Once October begins, fall sports start to find their end and the athletes get to reflect on what they should do differently next year. The seniors reflect on all the good memories they had over the last four years. 

The FHC Varsity Tennis Team left everything on the court. They played their hearts out on several accounts and even completed many goals set in the preseason. 

“States is the goal every year,” senior Chris Shang said at the start of his season. “It is 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.” 

While Chris and his team may not have secured first in the state, they found a fifth-place spot overall. Considering the competitive teams in the lower peninsula, fifth place is nothing to scoff at.

This was a special team. There were all-stars from each grade and each match was exciting. Coach Dan Bolhouse expressed his appreciation for the team and their hard work this season. 

“The boys worked hard every day, and it showed on the court,” Bolhouse explained. “The closeness and togetherness are what made this team special. Every player was rooting for Chris, [senior] Sammy Yin, and [freshman] Franklin Feng on the second day of the tournament. I am very proud of every player on the team!”

Some of these players may never touch a racket again. The thought of saying goodbye to the sport you love is a tough pill to swallow. Bolhouse finds this goodbye just as difficult as his players do.

“It will be tough letting the four seniors go,” Bolhouse stated. “I’ve coached Sammy and Chris all four years and I’ve had the pleasure of coaching [seniors] Noah Kriekard and Max Cooper for a while. We will miss their leadership and talent next fall.” 

Winning is important, but the memories last forever. Each of these guys will go off on their own and remember the chemistry they shared as a team.

“Overall I’ll always remember how close of a bond this team has,” Bolhouse said. “I was bursting with pride seeing our boys rooting for each other and how they all wanted our teammates to win and be successful. We had a lot of great times this season, we worked hard but had fun doing it. I’ll always remember 2022 as a great team and season.”

 Writing on this team was incredible. I enjoyed watching the seniors take leadership and the underclassmen strived in the spotlight. Thank you coach Bolhouse and the varsity tennis team for letting me come along for the ride. The program is in good hands.