Greenhills Holds On for 8th Straight Title

By Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com

October 17, 2015

KALAMAZOO — Ann Arbor Greenhills came together as a team to win its eighth consecutive Lower Peninsula Division 4 championship, but later Saturday afternoon they were a team divided.

After earning 36 points for their ninth title in the last 10 years, the Gryphons planned their traditional celebration at Buffalo Wild Wings with one exception. 

“They were hoping to finish in time to watch the Michigan-Michigan State football game,” coach Eric Gajar said. (They did).

“Most of the guys from Ann Arbor are obviously big Michigan fans. A couple of us, including myself, are Michigan State fans, so it’s a little bit of a house divided. But it’s fun to be together to watch it. These guys love being together.” 

Greenhills won five flight titles with one more possible at No. 4 doubles. West Bloomfield Frankel Jewish Academy could not play until after sundown Saturday, so the quarterfinal match against Traverse City St. Francis was played Saturday evening. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett will play the winner in the semifinal and Greenhills has already advanced to the championship match. Both will be played on Sunday.

On Saturday, University Liggett finished second with 28 points and St. Francis third with 19. 

“We’re narrowing the gap (on Greenhills),” Liggett coach Mark Sobieralski said. “We’re really young. We have five sophomores and two freshmen and we’ve only got two seniors.

“My No. 3 player (Spencer Warezak) from last year didn’t even play this year. He’s been hurt the whole season. We should get him back, so it’s only like losing one player.”

Gajar said he has warned his players that Liggett is closing in. 

“I’ve been telling the guys all year long that objects in the rearview mirror are closer than they appear,” he said. “Last year they were second, this year they’re second. 

“I have great respect for the program and the coach has done a great job with these guys. I told the Liggett coach that I think they’re the team to beat next year. Traverse City is right there, too, and doesn’t graduate a lot of guys (four). There’s a couple coming for us.” 

Greenhills had winners at three singles flights, but it was the No. 1 doubles team that clinched the team title.

Senior Brandon Johnson and sophomore Jack Harris, the second seeds, defeated Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian fifth seeds Matt Kintz and Jarrett Berends, both seniors, 6-4, 6-3.

“We didn’t know we won while we were on the court, but once we were off the court, my coach told me,” Johnson said. “I think it would have helped knowing. I play better under pressure.

“It’s just the perfect way to end my career here at Greenhills. I couldn’t ask for a better partner and a better season.”

Harris, who was on the junior varsity team last year, said the two are good friends and “we make each other better. We have good chemistry.” 

The No. 1 singles match featured a 3-hour, 15-minute marathon with Otsego senior Luke Ford, the top seed, defeating No. 2 Oliver Weaver, from Williamston, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3.

The two met last year in the No. 1 quarterfinals with Ford winning 6-1, 6-1. 

On Saturday, Weaver was down 4-1 before battling back to win the first set. In the second, Ford was up 5-1 and Weaver fought back to 5-4 before Ford closed out the set.

“Nobody gives up out here,” Ford said. “I thought, I’m not going to win state if I don’t win this (second) set so I have to pull it out somehow. To win (the title) is unbelievable.” 

In the third set with Ford leading 5-3, Weaver dropped to the court, writhing in pain with a leg cramp. Ford grabbed a bottle of water and took it over to him while they waited for the trainer. After treatment, Weaver got back up and finished the match.

“I just tried my hardest,” he said. “This was my last match of the year and I wanted it really bad. I always fight hard for everything.” 

Being down in the first set, “I just kept playing,” Weaver said. “I didn’t really get mad at myself. I definitely had more pressure on myself to perform better than last year.”

Otsego coach Chuck Parker said Ford has been working on his game since he was a child. 

“Every year he got better,” Parker said. “He learned from his loss last year in the semifinals. He’s survived some really tough matches. His only loss this year was to (Portage Central’s) Bill Duo (who won the LPD2 title at No. 1 singles on Saturday).”

At No. 2 singles, Greenhills junior Sam Talsma defeated Liggett sophomore Christian Ilitch, 6-4, 6-3. 

Talsma worked his way up from No. 1 doubles last year.

“I worked hard over the summer and found myself at 2 singles,” he said. “(Ilitch) and I played twice before and I won both.

“It helped my confidence going in but even if I had lost them, I would have still gone into the match with the same amount of gusto and enthusiasm.” 

The two played on one of the front three courts at Kalamazoo College’s Stowe Stadium.

“Since I was on (one of the front courts) I was a little nervous, but he’s a good player,” Ilitch said. “He’s got a good serve.”

Gage Feldeisen, the top seed at No. 3, defeated second-seeded St. Francis junior Tyler Spigarelli, 6-1, 6-3, in the championship match. 

Gajar said losing Feldeisen to graduation this year is going to leave “big shoes to fill.”

“He’s actually never lost a D-4 match in his career,” Gajar said. “He was captain this year and last year.” 

Feldeisen defeated Spigarelli earlier this season, but, “You know they want to beat you the second time, so you have to make sure that you cannot only beat them the first time but also the second time,” Feldeisen said.

“It’s more pressure, not like I beat him once so it’s going to be easy. In reality, it’s not easy ever.” 

Spigarelli, who lost in the second round at No. 3 doubles last year, said: “I was very surprised this year that I got this high at 3 singles to be a two seed. This year I’m definitely happy with the way I’ve played and the way I’ve improved.”

At No. 4 singles, junior Andy Xie, the top seed from Greenhills, defeated third seed Andrew Staricco, a sophomore from Liggett, 6-2, 6-2. 

“I’ve been playing really well this weekend,” Xie said. “He was a really nice player. It could have gone either way, in my opinion.

“I’ve played him twice in the regular season (and won both). It definitely does help mentally. Half the game is a mental game.” 

As for the consecutive team titles, Xie said:  “It’s something we think about. It’s always in the back of our minds, but we just want to let loose and have fun. Winning’s just a bonus.”

Staricco upset second seed Victor Casler, of St. Francis, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, in the semifinals and credits learning to hit with topspin as the reason. 

“In the first match of the year, I didn’t have any topspin,” he said. “I learned over the year. I lost to St. Francis in the first match (of the year) and now with topspin it was easier to win.”

Greenhills won the No. 2 doubles title, with top seeds senior Connor Todd and junior Mitchell Gajar pulling out a tough three-setter over Liggett’s second seeds Will Gersch, a senior, and Dave Sekhon, a junior, 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-3. 

At No. 3, Liggett’s top seeds sophomore Casey Scoggin and freshman Alec Azar defeated Greenhills second seeds, junior Matt Chatas and freshman Trey Feldeisen, 6-3, 6-1.

Editor's note: Amar Nigam and Kris Gulvezan of Greenhills defeated Liggett's Kester Stefani and Craig Buhler in the No. 4 doubles final in three sets. Greenhills finished with 37 points total, while Liggett scored 29 and third-place Traverse City St. Francis had 21. 

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PHOTOS: (Top) Greenhills’ Brandon Johnson waits for a return as partner Jack Harris follows through on his serve during their No. 1 doubles match. (Middle) Otsego’s Luke Ford returns a shot on his way to winning No. 1 singles. (Below) Greenhills’ Sam Talsma smashes a shot during his No. 2 singles championship match. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)

Cranes Take Back Top Spot from D3 Rival

October 17, 2015

By Greg Buckner
Special for Second Half

HOLLAND — For the last four years, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood had to watch Detroit Country Day hoist the Division 3 Lower Peninsula boys tennis championship trophy.

On Saturday, the Cranes turned the tables, winning the MHSAA Final with 38 points to leave the Yellowjackets settling for second with 30 at Hope College. 

“I think for our seniors, it’s fantastic,” Cranbrook Kingswood coach Jeff Etterbeek said. “These guys have watched that trophy presentation for four years now, and for them to have this day was really exciting. Country Day obviously has a great program — they’re one of the top five programs in the state in all divisions.

“We had to beat them three times (this season) and we did. I’m really proud of this team, especially the leadership that our seniors came out with today.” 

The win was especially sweet after Country Day beat Cranbrook Kingswood by seven points for the LP Division 3 championship last year — and the Cranes did it in dominating fashion Saturday by winning all but two flight finals on the day.

“It’s so surreal watching Country Day come away with the title the last four years and being able to take it away for my senior year; it’s an unbelievable feeling,” Cranbrook Kingswood senior Marc Sable said. “Just this group of guys — they’re my best friends. Just the depth with our team and (Country Day) is crazy. 

“When you have a team like us where from No. 1 singles to No. 4 doubles that has some great team chemistry, that lets us have such great results and we were able to come away with the title.”

Cranbrook Kingswood held on to its two-point first-day lead on the Yellowjackets thanks to a clean sweep of all four doubles flights. 

Nolan Trepeck and Matthew Gerard started it off with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Country Day’s Damian Runkle and Adam Junn at the first flight. Chase Ghesquiere and Steven Meng beat Country Day’s Ryan Murakawa and Ricky Wamicke 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2; Brandon Kerr and Colin Petzold topped Country Day’s Kavon Rahmani and Joe Zhang 6-4, 6-4 at No. 3; and Andrew Du and Jacob Yellen claimed a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Holland Christian’s Brady Brower and Ethan Mouw in the No. 4 flight final.

“I think over the year, our doubles teams have all been very strong,” Etterbeek said. “I felt coming in here that was where we had to win this. Country Day has great singles, Holland Christian has great singles and we have great singles. 

“But I thought the edge would be in the doubles for us, and that certainly proved to be true.”

The Cranes also won the No. 2 and No. 4 singles flight titles. Benji Jacobson topped Country Day’s Jakob Gahn 6-1, 6-0 at the second flight final and Justin Luo edged Country Day’s Alex Mettler 6-1, 6-0 for the fourth flight title. 

The hometown Maroons placed fourth with 17 points, trailing third-place East Grand Rapids by three, but JP Avila won the No. 1 singles title with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Sable for the first MHSAA title at the top singles flight in program history.

“It’s pretty crazy to think that it’s my first year playing here at Holland Christian and being able to do this is not only cool for myself, but for the school and the team as well,” said Avila, who was born in Holland but lived in China and Mexico before returning. “It’s an honor to be able to do it and play for Holland Christian. … I think it will be a couple days until I realize what I’ve done.” 

The Yellowjackets’ Michael Khaghany beat Cranbrook Kingswood’s Michael Bian 6-1, 6-3 for the No. 3 singles flight title — and it was only fitting that the two state powers that have combined to win the last seven Division 3 titles would square off in six of the flight championships Saturday.

“Cranbrook was better and we gave effort. We played better today, but they played better than we did,” Country Day coach Tom Ellis said. “You’re probably looking at the two best teams in the state. We’ve played the Novis, the Cranbrooks and played Division 1 teams. You’re looking at Cranbrook as the best team in the state — and we’re not far behind.” 

Click for full results.

PHOTOS: (Top) Cranbrook Kingswood tennis players pose with their MHSAA championship trophy. (Middle) Holland Christian's JP Avila returns a shot during his run to the No. 1 singles title. (Below) Country Day's Adam Junn returns a shot during his No. 1 doubles final. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)