MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP - The Reeths-Puffer boys tennis team had a fun season in 2022.
Zade Rogers and Jake VandenBosch won the city tournament championship at No. 1 doubles and Ethan Frang did the same at No. 4 singles.
The No. 2 doubles tandem of Jaxson Whitaker and Travis Ambrose – standouts for the R-P basketball team – brought some extra attention to the tennis program and did quite well.
But Rogers and VandenBosch have graduated, Whitaker and Ambrose are playing varsity football this fall, and the Rockets will be asking a lot of younger guys to step up and play big roles in 2023.
Quinn Alderink
“We’re going to be super young,” said R-P tennis coach Ryan Hankinson, whose team will open the season at Jenison on Wednesday. “We will have no seniors, and probably four juniors, four sophomores and three freshmen among our top 12.
“We have to replace some players, and it’s going to be tough, but I really like the young kids who have come into our program. This is going to be kind of a year of progression. We’re not looking so much for results, but we want the players to work on making themselves better every day.”
The Rockets may be young this year, but the roster includes a lot of talent and potential.
Five players inherited significant roles on the team last year, and while most of them had their ups and downs, the lessons learned from 2022 have prepared them for what’s to come.
Ethan Frang
The list starts with junior Quinn Alderink, who was moved up to No. 1 singles during the season last year and struggled a bit, but learned a great deal playing against other teams’ top players.
He will be a candidate to fill the No. 1 roll again this fall.
“He played a ton of tennis this summer and matured a lot,” Hankinson said about Alderink. “He had some success with the bowling team last winter, and there is a lot of correlation between the mental part of bowling and tennis.
“He thinks No. 1 singles is his, and we have three other kids who think they can beat him, so it should be fun. I am really excited to see how he does this year.”
Holden Earnest
Frang, the No. 4 singles city champion, is also back, and Hankinson thinks he could have another very good year.
“He did a really great job at four singles last year,” the coach said about Frang. “He is probably one of our most athletic kids. He’s kind of a perfectionist. He’s very hard on himself. He could play anywhere from two or three singles or maybe one doubles.”
Junior Cade Paugh moved up from No. 3 singles to No. 2 singles last season and will be an important part of the lineup.
“He struggled at times last year, but he’s a really good player,” Hankinson said. “Him and Quinn always argue about who’s going to beat who. Both Cade and Ethan have some so far in their games.”
Adam Miller
Junior Holden Earnest will also play a key role, anywhere from No. 3 singles to No. 1 doubles. Hankinson said he was “probably the most improved player last season” and could potentially form a great No. 1 doubles team with Frang when the lineup is all sorted out.
“They could be like Zade and Jake 2.0,” the coach said.
Junior Adam Miller played No. 4 doubles as a freshman and No. 3 doubles last year. He is a candidate to play No. 4 singles or be back in the doubles lineup again this fall.
“He is a future scientist,” Hankinson said about Miller. “He studies on the bus and he’s always reading a book. He asks me, when he’s done with his matches, if he can study his physics. He has improved a ton and he’s the most coachable kid we have. He’s just a super positive role model.”
Cade Paugh
Hankinson said Alderink, Frang, Paugh, Earnest and Miller are probably the team’s top five players (in no particular order) going into the season, but it takes 12 to fill out a lineup, so all the Rockets will have important roles to play this season.
Other contributors will include Trent Van Dam, Adam Schrumpf, Owen Schrumpf, Preston Singleton, Cory Judd, Jack Klimsza, Vaughn Simons, Jackson Baldus and Travis Clockman..
“As coaches, we set goals for all of them and continuously work with them,” Hankinson said. “We let them help design their own development system and come up with what they think they can do to help themselves and the team the most.
“We have a two-year plan for every player. We’re not going to accomplish this overnight.”
