TENNIS Liberty's Baroff beats Person to win sectional

The champion advanced to the district at (Massillon) Jackson Community Park.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BOARDMAN -- As good as the Liberty High tennis team has been this season, the Leopards could have been better.
Three of the area's best players -- seniors Donald Person and Brian Meek and sophomore Kelton Person -- play for Ursuline, but live in Liberty.
"I was talking to Kelton before our match, trying to get him to play for Liberty next year," Liberty junior Richard Baroff said with a laugh. "It doesn't sound like it's going to happen."
The Leopards lost just one match this season -- to Howland -- and that success has carried over to the Division II tournament. Baroff won the sectional singles title Saturday, defeating Kelton Person, 6-2, 6-2, in the sectional final at Boardman High School.
Moving on
"I basically did what I had to do," Baroff, who was seeded third entering the tournament, said. "Kelton played pretty well, but I think I kind of saw his game plan and saw what he was trying to do.
"But he's a really good player."
Added Ursuline coach Joann Gardner, "Richard played really well. His forehand was powerful and he was really on his game. Kelton played well, but [Baroff] was just in a zone."
Baroff, who defeated West Branch's Tom Page 6-2, 6-4, in the semifinal, earned a seed at next week's district tournament at (Massillon) Jackson Community Park. He said he struggled slightly in Thursday's first round matches, partly because of the weather, which forced delays as some of the matches had to be moved indoors.
"Overall I played pretty well," Baroff, who also beat Kelton Person in last year's sectional tournament, said. "I'm not sure why, but some days I'll be playing great and I'll be untouchable, and some days I'll struggle to get my serves in.
"I seem to play better outside, which may have something to do with it."
Liberty's Sam Ballos, the tournament's fourth seed, also advanced to the district tournament, losing to Kelton Person in the semifinal and to Page in the consolation final.
On tennis team
Liberty is the only school in the Trumbull Athletic Conference with a boys tennis team, which forces the Leopards to play much bigger schools for much of the season.
As a result, the Leopards are well-prepared for the tournament.
"We play a lot of really tough matches," he said. "We have three pretty good singles players and our doubles contributed most of the time, so we did pretty well. It just makes you better."
Baroff lost to University School standout Porus Jetli -- who advanced to the state quarterfinals -- in the first round of last year's district tournament. He's hoping for a better showing this year.
"My goal before the season was to make it past the first round," he said. "I think I have a pretty good chance."
Doubles
Donald Person and Meek, the tournament's top-seeded doubles team, defeated Luke Duchek and Jon Funk, 6-1, 6-3 to win the sectional title and earn a seed in Thursday's district tournament.
"They cruised through pretty well," Gardner said. "They have a good shot of making it [to the state tournament], although the competition is a little stronger up there."
Duchek and Funk defeated Mooney's Chris Conese and Mike Kerrigan, 6-4, 7-5, in the semifinal. Conese and Kerrigan defeated Jefferson's Ben Childs and Ryan Caruso in the consolation final.
Division I at Jackson
MASSILLON -- Canfield senior Chris Kuppler won his first two matches at Saturday's sectional tournament, but lost to Wooster's Jordan Buehler in the final, 6-4, 6-4.
Kuppler advances to Wednesday's district tournament at Tri-City Courts in Rocky River.
Boardman senior Tom Barth also advanced, defeating McKinley's Jason Christman in the consolation final, 6-2, 6-4. Barth won his quarterfinal match, but fell to Buehler in the semifinal.
Canfield's doubles team of Matt Waigand and Kevin Kuppler advanced to the district doubles tournament despite not being seeded. The Cardinals lost to Wooster's Andrew Hodges and Josh Senger, 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-1.
Canfield defeated Massillon Perry's Kosta Elefter and Henry Elefter, 7-5, 6-3, in the consolation final.
Wooster's No. 1 doubles team of Bart Schneck and A.J. Wilson defeated Hodges and Senger in the final.
Division I at Solon
SOLON -- Howland's Ryan and Jason Trapp defeated Revere's top doubles team to win the sectional title at Saturday's Division I tournament at Solon High School.
It was the third straight year a Trapp tandem won a sectional doubles title. Howland's No. 2 team of Eliott Lonsdale and Chad Moore won two matches before falling and the team of Sat Gurumurthy and Cody Chappell lost a match to Kenston.