While the school year has just begun, the FHC Varsity Tennis team has been on a tear since August 15. The boys enter a 15-meet season, hoping to make an appearance in the playoffs. 

Senior Max Cooper has been on the team for four years. He started the sport in 7th grade, and since this season is his last, there are some goals he would like to accomplish.  

“I want to improve as a player,” Max said. “I also want to secure a win over our FHN rivals and make it to states as a long-term goal for the season.”

With these goals in mind, varsity tennis looks to make a statement with a playoff run. Fellow senior Chris Shang has been an all-star on the team for a while, with similar goals as Max. 

“States are the biggest goal every year,” Chris said. “It’s our chance to prove whether we are the best team. Our team has great potential, and winning a championship in my final year would be cool.” 

Playoff potential takes a lot of time and practice. The hardest part of high school sports is time management of your sports practice and studies. 

“Balancing school and a varsity sport shouldn’t be too much of a struggle this year,” Max said. “Thankfully, my schedule is much easier this year than last year.”

FHC tennis is confident in its chances of winning a state championship with some recent changes to its region. The dominant FHN tennis team is no longer in the same region, which puts FHC in a region with Portage Central, Byron Center, and Mattawan.

“States are a possibility this year,” Max said. “I think our team will put up a strong performance to go top two into states.”

The boys are pushing for a deep season with the help of coach Dan Bolhouse. Even though school difficulties, the varsity tennis team looks to bring home a state title for FHC and some hardware for the trophy shelf.