PAW PAW – Led by four flight champions, the Brandywine tennis team captured its first regional championship Friday at Paw Paw High School.

The Bobcats edged out the host Redskins by a single point (18-17) to claim the championship. Berrien Spring, which finished third with 12 points, also advanced to the state finals set for Friday in Grand Blanc and Holly.

Winning championships for Brandywine were Chance Smith and Tanner Bourdon and No. 2 and No. 3 singles, as well as the Bobcats’ No. 3 and No. 4 doubles teams of Matt Vaughn and Cole Searles and Mark Conrad and Austin Balos.

Smith defeated Berrien Springs’ Brian Schembarger 6-2 and 6-1 to claim the No. 2 single crown, while Bourdon defeated Justin Henry of Paw Paw 6-0 and 6-2 at No. 3 singles.

Brandywine’s Michael Robbins was a runner-up at No. 1 singles after falling to Berrien Springs’ Nick Little 6-2 and 6-4.

Vaughn and Searles needed three sets to defeat Paw Paw’s Nate Watts and Cameron Brown. After winning the first set 6-4, Vaughn and Searles dropped the second set 6-1, but rebounded to win the third set and the regional title 7-6(2).

Conrad and Balos also needed three sets against Paw Paw at No. 4 doubles.

Brandywine lost the first set to Justin Swaim and Lucas Schupbach 4-6, but responded to take the next two sets 7-5 and 6-0.

The Bobcats also earned a runner-up finish at No. 1 singles with Kyle Duncan and Alec DeJonge. They were defeated by Paw Paw’s Daniel Brown and Collin Siwula 6-0, 6-1.

 

Division 4 Regional

At Paw Paw

Team scores

Brandywine 18, Paw Paw 17, Berrien Springs 12, Bridgman 5, Dowagiac 3, Buchanan 1, Coloma 0, South Haven 0

 

Flight champions

Singles

1. Nick Little (BS) d. Mike Robbins (BW), 6-2; 6-4; 2. Chance Smith (BW) d. Brian Schembarger (BS) 6-2, 6-1; 3. Tanner Bourdon (BW) d. Justin Henry (PP) 6-0, 6-2; 4. Jesse Meachum (PP) d. Collin Mead (BS) 6-3, 6-0

 

Doubles

1. Daniel Brown-Collin Siwula (PP) d. Alec Duncan-Kyle DeJonge (BW) 6-0, 6-1; 2. Tyler Henry-Devan Dodd (PP) d. Ed Shaver-Devin Hayes (BR), 6-3, 6-0; 3. Matt Vaughn-Cole Searles (BW) d. Nate Watts-Cameron Brown (PP), 6-4, 1-6 7-6 (2); 4. Mark Conrad-Austin Balos (BW) d. Justin Swaim-Lucas Schupbach (PP) 4-6, 7-5, 6-0