By Cort Reynolds

LIMA – The Ada High School boys tennis team competed on day one of the Div. II boys sectional tournament on the University of Northwestern Ohio courts on Thursday, May 15.

Bulldog senior southpaw Nathan Williams fought his way to three wins on day one to advance to the semifinals Saturday for the second year in a row.

The quick Williams first whipped Van Wert’s Ben Verville in his round of 32 opener with a 6-0, 6-0 double bagel.

In the round of 16, he edged past Bath’s Taylor McCoy in a 6-4, 6-4 battle. Then in the quarterfinals, Williams eliminated Elida’s Tanner Layman 6-4, 6-0 to reach the semis.

Any player or doubles team who makes it to the sectional semifinals advances automatically to the Port Clinton district tournament next week.

The feisty Bulldog senior will take on top-seeded Eben Jackson of Elida in one semifinal Saturday morning.

Bluffton’s third-seeded Branson Hilty meets second seed Jake Ackroyd of St. Marys in the other singles semifinal Saturday.

The final four winners will meet in the sectional finals, while the semifinal losers face off for third place and seeding for districts. Williams narrowly lost to Hilty at Ada a few weeks ago in a third-set tiebreak.

Ada’s Justin Bowden lost to Pirate senior Jack Brauen in his first round match Thursday 6-1, 6-0. 

Bulldog Brandon Prater also fell 6-1, 6-1 in the first round to Ollie Chisholm of St. Marys.

The Bulldog doubles duo of Luke Archer and Lawson Klingler lost their first match 6-0, 6-0 in the round of 16.

The Ada tandem of Mohamad Khalil and Sam Crawford also fell in their doubles flight round of 16 opening match 6-0, 6-2.

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