ROCKFORD ATHLETICS I HOME OF THE RAMS

The Rockford varsity boys tennis team had a long, emotional day of competition this past weekend as they faced off in a double dual against St. Joseph and Rochester Hills Stoney Creek. What was supposed to be a crisp 9 a.m. start turned into a test of patience and focus, as a three-hour rain delay forced players and coaches to wait before taking the courts. “Rain delays are always tough,” said Rockford Taran Tyler. “You’re ready to go early, then suddenly you’re sitting around. But at the end of the day, both teams are in the same boat, you just have to handle it.” When play finally began, the Rams shook off the sluggish start and delivered a dominant 8-0 sweep against St. Joseph. Several matches went the distance, however, showing that Rockford had to dig deep after slow starts. Senior Elijah Johnson, at No. 1 singles, dropped the first set but stormed back to win 4-6, 6-4, 10-8. His resilience set the tone for the Rams, who ultimately took every flight. That momentum carried Rockford into their second matchup against Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, but the energy from the morning was met by an equally determined opponent. In one of the closest matches of the season so far, Stoney Creek edged Rockford 5-4 in a battle defined by razor-thin margins. Five of the nine flights went to third-set tiebreaks, with Stoney Creek pulling out victories in three of them. That proved to be the difference on the day. “We’ve been on both sides of those 10-point breakers,” said Coach Hewitt. “Against West Ottawa, we came out on top of most of them. Today, Stoney Creek got the better of us. That’s high school tennis, it’s part of the game. You learn, you move on, and you work to get better.” Despite the tough loss, Rockford showed grit across the board. The doubles lineup continued to shine, going 4-1 against Stoney Creek, including dramatic wins from both the No. 1 team of seniors Quinn Geshel and Sam Martin (6-3, 3-6, 10-3) and the No. 4 team of seniors Tray Storms and Carter Drolema (4-6, 7-5, 10-8). At No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, the Rams earned convincing straight-set wins, proving once again that their depth and chemistry in doubles and singles remain a program strength. On the singles side, Rockford fought hard but came up just short in multiple flights. At No. 2 and No. 3 singles, seniors Easton Wurm and Alex Moore both pushed their matches into deciding tiebreaks before narrowly falling. In the end, Stoney Creek’s ability to capitalize in the clutch separated the two teams. The Rams now turn their focus back to OK Red Conference play, where they will face Grand Haven in another important showdown. With the lessons learned from their double dual experience, Rockford looks poised to bounce back stronger. “This group battles,” said Coach Huizing. “We may have lost a close one today, but it’s only going to make us tougher when it matters most.” Match Results Rockford 8, St. Joseph 0 Singles #1 Elijah Johnson (R) def. Eeshaan Ale (SJ) 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 #2 Easton Wurm (R) def. Donevin Ruchti (SJ) 6-1, 6-1 #3 Alex Moore (R) def. Logan Southern (SJ) 6-2, 6-1 #4 Noah Clark (R) def. Jack Johansen (SJ) 6-0, 6-3 Doubles #1 Quinn Geshel / Sam Martin (R) def. Joe Pierangeli / Diego Teixeira (SJ) 6-1, 6-1 #2 Jayden Fudge / Joseph Miesiack (R) def. AJ Bacolor / Henry Smith (SJ) 6-1, 6-2 #3 Coen Beickman / Broderik Gee (R) def. Wyatt Milletics / Ben Hosbein (SJ) 6-0, 6-2 #4 Tray Storms / Carter Drolema (R) def. Ryan Lokey / Ben Kirschenbaum (SJ) 6-1, 6-0 Stoney Creek 5, Rockford 4 Singles #1 Quentin Rangi (SC) def. Elijah Johnson (R) 6-0, 6-0 #2 Gavin Clark (SC) def. Easton Wurm (R) 4-6, 6-3, 12-10 #3 JJ Vettraino (SC) def. Alex Moore (R) 6-2, 7-6 (5), 10-8 #4 Christian Lambert (SC) def. Noah Clark (R) 6-0, 6-1 Doubles #1 Quinn Geshel / Sam Martin (R) def. Spencer Sun / Gibby Beers (SC) 6-3, 3-6, 10-3 #2 Jayden Fudge / Joseph Miesiack (R) def. Nathan Doe / Ethan Wu (SC) 6-2, 6-1 #3 Coen Beickman / Broderik Gee (R) def. Anik Batra / Eunjun Choi (SC) 6-2, 6-0 #4 Tray Storms / Carter Drolema (R) def. Christos Marselis / Lorenzo Barretto (SC) 4-6, 7-5, 10-8 #5 Brady LaRosa / Ian Wu (SC) def. Scott Julian / Liam Storms (R) 7-6 (5), 2-6, 10-5