The Flora  Wolves tennis team Head Coach Jason Blankenbaker had a reason to smile after Saturday’s sectional match in Centralia.

Senior John Schroeder will be making the venture north to Chicago for the IHSA State Tournament.

Schroeder won his first match of Sectional play in two sets over Salem’s Connor Bowman.

The Wolves Senior won the first set 6-2 and then advanced with a 6-1 second set victory.

In Schroeder’s second match of the day, he defeated O’Fallon’s Spencer Hair.

He was able to defeat Hair 6-1, 6-1 and moved into a match against Centralia’s Will Miller.

Miller battled Schroeder in the first set and handed the Flora Senior his first set loss of the day, 3-6.

Schroeder battled back in the second set by defeating Miller 6-3 to even the match at one set apiece.

The third set was all Miller as he handed Schroeder his first defeat, 1-6.

Miller advanced to the IHSA State Tournament with the win over Schroeder.

Despite the loss to the number one seeded Miller, Schroeder was able to qualify for the IHSA State Tourney this weekend as the number four seed in singles competition.

Also qualifying in singles competition were Steven Hayworth from Belleville (East) and Jon David Urshan of Centralia.

Fellow Senior Ben Putbrese struggled in his opening match of Sectional play Saturday and failed to quailfy for the state tournament after dropping two of three matches.

In his first match, Putbrese felll in straight sets (4-6, 3-6) to Urshan, but bounced back in his second match of the day against Olney’s Bloyd Beck.

Putbrese dropped the first set 3-6, but rallied up a 7-5 tiebreaker victory in set number two.

The Wolves Senior fed off the momentum of the second set and easily won the third set 6-1.

His final match of the day came against another state qualifier in the form of Hayworth.

Hayworth defeated Putbrese in straight sets (1-6, 0-6).

In doubles competition Saturday in Centralia, the Wolves sent the tandem of Trenton Flood and Andy Conley.

The Flora duo was defeated in straight sets (1-6, 1-6) by Salem’s Matt Dye and Aaron Bolton.

Belleville (East) duo Scott Spitzner and Tyrus Shall defeated the Wolves duo of Kody Jochums and Chase Billingsley in straight sets. 

The Flora duo was unable to pick up a game as they were defeated 0-6, 0-6.