NEW PALESTINE — Ben Blachly knew there would be pressure this season.
He was stepping into some very big shoes, replacing graduated tennis standout Matthew True as New Palestine’s No. 1 singles player.
There were some nerves, but Blachly was ready.
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“It was a lot of pressure obviously. Matt was amazing and a great team leader,” Blachly said. “Coming into the season, everybody was playing a new position, but I kind of had the most varsity experience. I was the most prepared for my position, so there was kind of that extra pressure. There was a lot of pressure for me to win at No. 1. We won a lot of our matches 3-2. After the first few matches, beating some pretty good players, I felt pretty confident after that.”
Blachly excelled for the Dragons this year, compiling a 19-6 record and continuing a trend set by True of not losing to any Hancock County opponents.
He picked up the individual championship at No. 1 singles in the county tournament and won in both the sectional semifinal and final, advancing as the lone county representative in the individual state tournament. He was named all-Hoosier Heritage Conference and all-district and will represent New Palestine as a member of the Senior All-Star team on Nov. 2 at DePauw.
Now, he can add Hancock County Player of the Year to his list of accolades.
“I watched him through the summer, and I knew he was going to have a strong year. He improved his singles game,” New Palestine coach Jean Graham said. “He surprised me a little bit — he picked up a couple of different strokes like a drop shot and a slice backhand that really complemented his game. No doubt, he was our best player on the team, but he’s worked at it. He’d be out there on the courts in the summer working on his serve. He definitely has earned all these accolades that he’s getting right now.”
Graham said Blachly takes things to another level when it comes to dedication to his tennis game. He watches a lot of professional tennis and is always looking for ways to improve.
She may have been a little surprised to see some of the big changes to his game in his final year, but seeing Blachly have success wasn’t a shock. He played a pivotal role in a huge match his sophomore year, and it just so happened to be his favorite memory in his time with the Dragons.
He was at No. 2 singles against Delta, the perennial powerhouse who has dominated the HHC in recent years. The match eventually came down to Blachly, and he endured a marathon to clinch the win and a conference title with his teammates.
“We obviously were the underdogs, because Delta is amazing every year,” he said. “They beat our one singles and one doubles pretty quickly. Our three singles won. Myself and two doubles managed to win in three sets, and my match was like three hours. That basically sealed the conference title when I won my match. It was an amazing match, and afterwards everybody came on the court and picked me up.”
Another big moment happened recently, when he was announced as one of eight finalists from Hancock County for the Lilly Endowment Scholarship. Blachly excels on more than just the tennis court. He’s near the top of his class academically, holding a 4.16 GPA. He is the only county tennis player to make the academic all-state list, earning a first-team nod.
Blachly is currently applying to colleges, looking for the right fit. He plans to study engineering, although he isn’t sure what discipline. Aerospace and chemical engineering are both possibilities, he said. He does plan to continue playing tennis, although that will likely be at the club level.
Overall, he was happy with how his senior year went, although he said he was disappointed he didn’t beat Delta again. Either way, he made a big impact on the New Palestine tennis team, one that won’t be easy to replace.
“He’s got so many talents, but you’d never know it. The best thing about Ben is he’s very humble, very down to earth. He never brags about himself,” Graham said. “That’s probably what I admire about him the most — how humble he is. He’s just a well-rounded individual. He is just an exceptional young man. I don’t know that I’ll have another one that is just so gifted in so many different areas.”
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Which Hancock County athletes will join Player of the Year Ben Blachly on the all-county tennis team? Jump inside to Page B2 to find out.
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