The Ranger tennis team showed off their skills last night against the Northview Wildcats. With another sweep under its belt, the team keeps dreaming about future wins, but before you can win a state championship, you need to top the conference. 

“Winning a conference dual is very important and positions us to have a great conference tournament at the end of the season.” Coach Dan Bolhouse explained. 

In the singles matches, senior Sammy Yin played masterfully in the sweep. Sophomore Franklin Feng came into the spotlight with the help of a change in his mindset, knowing how impactful the mental game is.

Franklin, along with many other teammates, now has high hopes for the future of the FHC tennis team. The discussion of conference champions continues throughout the group. 

“I just remember to not stress about the points, don’t let your nerves get the best of you, and just make sure I’m doing everything in my ability to play the best I can,” Franklin exclaimed. “I am excited about going into the playoffs but also nervous. It certainly will be fun to represent FHC tennis and see how well we will do in this season’s playoff!”

As for the doubles players, a duo that showed out was juniors, Alex Chen and Philip Murdock. A reason for the successful performance may have been a pregame ritual that the two have created during travel time.

Doubles tennis is a team game, so communication between players can make or break a match. Chemistry is also a significant factor in a win or loss; luckily, the duo has plenty of that.

“Alex and I got pumped up in the car with some hype music before our match to prepare,” Philip said. “But within the match, we communicated really well and kept our energy to secure the win.”

With the team winning 8-0 against the Wildcats, their hot streak stays intact. The boys have faith in not only themselves but also each other. 

“The team’s chances to perform well are very high,” Philip said. “We have multiple flights that could make deep runs if they perform well.”

FHC will play in the next two days; Wednesday, September 14, is a quad in Midland, and Thursday, September 15, will be a home meet against the Lowell Red Arrows.