ROCHELLE — Head coach Kristy Eckardt and senior Jimmy Chavez shared an emotional moment after the final match of the IHSA 1A Rochelle Sectional concluded Friday evening.

Chavez was one of the last two netters on the court for the first of the two-day tournament, squaring off against IMSA’s Arnav Patel in the third round of the singles bracket. With a bid to the IHSA State Championships on the line, both players fought back and forth during each of the two sets, with Chavez ultimately falling just short in a 6-7(2), 4-6 defeat. It was the final match for Chavez and the final match of the season for the Rochelle Hub varsity tennis team.

“I haven’t had a player who cares as much about tennis as Jimmy does,” Eckardt said. “He’s always studying the game and working to be the best player he can be. I’m really proud of how far he’s come, not only this year but over the last four years. It’s really incredible how many strides he made as he has no reason to hang his head. He should be proud of his efforts.”

Chavez did secure one of the three victories Rochelle (6-11, 1-4 Interstate 8) scored in the sectional tournament. The senior overcame a challenging second set to lock down a 6-2, 7-5 win over Kaneland’s AJ Faruga in the second round of the singles bracket. The Hubs totaled six points to finish fourth out of eight schools in the tournament, which concluded on Saturday.

“This was probably one of the best showings we’ve had in a while,” Eckardt said. “It’s tough to get wins during the sectional and it was really great to see us win three matches today.”

Seniors Austin Raleigh and Eli Luxton snagged perhaps the most notable victory of the tournament for the Hubs, upsetting Aurora Central Catholic’s Grant Bohr and Bryan Novack, who were seeded fifth in the doubles bracket. The win moved Raleigh and Luxton into the third round, where the duo fell 2-6, 3-6 against Elgin Academy’s Ayra Govula and Samuel Hendricks.

“Their hustle and their refusal to give up were Austin and Eli’s biggest strengths,” Eckardt said. “Their techniques and their strategy improved throughout the season and I thought they outworked and outhustled the other team during that first match. I’m really proud of them.”

Sophomore Philip Winters was the second of Rochelle’s two singles players to reach the third round on Friday afternoon. Winters took down Aurora Central Catholic’s Gabriel Bougett 6-2, 6-2 before bowing out with an 0-6, 0-6 loss against Sycamore’s Steven Chen. Senior Parker Lenkaitis and sophomore Mark Green fell out during the second round, nearly rallying for a second-set win during their 2-6, 5-7 loss to Sycamore’s Culotta Joe and Jonathan Locascio.

“Confidence has been the key for Philip,” Eckardt said. “Our conference is really tough and he’s been playing a lot of tough kids day in and day out. Seeing how he fared against some players from outside our conference should give him a boost of confidence going into the offseason.”