Reeths-Puffer High School

The Reeths-Puffer Boys Tennis team is coming together this season to grow, unite, have fun, and make the season memorable. 

Reeths-Puffer´s head tennis Coach Joshua Danielson leads his Rockets into their 2026 season. Coach Danielson states that his players have developed a special bond that helps them support each other in ways he is immensely proud of. 

“The boys have learned to grow and get out of their comfort zones; this has allowed them to become a lot closer” 

Coach Danielson says how extremely blessed he feels to be able to coach here at Reeths-Puffer, and how utterly grateful he is to have his first coaching experience here at R-P. 

With his assistant Coach, Michael Greeby, by his side, they help these young tennis athletes to have fun. 

“Our goal is to learn how to enjoy the sport. Having fun while participating in tennis is one of the most important things ever,” Danielson says. 

Coach Danielson hopes that the bonds his players have made will carry with them forever.

“I hope after the boys' season ends, they look back and see how much they have grown as people, as friends, and as a team” 

Junior Henrik Ketner started tennis in the 3rd grade but didn't start taking it seriously until the 6th  grade when he had his first match. Inspired by his mother, Henrik loves to play tennis, saying, ¨I love the competition¨.

For Henrik, moving up to one singles has been a challenge, as last season he played four singles.

He says he is a lot different as a player than as a person, adding ¨Tennis taught me how to handle being angry; hard days and hard matches are what keep me going, and give me motivation¨ His recovery advice for after a bad match is to ¨take a day off and reflect¨.

 Henrik recommends using anger to help guide you instead of letting it consume you. When making a mistake, Henrik says, ¨I tell myself that it's all right and there is always the next point¨. His favorite memory is the way he played against Byron Center, and he states ¨ I'm not sure why, but the feeling I felt after that match stays in the back of my mind; I was so proud of how I played.

He said he's definitely seen improvement within himself this season physically and mentally, even saying, ¨I learned how to not get overwhelmed and how to apply my focus on what matters¨. 

Henrik says the teammate who helps encourage him the most to keep going is Zayden Zlotnicki.

2025 All-Conference player and Sophomore, Roman Ponce is in his second year of varsity tennis for the Reeths-Puffer Rockets and is enjoying the season with his teammates and coaches. 

He explains that he prepares for a match by hitting with Henrik and making sure he’s all warmed up. Roman says his biggest strength is his serve, which he isn’t afraid to use. 

At the Fruitport Quad on August 22nd, 2026, Roman was seen as being top 2 on the team, winning twice in straight sets and almost winning a third to a tough opponent from North Muskegon.

  Following up on September 3rd, 2026, they had a match against Whitehall, where Roman won both sets, scoring 6 in both sets and winning his match.

He admires Olympic tennis player Ben Shelton and hopes to be like him in the near future. 

The Tennis team has been working hard this season and improving with each match. The boys appreciate the support from their fans. There is still time left in the season to catch them in action. Their upcoming matches can be found on Reeths-Puffer High School Athletics page.