available in the newly-passed farm bill.
Compiled by Ryan Hines
and Gary R. Rasberry
Celina outshot Findlay 10-5, but Findlay keeper Shannon Mills made nine stops as the Oilers handed the Bulldogs an opening night loss 3-1 at Graham Soccer Stadium in Findlay in the season lidlifter for both teams.
A pair of key players from Celina's run to the Division II district baseball title game will move on to the collegiate level.
John Bonvillian, the top hitter for the Bulldogs the past two spring seasons, will head up to Division II Hillsdale College in Michigan.