Mendota duo wins state tennis consolation match before bowing out

After winning their opening match Thursday at the IHSA Class 1A Boys Tennis State Tournament, the Mendota doubles pair of Logan Brandner and Andrew Stamberger faced a tough test in the second round Friday against top-seeded Max and James Braun of Champaign Centennial.

The Trojans lost that match, 6-1, 6-0, but bounced back to beat Triad’s Andrew Carter and Tanner Vosholler, 9-8, 7-4, in a second-round consolation match before their season ended with an 8-3 loss to Althoff Catholic’s Cole Curtis and John Nester.

“They played well the whole tournament,” Mendota coach Shawn LeRette said. “We competed against the No. 1 seed and held our own with them in the first set. We won a game and went to deuce three times with them. Then, to beat Triad in a tiebreaker was great.

“This would have qualified them for Friday in an ordinary year (when the schedule wasn’t affected by weather), which was their goal. These boys put in the work in the offseason, so I am glad they reached their goal. Both of them are a great representation of Mendota.”

La Salle-Peru’s Andrew Bollis and Joe Pohar also saw their season end with a pair of losses Friday.

After a four-hour rain delay, the Cavs won the first game, but St. Ignatius’ John Yahiro and Patrick Burke reeled off the next 12 games to win 6-1, 6-0.

“They are a very good team, and they play top completion all the time, the type we don’t get to see too often,” Pohar said. “Our goal was to make it to state. We did that and even won a match, so it was a nice way to end my tennis career.”

Because of the weather delays, the next round was played with the first team to win eight games advancing and the other’s tournament ending.

Peoria Notre Dame’s Brian Coulter and Carson Getz jumped to a 5-0 lead before L-P got a service break and Pohar cranked up his serve, delivering a pair of aces to cut the ND lead to 5-2.

The Cavs again earned a service break, and this time Bollis used his service to bring L-P closer at 5-4.

But ND was able to regain its form and win the next three games to take the victory.

“It has been a lot of work but a lot of fun too, and in the end it was a great season and well worth the effort,” Bollis said.

Princeton sophomore Tyson Phillips capped his season Friday, as well, with an 8-6 loss to Beecher’s Zack Johnson in a first-round consolation match.

On Thursday, Bollis and Pohar beat Aurora Central Catholic’s Justin Cebulski and Bryan Novak, 6-2, 6-2.

“We knew we were going to face good competition up here, and they were a good team,” Pohar said. “We played great together, and we are happy to move on.”

Bollis said his experience this season was different than last year’s trip to state.

“I was lucky enough to get here last year, and we got smashed two straight matches,” Bollis said. “But this year, even though we came in as an unranked team, we got a good draw.

“When we heard who we had, Coach scouted them a bit, and we felt we had a chance to win. I was glad to get a win here, and we had to play our best to get it.”

Also Thursday, Brandner and Stamberger outlasted Grayslake North’s Varun Gullapalli and Jacob Marshall, 3-6, 6-2, 10-4, while Phillips lost, 6-0, 6-0, to Benet Academy’s Zach Bobofchak.