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Carmel boys tennis team completes perfect ending to season
GREENCASTLE – The top-ranked Carmel boys tennis team enjoyed a perfect ending to its state championship season Saturday night inside the DePauw University indoor tennis and track center.
Unbeaten through the regular season at 19-0 and 6-0 in the postseason prior to the semifinal and championship match rounds of the 57th Annual Indiana High School Athletic Association’s boys’ tennis team state finals, the Greyhounds added two more wins in Putnam County to claim the program’s 15th state title all time.
The Greyhounds (27-0) defeated second-ranked Columbus North, 3-2, in the championship match after knocking off No. 6 Culver Academy, 4-1, in the semifinals.
Carmel junior Rocky Li sealed the state-championship victory with a gritty 6-3, 6-1 win at two singles and his team holding a 2-1 advantage.
The Greyhounds’ perfect state-championship run marked their 11th overall since 2003 and resumed the program’s dominance after winning six consecutive team state titles prior to the 2022 campaign.
“You have to enjoy the moment,” Li remarked after the Greyhounds bested their sixth top-20 ranked opponent through the state tournament. “Big ups to these seniors, they worked really hard this year and gave us great leadership, great everything.”
Li provided the final push, winning his 18th match of the season to hand Carmel a 3-1 margin and its seventh state title in eight years.
“Up 4-1 (in the second set), I looked to the left, and I see two dubs win their match, and then I was like, ‘Oh, it’s all down to me.’ So, I just had to lock in, put my mental focus up and then I got the win,” Li said.
Carmel grabbed a 1-0 lead in the final with a straight-set, 6-0, 6-2 win at three singles by sophomore Wesley Worobel before Columbus North tied it up with a 6-0, 6-1 victory at one singles by junior Hank Lin.
Another point went to Carmel after freshmen David Liu and Grant Mu defeated juniors Michael Crossman and Yoki Murabayashi at two doubles, 6-2, 6-1.
Columbus North (24-2), a first-time state finalist, attempted to upset the Greyhounds in the final two remaining matches, but the Bulldogs were only able to take one.
During the regular season, Carmel beat Columbus North 4-1 on Aug. 29.
“We won at one singles during the season and lost at one doubles, so we knew going into this match that for us to have any chance at all we had to win one singles and one doubles,” Columbus North coach Kendal Hammel said. “My two strong spots. From there, we were just rolling the dice. Who could possibly step up and challenge?”
The Bulldogs’ senior tandem of Anvay Atram and Amrit Kar prevailed at one doubles, 6-2, 6-1, over Carmel’s Michael Bao, a junior, and senior Braedon McIntyre, who were unbeaten this season leading up to the match.
“We didn’t get it done, but I think the guys mentally were relaxed and comfortable with what we did today,” Hammel said. “Our goal was to get to the state title match. (Carmel) has been there many times, and for us to finally get to the state finals was a great accomplishment.”
Both of Columbus North’s winners will advance into the IHSAA individual boys tennis state tournament.
“The season is not done for us at all. We’ve been calling this season, a season of champions. We were looking for team, one singles and one doubles. Runner-up, got to be proud of that, and now we’re looking for the individuals next weekend and see how we do with that,” Hammel said. “We’ve made history. We didn’t win state, but we made history with this team.”
Carmel netted the hardware, winning their seventh state title in eight years. The undefeated run was more impressive given the circumstances.
Saturday’s semifinal and championship rounds were initially set to be conducted at North Central High School in Indianapolis. However, rain and wet court conditions compelled the IHSAA to move the state finals second day indoors at DePauw University.
The start time for Saturday was moved from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at North Central, but after several rain delays, the decision was made to relocate, pushing the semifinals to the afternoon and the finals to the evening.
“No one will admit it, but it was exhausting. I think it was more mentally exhausting than physically exhausting because you’re just waiting around. I think we were able to occupy ourselves to an extent at North Central because we were cleaning the courts off, but once we got here, I think it all hit,” Carmel coach Dan Brunette said.
“Not only do we have to go out and play, but they’re going to give us 40 minutes and we have to go out and do it again against two top teams in the state. Two very good programs. North Central was no slouch yesterday (in the quarterfinals).”
Carmel knocked off the defending state champion fifth-ranked North Central Panthers, 4-1, on its home courts Friday night to advance into Saturday’s final four.
Columbus North beat 15th-ranked Floyd Central, 3-2, in the quarterfinals at Center Grove High School before surviving a marathon semifinal against No. 13 Jasper, 3-2, at DePauw.
Through the state tournament Carmel faced four regular-season rematches and prevailed, again. The Greyhounds beat No. 10 Guerin Catholic, 4-1, in the Carmel Sectional, and toppled No. 9 Park Tudor, 3-2, in the Lebanon Regional final.
Both matches on Saturday were against opponents they previously beat, including Culver Academy, 4-1 on Sept. 19.
“We knew we had a very difficult path here. We played some really good teams, and everyone has to in order to get to the finals, but the new alignment meant that we really had to bring it every night,” Brunette said. “We have a top-seven that push each other at practice every single day. I think some of our toughest times are during practice when you’re getting pushed by your teammates. Iron sharpens iron. That’s the kind of mentality we took.”
Brunette, a Carmel native, led the Greyhound girls’ tennis team to a state title this past spring. Prior to taking over both programs in 2022, Brunette guided the North Central boys’ team to three straight state championships from 2013-16.
The Carmel boys team title marked Brunette’s fifth state championship in his career.
“It was tough to come in two years ago with that kind of tradition going. I will say, I appreciated the players and parents buying into a little bit different philosophy. We had amazing practices this year. A lot of team camaraderie,” Brunette said.
Carmel’s Jonathan Yang was named the state finals Mental Attitude Award recipient, the first for the Greyhounds since Radha Vishnubhotla earned the distinction in 2014-15. Yang is the fifth Greyhound boys’ tennis player Mental Attitude Award winner since 1991-92.
“Tennis is a metaphor for life. You kind of grow up on the court in the game. You have to do the same things as you grow up as a person. That was one of the big things we preached this year, discipline. I’m proud of these guys. They put it together,” Brunette said.
Jonathan Yang of Carmel High School named Mental Attitude Award recipient
Following the state championship match, Carmel High School senior Jonathan Yang was named the recipient of the Mental Attitude Award.
Each year, the IHSAA Executive Committee determines a senior, nominated by his principal and coach, who best demonstrates mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability during the four years of high school.
Jonathan is the son of Guangsheng Yang and Ruihua Cheng of Carmel, Ind. He is interested in studying Physics and Engineering at the next level but is undecided on a college.
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, the proud partner of the IHSAA, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Carmel High School's general scholarship fund, in the name of Jonathan Yang.
