It wasn’t the first time they met, and chances are it won’t be the last.
To date, Franklin Community High School junior Noah Roberts has the upper hand.
For the second time this season, Roberts had just enough firepower to get by Center Grove junior Peter Golder to win the IHSAA boys tennis individual sectional championship on the Trojans’ courts Thursday.
Roberts, primarily a baseline player, had his left-handed serve working almost to perfection and his ground strokes were just as efficient in the 6-1, 6-1 victory.
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“Obviously, it’s an amazing thing just to get here because of all the good people I’ve played. The score may have been 6-1, 6-1, but it wasn’t even close to that because every single game was deuce,” Roberts said.
“There’s definitely a lot of pressure when you get to this point. I just try not to think about that and keep my focus on the match at hand.”
Franklin coach Rod Snyder said Roberts’ work ethic all season speaks for itself.
“He’s really put his game together. I think he’s mentally stronger than he has been in the past two years,” Snyder said.
“He’s very determined at this point in time, and he wants to prove that he’s one of the better players in the state,” the Franklin coach added.
In mid-September, Roberts defeated Golder, 6-1, 6-3, in the No. 1 singles match of the Johnson County Tournament final.
However, Center Grove held on for the team title 3-2.
With the win, Roberts advances to the Fishers Regional on Oct. 17 where he will go up against the singles champion from the Avon Sectional.
