Wabash High School

Apache Tennis Blanked at Peru Wabash Tennis traveled to the iconic Thrush Courts on Tuesday evening for a TRC matchup with the Peru Tigers. While the Apaches battled hard—particularly at No. 1 singles—the depth and strength of the Tigers’ program carried them to a 5-0 victory. In doubles play, Peru controlled both courts. At No. 1 doubles, Wabash’s McKenzie and Tracy ran into a buzzsaw in Boswell and Musser. Playing an aggressive, attacking style and dominating the net, the Peru duo cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 win. At No. 2 doubles, Noah White and Carter Pegg showed improvement as the match went on, but Peru’s Schwartz and Masser were steady from start to finish, securing a 6-0, 6-0 result. At No. 3 singles, Wabash senior Dylan Pence battled Peru senior K. Schwartz in a match filled with extended rallies and long deuce games. Ultimately, Schwartz edged out the key points to earn a 6-0, 6-1 win. At No. 2 singles, Cooper Long squared off with talented freshman Riley Astercup. Long played his trademark physical style, hitting with pace and driving the ball flat to the corners. But Astercup’s quick movement and precise placement proved decisive as he took the match 6-0, 6-2. The highlight of the night came at No. 1 singles, where Wabash senior Eli Mattern faced Peru senior Jacob Boswell. Mattern came out strong, dictating play with aggressive shot-making to build an early 3-0 lead. Boswell steadied himself, mixing pace and forcing longer exchanges to level the set at 6-6. In a tense tiebreaker, Boswell edged Mattern 7-5 to claim the opener. The second set was again competitive, but Boswell earned an early 3-0 cushion and closed out the match 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 to secure the Tigers’ sweep. Coach Mattern reflected: “I was happy to see us compete so hard against some very good tennis players. Peru seldom gets ruffled or loses composure. They’re the measuring stick of the conference, and they always get everyone’s best shot. Cooper and Eli played some of their best tennis of the season, and I’m very proud of their effort and growth. Both young men rose to the occasion, and I’m confident more great things are coming as they finish their senior campaign.” In junior varsity action, Reed Wiles and Eli Dafoe represented the Apaches.