Veteran boys tennis team well equipped to take a run at a sixth consecutive DAC title

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com

Until someone ends a five-year reign atop the DAC, Chesterton tennis enters every season as the favorite to extend the streak. Mix in the fact that the Trojans return 5 of 7 players from their postseason lineup, including the top two singles and the No. 1 doubles tandem, and the odds grow even longer for the five teams chasing them.
Yet, all it takes is one off day against a talented opponent to make all the projections blow up.
Nobody knows that better than the five returning players and head coach Tom Bour, based on how the 2024 postseason ended for the Trojans in the Valparaiso sectional.
Chesterton won a close match against Valpo in the regular season and the Vikings gained revenge, ending the Trojans’ three-year sectional streak by the slimmest of margins.
“It’s sketched in our heads. Valparaiso played outstanding that day and we weren’t focused as coaches or as a team and it came back and bit us,” Bour said. “We have talent and tons of experience. We just need to bring up our intensity and make sure we stayed focus throughout the whole season and postseason.”
The Trojans open with their two toughest matches on the schedule at the South Bend St. Joseph invitational Saturday. Indianapolis Westfield is the first opponent, and then an even tougher St. Joe, the school most responsible for the disparity between Chesterton’s sectional trophy case that holds nine and counting, and the regional trophy case that hasn’t been ordered because there is nothing to put in yet.
After the team’s season ended last spring, Luke Sorgic’s continued. He fell one win shy of making it to state in the individual singles tournament. A senior, this is his third season at No. 1. Junior Peytan Belegal is coming off a 16-4 season at No. 2 singles.
Tennis coaches love having players equally adept at playing singles and doubles because it gives them flexibility and makes the challenge of cobbling together the pieces of the puzzle more enjoyable. Junior Brady McWhirter is that guy again this season for the Trojans.
“So that’s our only real question. Are we going to go singles-strong with Brady at No. 3, which he deserves, or do we put him down at No. 2 doubles with Jack Ciupak and be strong there?” Bour said. “Brady, we can put him anywhere. He’s a smart kid. He’s got a good head on his shoulders. He’s coachable, and he understands his role. If it’s doubles, great. If it’s singles, fine. He’s ready to roll and play that role again this year.”
Senior Jake Bell and junior Shane Henry form the No. 1 doubles team for a second year in a row. In the event McWhirter plays most of his matches at No. 3 singles, Bour has multiple options of where to turn for a partner for Ciupak. Ryland Tolton was the first possibility Bour mentioned.
If McWhirter shifts to No. 2 doubles to pair with Ciupak, then juniors Jas Beaudreau, Bryce Douglass and Owen Sularski could end up at the No. 3 singles spot.
It’s nice to have options and Bour has many this season. He also has a new assistant joining veteran Scott Garrison on his staff. Kenny Walsh, a teaching professional and the former Hobart head, coach joins the staff.
Blending an experienced coaching staff and lineup bodes well for the Trojans’ chances of pushing the streak of DAC titles to six.
“Luke and Peytan will be the 1-2 punch, so that’s a good combo to have at the top of your lineup,” Bour said. “We’re lucky to have those two guys, and we now have an experienced 1 doubles team.”
Regardless of how things go Saturday against two state powerhouses, Chesterton is primed to go 7-0 for the sixth season in a row.