Solid programs could take teams far

By Mike Selecky
Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008

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By Michael Selecky
VIEW Sports Writer

GENESSEE COUNTY — With the ins and outs of the 2008 boys’ tennis season rapidly approaching, let’s take a look at what could lie ahead for our area teams:

GRAND BLANC
For the Bobcats, the atmosphere surrounding the boys’ tennis program is annually one of championship contention, as they’ve taken the Big Nine title in three of the past four seasons. Last year they also were regional champs and finished sixth at the state finals, a result coach Dave Clement and his staff are sure to use in their favor.

“This group has the potential to reach historic heights for the Grand Blanc tennis program this year. We just need to set our goals individually and as a team while keeping our focus,” said Clement. “This season we have the opportunity to win state championships at multiple flights.”

Returning from last year’s team is a laundry list of top level athletes that includes senior co-captains Jon Jablonski and Ryan McCallister, juniors Aaron Pfister and Nick Swanson and sophomore Jonathan Pfister.

These athletes will have big shoes to fill for Grand Blanc, as they’ll be the ones asked to replace graduates such as team captain and No. 2 Singles player Danny Perry, No. 3 Singles player and co-captain Chris Amrich and No. 1 Doubles combo Matt Williams and Simon Lim.

Some of the athletes who did not play with the varsity unit last year but could get a chance to contribute this season include freshmen CJ Krimball, Alex Swanson and Wes Kujacznski.

“This is a respectful, talented, hard-working group of young men but regarding our facilities, we need to continue to work to improve our courts,” Clement said.

GOODRICH
Now in his fifth year at the helm for the Martian boys’ tennis program, coach Roger Conn regularly faces challenges at Goodrich that are exclusive to his team, as they are the only squad at the school to compete as an independent because of the total lack of competition offered by both the Red and Blue sides of the Genesee Area Conference.

Even still, Conn has managed to add an air of respectability to the program, as witnessed by the fact that Goodrich took top honors for the third year running at their Oct. 4 Independent League tournament, followed by Durand, Atherton and Mt. Morris. Last year they finished the regular season at 10-4-3 overall, eventually placing sixth in the nine-team No. 21-3 St. Clair regional with five points.

Some of last year’s players who may return include seniors Brad Christensen, Jake McCormick and Mike West, along with sophomore Austin Duff.

In 2006 Goodrich was 8-2-1, placing fifth at the 20-3 Bloomfield Hills-Cranbrook Kingswood regionals with eight points.