It’s a very good sign that the rapidly improving Reeths-Puffer boys tennis team managed a tie with tradition power Whitehall.
It’s an even better sign that R-P’s coach was disappointed with the outcome and wants to do better going forward.
As far as R-P Coach Ryan Hankinson can tell from looking at past records, the Rockets have never beaten Whitehall in boys tennis.
But he was still not pleased with his team’s 4-4 deadlock with the Vikings on Thursday on the R-P courts.
He thinks his Rockets have advanced to the point where they could have gotten a victory in one more flight and cemented a team win, but left the job unfinished.
R-P's Adam Miller, who gutted out an important win at No. 2 singles.
“Whitehall is a team with the goal or expectation of going to state every single year, and they are a model of what we are striving for,” said Hankinson, whose team is preparing to go up against other area squads in next weekend’s Greater Muskegon Athletic Association City Tournament. “I believe we should have won it. A tie was a disappointment.”
Reeths-Puffer swept all four singles matches, which victories coming from Quinn Alderink (No. 1 singles), Adam Miller (No. 2 singles), Cory Judd (No. 3 singles) and Cade Paugh (No. 4 singles).
Alderink won his match 6-0, 6-0 and Judd won 6-2, 6-0.
More difficult victories from Miller, who beat Whitehall’s Owen Bass 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, and Paugh, who beat Whitehall’s Evan Schuitema 6-2, 7-5, preserved the tie for the Rockets.
All four R-P doubles teams lost, something Hankinson did not anticipate.
R-P's Cade Paugh, who posted a tough victory at No. 4 singles.
“No. 1 doubles is in many ways our most competitive flight, and they just didn’t get the job done,” the coach said. “We needed Adam Miller to pull out a three-set win to get the tie.”
Hankinson credits his players for improving and putting the team within range of beating Whitehall – but he knows they are capable of more.
“When you look at scores over the last seven years, we have never competed with Whitehall in terms of coming close to getting a win,” he said. “But I still view the glass as being half empty rather than half full.”
