In the past week, the boys JV tennis team has shown local opponents that they are a force to be reckoned with. With triumphs over EGR, South Christian, and Northview, they are quickly becoming one of the top JV tennis teams in the area.

On Monday, September 12, the boys brought the Northview Wildcats to their home turf. The team wasn’t expecting a tough battle due to past matchups with their opponent. After tying with both Byron Center and Grandville, they wanted to ensure a victory this time around, and a win was obtained.

One and two doubles were tasked with playing two out of three sets to six instead of the typical two separate eight-game sets. That layout is similar to varsity’s match arrangement, yet those flights showed no sign of hesitation in triumphing over Northview.

First up, the first doubles duo of junior Keaton Michalski and freshman Joseph Song came away with a clean 6-1, 6-1 win. Echoing that sentiment, second doubles gave their opponents something to remember by not dropping a single game the whole match. These spectacular performances carried on to the next flights, with three and four doubles, each grabbing wins of their own. Five doubles had a closer match, with the score being 6-8 and 7-5. The boys executed stellar matches, making for a 9-1 win.

Carrying victorious energy into their next head-to-head, the team took on South Christian and EGR a week later. Confidence reigned high, which allowed the boys to take another near sweep against South Christian, 7-2. One doubles’ skill shined again, taking down their opponent 8-2 and 8-0. Second doubles, consisting of freshman Austin Rowland and sophomore Sawyer Jordan, and later, Ian Tyrrell, continued that with an 8-1, 8-5 win. Three and four doubles dropped the first set yet showed resiliency by returning and taking their second sets.

Next up was EGR. The Rangers and Eagles have long had a rivalry, which made for high tensions and competitiveness. Unsurprisingly, one and two doubles came out on top, but three and four doubles struggled slightly, dropping three matches. The boys were able to pull out the win, nevertheless ending the day with the overall score being 5-3.

Recently, the boys have been working hard to grab victories like these. Evidently, their practice has been paying off in many ways, with success seen in all the flights.

Sophomore Christian Thiede reflects on this, stating, “As a team, we have done excellent this year, beating teams we have lost to in the past. Not only that, but we work really well together, and it’s a great group to be in. We’ve improved a lot this year, and in the long run,  the team has done a great job along with [Coach] Mitch’s help.”

The boys talents have been on full display as of late. Their next matchup is a much anticipated, on Monday, September 26, against Forest Hills Northern.