It was billed as one of the best matches in the Evergreen Conference. The top-two doubles teams in the league had not squared off with sub-districts and districts quickly approaching. The winner, potentially, is the No. 1 seed in those tournaments.
Centralia’s sibling team of Jacoby and Zander Corwin and W.F. West’s duo of Javyn Han and Bryce Kuykendall went point-for-point on Monday afternoon.
The final result was a sweep.
Aggressive net play allowed the Corwin brothers to triumph 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1 doubles and secure a signature victory with the regular season winding down.
“It is usually one of our strengths,” Zander, a freshman, said. “I would purposely try to get up there; we have a higher chance of winning points.”
The Bearcats – behind three-set triumphs from Will Cummings and Braden Newman – won the dual 4-2 and swept the Swamp Cup matches this fall.
It was a 2-2 team score before Cummings and Newman put the final touches on the win.
“Kind of settled down in the third set, but (we) ultimately came out on top,” W.F. West head coach Megan Wellander said.
Height is a trait that both of the Corwin boys were given. That allowed them to control the net and execute easy winners. An early break in the first set provided enough cushion to hold serve the rest of the way.
Then jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the second was plenty of breathing room.
“They were constantly trying to catch up,” Zander said.
Keith Hopkins, in his first year back coaching Centralia, felt it was the first true test of his top duo and they passed it.
More could be on the way. So long as both continue to win, they could match up in the finals of sub-districts in South Thurston County and the Class 2A District 4 tourney held in Vancouver.
“I knew my boys could finish that strong, pleased to see them do it,” Hopkins said. “They can go into the next match familiar with their opponent, strengths and weaknesses. Just be a boost.”
Wellander believes it might be the needed push for Han and Kuykendall.
“They have (been) pretty confident and it is tough when everyone else isn’t amazing,” she said. “We couldn’t execute today.”
Still, the Corwin bros wanted to see the improvements made from the season-opener last month. Communication has been the main box on their checklist of growth.
“Working together, just strategy,” Jacoby said.
Cummings pulled out a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 victory at No. 1 singles over the Tigers’ Jonah Lowe. Up 4-1 in the third, unforced errors put Cummings in danger and shrunk the lead to 4-3 with Lowe serving.
Soft serves from Lowe allowed Cummings for quick returns and allowed the latter to break the former’s serve. At match point, the W.F. West right-hander unleashed a forehand winner and celebrated.
“It is not that serious, it is high school tennis,” Cummings said. “It is just a match. If I lose, it is not the end of the world.”
Wellander was telling jokes and keeping things light-hearted with the senior. It allowed both of them to stay relaxed in a grueling match that had several back-and-forth moments.
“I knew my net play was pretty strong,” Cummings said. “I was conscious of trying to have him lift the ball a little bit.”
Newman prevailed at No. 2 singles over Kycen Donahue 0-6, 6-1, 6-3. Centralia won at No. 2 doubles and W.F. West won at No. 3 doubles, both in straight sets.
The Bearcats return to the court on Tuesday versus Aberdeen while the Tigers also face the Bobcats, but on Wednesday.
