Hilty and Coonfare/Kohli to play in PC districts

By Cort Reynolds

LIMA – Three Bluffton High School boys tennis players competed in the semifinal and consolation rounds on day two of the UNOH Div. II sectionals Saturday, May 17 in Lima.

Third-seeded Pirate Branson Hilty won two matches Thursday in the singles tournament to advance to the semifinals Saturday. He qualified for districts with those two victories.

On Thursday, senior Hilty had a first round bye before beating Ollie Chisholm of St. Marys in the round of 16 by a 6-3, 6-2 count.

In the quarterfinals, Hilty rolled over Van Wert’s Keaton Foster 6-1, 6-3 to reach the semifinals Saturday morning.

Hilty then lost to eventual sectional runner-up Ackroyd 6-3, 6-4 in the singles semifinals Saturday. 

Sectional champion Eben Jackson of Elida beat Ada senior southpaw Nathan Williams 6-2, 6-2 in the other semifinal.

Williams then knocked off Hilty in the singles third-place match 6-4, 6-3.

Jackson beat Ackroyd 6-3, 6-4 in the sectional title match.

The fourth-seeded Pirate doubles tandem of Grady Coonfare and Isaiah Kohli also won two matches Friday to reach the semis and qualify for the district tournament in Port Clinton.

The duo cruised 6-0, 6-0 in their round of 16 mismatch. In the quarterfinals, they won 6-2, 6-0 to reach the semis Saturday.

On Saturday, the Pirate tandem lost twice to finish fourth in the sectional doubles tournament. In the semis, the duo fell to the top-seeded eventual champion Elida team of Ben Osmon and Jaden Neuman 6-0, 6-0.

In a tight three-set bout for third place, the Pirate tandem fell to the Elida duo of Altenbach and Staley in a third-set tiebreaker. The Elida tandem won 4-6, 6-2, 7-6.

Due to Saturday’s results, Hilty and the doubles team of Coonfare/Kohli will face a one seed sectional champion in their first round of 16 matches at the PC district May 21.

Any player or doubles team who makes it to the sectional final four advanced automatically to the district tournament Wednesday, May 21 and Saturday, May 24.