PHS Tennis Season Off to Promising Start

Portland hosted three of the top teams in the state on Friday. The team is showing that it can still compete with the big teams even though we fell a little short. The team's most impressive finish was at 2 doubles where Alex Russman and Kurt Kraczon won the flight. They're going to be one of the top teams to beat this year.

Final team standing were:

1. GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY LIGGETT 19

2. NORTH MUSKEGON HIGH SCHOOL 12

3. PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL 11

4. PAW PAW HIGH SCHOOL 6

Singles

No. 1 - Aryan Virk, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Tarun Jarial, GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY LIGGETT, 6-2, 6-2, -;

No. 2 - George Anusbigian, GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY LIGGETT def. Jack Roe, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 6-2, 6-0, -;

No. 3 - Bennett French, GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY LIGGETT def. Ryan Leonard, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 6-3, 6-4, -;

No. 4 - Gerry Sherer, GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY LIGGETT def. Cadin Cross, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 6-1, 6-0, -;

No. 1 - Aryan Virk, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Josh Vanroekel, PAW PAW HIGH SCHOOL, 6-0, 6-2, -;

No. 2 - Jack Roe, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Tyler Mejeur, PAW PAW HIGH SCHOOL, 6-2, 6-3, -;

No. 3 - Ryan Leonard, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Kendrick Brown, PAW PAW HIGH SCHOOL, 6-0, 6-0, -;

No. 4 - Michael Hartman, PAW PAW HIGH SCHOOL def. Cadin Cross, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 7-6 (7), 7-5, -;

No. 1 - Jack Dobb, NORTH MUSKEGON HIGH SCHOOL def. Aryan Virk, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 6-3, 6-2, -;

No. 2 - Tommy Schanhals, NORTH MUSKEGON HIGH SCHOOL def. Jack Roe, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 7-5, 6-3, -;

No. 3 - Brennen Mcmanus, NORTH MUSKEGON HIGH SCHOOL def. Ryan Leonard, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 6-0, 6-0, -;

No. 4 - Troy Mcmanus, NORTH MUSKEGON HIGH SCHOOL def. Cadin Cross, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 6-3, 6-3, -;

Doubles

No. 1 - Vincent Maribao - Jacob Tomlinson, GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY LIGGETT def. Gabe Hankey - Marty Thelen, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 6-2, 6-3, -;

No. 2 - Kurt Kraczon - Alex Russman, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Alex Deimel - Rocco Scarfone, GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY LIGGETT, 6-4, 6-4, -;

No. 3 - Bode Neumeister - Jack Estes, GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY LIGGETT def. Joe Lorenz - Jorgen Sonday, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 6-2, 6-1, -;

No. 4 - Campbell Marchal - Maximillian Wiegel, GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY LIGGETT def. Timothy Pohl - Casey Smith, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 6-1, 6-3, -;

No. 1 - Tommy Simon - Aiden Johnson, PAW PAW HIGH SCHOOL def. Gabe Hankey - Marty Thelen, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 1-6, 7-5, 10-8;

No. 2 - Kurt Kraczon - Alex Russman, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Gabe Rogers - Will Vanderbor, PAW PAW HIGH SCHOOL, 7-5, 7-5, -;

No. 3 - Joe Lorenz - Jorgen Sonday, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. London Emmons - Reese Golisek-wisser, PAW PAW HIGH SCHOOL, 5-7, 6-4, 10-6;

No. 4 - Ryen Fusko - Andy Malcolm, PAW PAW HIGH SCHOOL def. Timothy Pohl - Casey Smith, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 6-4, 6-2, -;

No. 1 - Gabe Hankey - Marty Thelen, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Chris Erndteman - Quinn Kersman, NORTH MUSKEGON HIGH SCHOOL, 6-2, 6-2, -;

No. 2 - Kurt Kraczon - Alex Russman, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Andrew Koman - Ethan Koman, NORTH MUSKEGON HIGH SCHOOL, 6-2, 6-2, -;

No. 3 - Joe Lorenz - Jorgen Sonday, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Gavin Grimm - Pierce Marczak, NORTH MUSKEGON HIGH SCHOOL, 6-2, 6-3, -;

No. 4 - Timothy Pohl - Casey Smith, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Grayson Hinton - Gus West, NORTH MUSKEGON HIGH SCHOOL, 6-1, 6-2, -;

On Tuesday, the team played in their 3rd quad in 5 days. Portland hosted three teams from the state tournament last year. It seems these teams bring rain with them and this year was no exception. As we were bringing players in for the opening meetings the skies opened up for about 10 minutes. This delayed the tournament for about two hours as we waited for things to dry up. With more rain in the forecast, we decided to play short sets to four instead of six and match tie breakers in lieu of the third set to make sure the tournament would finish.

Northpointe Christian brought another tough squad and won 20 of their 24 matches on the day. Portland also played some pretty solid tennis and finished in second place. We had one flight champion when Jack Roe won two of his matches at 2 singles and benefited from a withdrawal due to injury in his last match. Cadin Cross at 4 singles, Marty Thelen and Gabe Hankey at 1 doubles, Alex Russman and Kurt Kraczon at 2 doubles, and Casey Smith and Kai Kipp at 4 doubles were flight runners up.

Final team standings:

1. GRAND RAPIDS NORTHPOINTE CHRISTIAN 20

2. PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL 13

3. GRANT HIGH SCHOOL 10

4. ESSEXVILLE GARBER 5

Singles

No. 1 - Karlton Zerlaut, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL def. Aryan Virk, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 4-0, 4-0, -;

No. 1 - Malachi Yaffey, GRAND RAPIDS NORTHPOINTE CHRISTIAN def. Aryan Virk, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 4-2, 4-0, -;

No. 1 - Logan Brown, ESSEXVILLE GARBER def. Aryan Virk, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 4-1, 4-1, -;

No. 2 - Jack Roe, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Connor Bash, ESSEXVILLE GARBER, 4-1, 4-2, -;

No. 2 - Jack Roe, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Riley Holmberg, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 4-2, 4-1, -;

No. 2 - Jack Roe, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Ben Neymer, GRAND RAPIDS NORTHPOINTE CHRISTIAN, 2-0, 2-0, - Default;

No. 3 - Travers Koory, GRAND RAPIDS NORTHPOINTE CHRISTIAN def. Ryan Leonard, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 4-1, 4-2, -;

No. 3 - Jacob Watson, ESSEXVILLE GARBER def. Ryan Leonard, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 1-4, 4-2, 10-8;

No. 3 - Ryan Leonard, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Matt Hautamaki, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 4-0, 4-1, -;

No. 4 - Cadin Cross, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Eli Bradley, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 4-2, 4-1, -;

No. 4 - Joe Bradley, GRAND RAPIDS NORTHPOINTE CHRISTIAN def. Cadin Cross, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 4-0, 4-0, -;

No. 4 - Cadin Cross, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Kaleb Wiseman, ESSEXVILLE GARBER, 4-2, 4-0, -;

Doubles

No. 1 - Gabe Hankey - Marty Thelen, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Jackson Decorte - Jake Williams, ESSEXVILLE GARBER, 4-0, 4-0, -;

No. 1 - Carter Chase - Jed Vanderweide, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL def. Gabe Hankey - Marty Thelen, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 4-0, 4-0, -;

No. 1 - Gabe Hankey - Marty Thelen, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Ben Vergouwe - Jace Deshelter, GRAND RAPIDS NORTHPOINTE CHRISTIAN, 5-4 (6), 4-2, -;

No. 2 - Elan Bosma - Derek Diepenhorst, GRAND RAPIDS NORTHPOINTE CHRISTIAN def. Alex Russman - Kurt Kraczon, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 4-1, 5-4 (3), -;

No. 2 - Alex Russman - Kurt Kraczon, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Nick Long - Jesse Hugo, ESSEXVILLE GARBER, 4-1, 4-0, -;

No. 2 - Alex Russman - Kurt Kraczon, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Dustin Slachter - Payton Swinehart, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 4-1, 0-4, 11-9;

No. 3 - Diego Krepps - Trent Patton, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL def. Joe Lorenz - Jorgen Sonday, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 4-1, 5-3, -;

No. 3 - Sam Bradley - Chase Berends, GRAND RAPIDS NORTHPOINTE CHRISTIAN def. Joe Lorenz - Jorgen Sonday, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 4-1, 4-1, -;

No. 3 - Sam Bradley - Chase Berends, GRAND RAPIDS NORTHPOINTE CHRISTIAN def. Joe Lorenz - Jorgen Sonday, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 4-1, 4-1, -;

No. 3 - Joe Lorenz - Jorgen Sonday, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Owen Brey - Luke Piggott, ESSEXVILLE GARBER, 4-0, 4-0, -;

No. 4 - Casey Smith - Kai Kipp, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Zach Goetz - Aj King, ESSEXVILLE GARBER, 4-0, 4-0, -;

No. 4 - Casey Smith - Kai Kipp, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Kyle Bay - Isaac Higgins, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 4-1, 5-4 (3), -;

No. 4 - Dan Nymeyer - Joe Bradley, GRAND RAPIDS NORTHPOINTE CHRISTIAN def. Casey Smith - Kai Kipp, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 1-4, 5-3, 10-7;

Portland will play again Saturday when they host Whitehall, Traverse City Central, and DeWitt.