Our boy’s Tennis team lost with grace yesterday here at home against Stanwood. While the score was an unfortunate 0-7, the team showed signs of improvement from when they last played Stanwood, likely from better preparation.

The team’s #4 singles player Jesse Vaughn (’15) was able to adapt while playing, losing 0-6 the first set, but turning it around to nearly win the second set 4-6. The #3 doubles partnership of Glen Gamboa (’15) and Cameron Reece (’16) played similar to Jesse in that they improved while playing, with set scores of 1-6, and 4-6. Connor Guthrie (‘17), the #2 singles player, preformed well, starting 3-0 the first set but eventually losing 3-6.

Despite the dismal looking score card, overall our players were fundamentally sound, winning many impressive points within games that were heartbreaking losses. Nearly every point played by Connor Ghirardo (’15) was a sustained rally that excited spectators on both sides. Nick Mendro (’17), Rawley Davis (’15), Isaiah Mitzelfeldt (’17), and Sean McCauley (’17), who made up doubles teams #1 and #2 respectively, made plenty of plays that kept them competitive. For instance, Mitzelfeldt once made a difficult low-angled shot down the doubles’ alley while moving backward defensively for a win. Davis, on multiple occasions, won points aggressively at the net, slamming poor shots off strong strokes by his partner Mendro.

Although this year’s opportunities against Stanwood didn’t end in our favor, the optimism of the Tennis Team is evident, and they hope to be more competitive in coming years.