It’s always hard to focus on positives after a defeat, but the Reeths-Puffer boys tennis team showed unmistakable signs of progress in Saturday’s 6-2 loss at the hands of a very strong Jenison squad.
Last year the Rockets only won nine games in an 8-0 loss to Jenison. This year they won 48 games and managed to capture two matches.
Any way you slice it, that's a lot better.
“We got swept last year,” said R-P Coach Ryan Hankinson, who noted that Jenison features nine seniors in its lineup. “That’s how much we’ve improved as a team. This was a definite measuring stick. Jenison is a better team than us today, but we’re getting there. It’s not so much a talent differential anymore. Now it’s more about execution and getting the kids to believe.”
R-P doubles partners Zade Rogers and Kaden Malotke celebrate after winning a point.
At No. 4 singles, R-P's Nate Rosema filled in for the regular player and had success, posting a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Jenison’s Kole Beckstrom.
“It was a really good showing by Nate against a really good player,” Hankinson said.
The Rockets’ No. 1 doubles team - seniors Zade Rogers and Kaden Malotke - continued their early season success with an impressive comeback victory over Jenison’s Charlie Johnson and Bradyn Betts.
Rogers and Malotke were swept 6-0 in the first set, pulled themselves together and won the second set 7-5, then maintained the momentum and captured the tiebreaker 10-5.
“They lost that first set about as bad as you can, but they know their abilities, and they know how good they can be,” Hankinson said. “They played last year together at No. 2 doubles, and they’re going to be a strength for us this year.”
R-P’s Quinn Alderink put up a tough fight against Jenison’s Joey Greer at No. 2 singles, losing the first set 6-2 and rebounding and winning the second 6-4 before finally falling in the tiebreaker 10-4.
Reeths-Puffer Cade Paugh unleashes a serve in the No. 3 singles match.