Oliver Weaver, shown here in the finals of the 2015 MHSAA state tournament, won the first singles flight and led the Hornets to a second place finish in the Fowlerville Invitational. | Photo Credit: Dan Slider
By Dan Slider | Contributor
The Williamston Boys High School Tennis Team opened their season on Thursday with a strong showing in the Fowlerville Invitational. “Overall, I’m happy with the result,” said WHS Coach Nate Schwarzbek. “We’re still getting our feet under us and we faced a pretty good field today.” The Hornets 17 points earned a second place finish in the eight team tournament. Walled Lake Northern won the tournament with 22 points, followed by Williamston (17), Chelsea (15), Pinkney (13), Fowlerville (11), Howell (9), Plymouth Christian (5) and Ionia (4).
Oliver Weaver led the Hornets from the first singles position by defeating Justin Klucevek of Howell 6-0, 6-0 and Steven Quigley of Fowlerville 6-0, 6-0 before facing Mal Young of Walled Lake Northern in the finals. Weaver fought off Young to win the championship 6-3, 6-4.
In their first tournament playing as a team, Colton Grant and Matt Baker took the second doubles opening round from Fowlerville 6-0, 6-0. Grant and Baker faced Walled Lake Northern in the semi-finals and battled to a 6-3, 6-7(7), 12-10 win. In the finals, the Hornets coasted to an easy victory over Pinkney 6-0, 6-0 to claim the title.
At second singles, Alex Kemp dropped his first round match to Walled Lake Northern in a second set tiebreaker. Kemp went on to defeat Ionia and Fowlerville, finishing the day in third place. At third singles, Daniel O’Toole took matches from Plymouth Christian Academy and Chelsea before falling in the finals to Walled Lake Northern and finishing in 2nd place. At fourth singles, Will Davis won his opening round match over Ionia and fought out a three set win over Pinkney before losing the championship round to Walled Lake Northern. He also finished in 2nd place.
The veteran first doubles team of Nathan Scott and Ben Heilman lost a hard fought opening round to Walled lake Northern 6-3, 7-5 but went on to defeat Ionia and Pinkney and earn third place. Playing for the first time as a team in the third doubles flight, Zach VanDuren and Nick Basore scratched out two three set victories over Chelsea and Pinkney before losing in the finals to Walled Lake Northern. Johnathan Kersten and Xavier Grimes debuted at fourth doubles with a win over Pinkney, a loss to Walled Lake Northern, and a close, three set loss to Fowlerville.
“When you consider six of our seven losses on the day were to a division one school, you have to call this a successful start to the season,” said Coach Schwarzbek. “Our goal is winning a state championship and this is step one.”