Triton one doubles player Chase Butler prepares to hit a backhand shot during the Trojans’ sectional semifinal with Bremen Thursday. (Photos by James Costello)

BREMEN — What a difference two weeks can make.

The outcome was pretty much the same, but the last time Triton’s and Bremen’s boys tennis teams squared off during a regular-season meet back on Sept. 11, the matches were much more competitive. But the Lions’ five seniors rose to their Sectional 4 challenge in Thursday’s rematch at DeSantis Courts in Bremen, and anyway the Trojans haven’t looked quite like their old selves since the week of that first go-round with Bremen, when Triton’s lineup played four straight nights and a tournament on Saturday.

Host Bremen surrendered just seven total games and never gave up more than two at a single position en route to a 5-0 sectional semifinal win over Triton. Reigning champion Plymouth dispatched John Glenn in similar 5-0 fashion in Thursday’s other semifinals, setting up a rematch of the 2016 championship between the Pilgrims and the Lions Friday evening.

“I’m really happy. We played really well tonight,” said Bremen head coach Mark Wagner. “Triton is a pretty good team. We played good tennis tonight so that’s good. We’re optimistic about tomorrow. We know Plymouth’s a good team, and they always are.”

Carter Filchak topped Carter Kuntz  6-2, 6-0 at one singles, Mark Bahr beat John Gardner, 6-0, 6-0, at two singles, and Brett Yelaska put away Trevor Miller, 6-0, 6-1, at the three position. Jacob Strehler and Bryce Sterling dispatched Keygan Mosier and Chase Butler, 6-1, 6-1, at one doubles, and Jordan Thornton and Brian Cruz defeated Tyler Heckaman and Jared Bules, 6-0, 6-2, at two doubles as the Lions eliminated the Trojans.

Carter Kuntz returns a shot in one singles play.

It was a letdown from the two teams’ first meeting, which saw Kuntz extend Filchak to 12 games in the first set, and Heckaman and Bules win four games in each of their two sets with Cruz and Thornton. Likewise, Gardner managed to take six games from Bahr in that first match but was totally frustrated by his opponent Thursday.

“We played alright with them the first time. Carter played a real, real tight match, but the other guy kicked it in almost just like tonight,” Triton coach Al Peckham recalled. “John had a bad night compared to the first match; the first match was kind of even up.”

But the Trojans went on to play six more matches the week of the 11th, and they never seemed to fully recover, said their coach.

“I felt like that one week where we had seven matches in one week burned them a little bit out. We had a couple of real good, solid teams we played that week — we had Bremen and Jimtown and then we went to Portage and played some more tough teams up there,” Peckham said. “I felt like that burned them out just a touch. We played alright the rest of the season, but I felt like we weren’t as top as we were.”

Meanwhile, in Thursday’s other semifinal, Plymouth gave the Falcons just 10 games to keep the Pilgrims’ bid for a 21st straight sectional title alive.

Tommy Holloway won his one singles match with Gabriel Weiss, 6-1, 6-0, Mitch Rose beat Alex Ross, 0-0, and Andy Rostron downed Anthony Kaser, 2-2, at three singles. Clay Hilliard and Adam Hunter combined to beat Alex Kruk and Trace Jones, 1-1, and Dylan Voreis and Shaun Frantz defeated Brandon Goble and Matt Moore, 1-2, at two doubles.

While Plymouth is still the odds-on sectional favorite, a young roster has made the Pilgrims look a little like less dominant than they traditionally have at the tourney.

“We had an interesting journey this year. A lot different, but… we’re in the same place against a familiar opponent,” said Plymouth coach Michael Delp. “We’re fortunate to be there. I think we bring in a lot of inexperience, and I think Bremen knows that and so they’re kind of looking forward to that opportunity. I’d be shocked if our guys aren’t looking forward to it as well.”

Triton closes its season at an even 9-9 and bids farewell to just one senior in Mosier. It’s been a solid year for an overwhelmingly inexperienced Triton lineup, though, one that saw the Trojans finish just short of a Hoosier North Athletic Conference championship and give their coach his 100th boys win.

John Gardner keeps a point alive in two singles play.

“Bremen has five seniors on their team, and (Wagner) said ‘You’re lucky to have everybody back.’ I feel like I’m pretty privileged to have everybody back,” said Peckham. “I have some good prospects coming up too at the same time so it looks pretty bright.

“The few goals that we had this year, we almost got them. Conference was one that we thought we were going to get. Five-one during the season, but the tournament didn’t work as well. A 10-win season I thought was a good goal to get this year, but they were within reach so we didn’t do too bad.”