Duo Share D2 Title, Duo Finishes Perfect Run
October 17, 2015
By Keith Dunlap
Special for Second Half
GRAND BLANC – It might have seemed like a bold proclamation when the boys tennis season started in August, but Portage Central sophomore Bill Duo had a lofty expectation for what he wanted his season to be like.
“I think I was expecting to not drop a set,” Duo said. “If it happened, it happened. But I wasn’t expecting to drop a set. I was playing well.”
Duo’s expectation turned into reality, as he finished off the season by achieving his ambition on the final day of the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Final on Saturday.
Duo capped off his perfect season by not losing a set all year, with the final victory being a 6-4, 6-3 win over Connor Genschaw of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central.
It was the third time this season that Duo defeated Genschaw, this time in a match that started outdoors at Holly High School but was suspended and moved indoors to Genesys Athletic Club when sleet arrived in the middle of the first set.
Duo also played in the No. 1 singles championship match in 2014, but finished runner-up.
“The first time is definitely new territory,” Duo said. “The second time it’s like ‘yeah, I remember this.’ It was different places, but you kind of have to learn from that experience. I had to come out here and play. He played a great match. I was excited. I was pumped for the finals.”
While Duo was the one who celebrated the individual title at the expense of Genschaw, both got to celebrate team success.
Portage Central and Forest Hills Central shared the team MHSAA title with 30 points apiece, three points ahead of third-place Midland Dow.
Birmingham Groves, Birmingham Seaholm and Detroit U-D Jesuit all shared fourth place with 17 points.
Forest Hills Central also was champion in 2014, while Portage Central’s title was its first since 2001.
A big storyline of the tournament was weather, which wreaked a lot of havoc on both days of the event.
Participants had to pack up right in the middle of the action both days and head to Genesys Athletic Club, where they had to warm up again and refocus.
Granted, at the end people might not have minded the move indoors with everyone bundled up in sweatshirts, hats and blankets as they watched the action.
“You don’t (prepare for it),” Portage Central co-coach Erik Anderson said. “You really don’t. We stay focused and talk about getting our mindset. It doesn’t matter where we play; it’s how we play. Just focus on the ball and not the surroundings. It’s everything inside the lines. It doesn’t matter about the fans, spectators or environment. We prefer to play outdoors because there is more elements to the game, but if you come indoors it’s basically skill vs. skill.”
At No. 2 singles, Michael Szabo of Midland Dow defeated Ben Orwin of Portage Central in another match that was in progress outside before being moved indoors, as was the No. 1 doubles match between Portage Central’s Kento Hirakawa and Cameron Raedy and Detroit U-D Jesuit’s tandem of Louis Wyre and Joey Wilson.
That might have been the most entertaining match of the day, with Hirakawa and Raedy finally prevailing, 6-4, 4-6 and 7-5.
Lucas Guy of Portage Central took the title at No. 3 singles with a 6-3, 6-2 win over top-seeded Tyler Conrad of Midland Dow, while Jacob Wiltjer of Forest Hills Central topped Aditya Middha of Midand Dow at No. 4 singles, 6-2, 6-3.
The Forest Hills Central team of Justin James and Aidan Rynbrandt won the title at No. 2 doubles with a 7-6 (5), 6-3 win over J.J. Kirkman and Noah Nichols of Midland Dow, while Tim Spurlin and Jack Ziegler of Forest Hills Central won the No. 3 doubles crown with a 5-7, 7-5, 6-0 win over Brian McHale and Josh Belfer of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern.
Finally, Peyton Herbert and Mike Battiste of Forest Hills Central won the No. 4 doubles title with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over Andrew Dicks and Scott Anthony of Forest Hills Northern.
PHOTOS: (Top) Portage Central and Forest Hills Central players pose together with the MHSAA championship trophy. (Middle) Portage Central's Bill Duo prepares to serve during his No. 1 singles final. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Westwood Runs Reign to 3 Straight
June 2, 2016
By Adam Niemi
Special for Second Half
KINGSFORD — Ishpeming Westwood coach Chris Jackson knew his team had to appear in the finals during the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 2 boys tennis tournament Thursday.
They did, and won all six of their title match appearances to win the overall championship with 20 points. Iron River West Iron County was runner-up with 15.
“I think a lot of it was about redemption,” said Westwood coach Chris Jackson. “We have six seniors. A number of them had disappointments last year, and we still were able to win. A lot of those kids came back and fought through some tough moments today and got an extra point or two.”
Westwood’s No. 2 singles Jacob Kerkela defeated West Iron’s Erick Upperstrom, 6-1, 6-3, as he team claimed the second, third and fourth singles and second, third and fourth doubles flights.
Westwood shared the championship in 2015 in Iron Mountain, but now has won MHSAA titles to finish three straight seasons and four of the last five.
West Iron County coach Joe Serbentas said he was happy with the way his team performed in finishing second to the more experienced Patriots.
The Wykons advanced to championship matches in six flights as it sought its first team title since 2013.
“We knew coming in that it was going to be a tight match with Westwood,” Serbentas said. “I was just happy that our team had an opportunity at the very end to try and take a championship as a team. We know they have a nice team. I was proud of the way our boys fought.”
West Iron County had trouble converting on its opportunities to win championship matches. The day’s longest was No. 3 singles between James Swanson and Adam Hyttinen, which lasted more than an hour. The two traded tiebreakers in the first two sets before Hyttinen won the last set, 6-2, and finished Westwood’s championship.
Serbentas was optimistic and said with a young team including just three seniors, the sky is the limit next year.
“I thought the whole team improved as the season went along,” Serbentas said. “That’s all you can ask as a coach is to give your team an opportunity to win at the end, and we did. We’re going to be back next year, and we’re going to have to learn how to finish some of these flights and win some championships next year. That was the critical point of the day: we could not win at the end.”
Third-place Iron Mountain played a bit of a spoiler role against West Iron County. No. 1 singles Tysen Wadge beat Neil Tomasoski, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. Jordan Wadge and Luke Truscott beat Zane Sarafiny and Brandon Henschel in No. 1 doubles, 6-4, 6-2.
Mountaineers coach Greg Stegall said his team did OK, but its depth didn’t match up.
“We’re still producing the best players at the top flights — one singles and doubles,” Stegall said. “Overall, team depth, we just don’t have the numbers. These schools, they have entire JV squads, which means they have over 30 kids to develop. We’ve got 16 at the most.”
Ishpeming placed fourth with four points, followed by Munising (three) and Gwinn (one).
Click for championship match results.
PHOTOS: (Top) An Ishpeming Westwood doubles player returns a shot during Thursday's Division 2 Final. (Middle) Iron Mountain's Tysen Wadge prepares to send back a shot on the way to winning the No. 1 singles title. (Photos by Adam Niemi.)