The Warren Dragons tennis team got exactly what they were hoping for Wednesday at Betts Park — an important Region 2 win against the visiting Erie High Royals.

The Dragons were victorious by a 4-1 score, and have now cemented their place in the District 10 team final against McDowell. If the Dragons prevail, it will be the first District 10 team title since the 2013 squad.

“It’s always great to grab a win on Senior Night,” Warren head coach Thomas Pellegrino said of Wednesday’s win, “and even better when those seniors stepped up with big wins to defeat a strong Erie High team.”

Lucas Thrift won at first singles and Jaxon Thrift won at third singles for the Dragons. Gaven Mealy and Bill Bennett were victorious at first doubles while Karson McCollough and Josh Westover won at second doubles.

“This was a great battle and every match was competitive. I was really proud of how the boys came together as a team today. Jaxon (Thrift) set the tone for the Dragons early, only giving up one game and grabbing a point right away. He’s playing some great tennis and peaking at the perfect time. He’s our rock in the No. 3 spot and always gives the team confidence and momentum early,” Pellegrinos said. “Josh Westover and Karson McCollough also stepped up big today. This was the first varsity match they played together, and they delivered one of the best doubles performances we’ve had this season when we needed it most. They were a force to be reckoned with at the net and held serve throughout the entire match. Lucas (Thrift) and Gabe (Dougherty) had some three-set battles against strong players. Lucas had a bit of a slow start, but once things got tight, the senior turned up the heat. He played more aggressively and closed out sets two and three, 6-1, 6-3 clinching the match for the Dragons. Gabe played his butt off today at No. 2. He was up against one of the biggest hitters in the district and made some key adjustments after the first set to get himself back into the match. He came up short in a tough third-set tiebreaker, but his effort to get there was outstanding.”

Trey Carrington, Luc Wilkins, Bentley Sherry, Tobiah Reinard, Grant Newton, Justin Klenowski, Levi Peterson, Corey Ristau, Camden Archer, Liam Bailey, and Mateo Madril were all winners for Warren in JV play.

Warren is now 11-1 on the season and 4-1 in region play. They host the Meadville Bulldogs in a Region 2 AAA matchup Thursday at 4 p.m. at Betts Park.

“Overall, another great win for our boys, and this was the kind of test we needed to prepare for the upcoming district events,” Pellegrino said.

Warren 4, Erie 1

Lucas Thrift (W) d. Rowan Wilko 6-7, (5-7), 6-1, 6-3; Alex Rose (E) d. Gabe Dougherty 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5); Jaxon Thrift (W) d. Cooper Heberle 6-0, 6-1; Gaven Mealy-Bill Bennett (W) d. Jaiviyn Gaines-Hussein Nuhow 7-6 (7-5), 6-3; Karson McCollough-Josh Westover (W) d. Gabe Beadle-Aaron Tamang 6-1, 6-4