Raider Tennis Battle’s Tough Competition to Take 2nd

The Portland Boy’s Varsity Tennis team was back in action on Tuesday, as they hosted Grant, Essexville-Garber, and former division rival, state-ranked (6) Williamston. The Williamston Hornets flexed their strength by winning 2-singles, 3-singles and 4-singles, as well as 1-Doubles and 2-Doubles. However, the Raiders held their ground against the Hornets, securing victories in both the 3-Doubles and 4-Doubles flights. Portland was the runner-up in many flights as well, and the team finished just 2 points behind Williamston. Grant and Essexville Garber are currently in the rebuilding stage, but their solid teams and excellent coaching staff will have them ready come regionals. Portland had another excellent second place finish.

The Raiders are looking to improve upon a few areas before heading into their upcoming contests. When asked what the team needs to work on, Head Coach Joel Cross stated, “We’ve got to be a little more aggressive in Doubles. I want to see my Doubles players getting into things and playing a little more aggressively than they are…”

Portland is approaching the tough season ahead of them with true grit. Head Coach, Joel Cross said “Last year we finished one point out of going to the state tournament. We lost a few good players but I think this team is able to step up and fill that gap, so I’m hoping we can pick up that extra point and qualify for states this year”. The coaching staff is confident that the team is poised to make a deep run this season, viewing today’s performance as a stepping stone in the right direction.

Final Team Standings for the Day: 1. Williamston 19 2. Portland 17 3. Essexville-Garber 6 4. Grant 6

Singles: No. 1 - Jack Roe, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Connor Bash, Essexville GARBER, 6-0 , 6-4 , -;

No. 1 - Jed Vanderweide, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL def. Derrick Torra, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL, 6-1 , 6-3 , -;

No. 1 - Jack Roe, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Derrick Torra, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL, 6-3 , 6-2 , -;

No. 1 - Connor Bash, Essexville GARBER def. Jed Vanderweide, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 6-3 , 7-5 , -;

No. 1 - Jed Vanderweide, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL def. Jack Roe, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 6-3 , 7-5 , -;

No. 1 - Connor Bash, Essexville GARBER def. Derrick Torra, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL, 6-0 , 6-0 , -;

No. 2 - Trent Bowen, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Kaleb Whisman, Essexville GARBER, 6-3 , 6-3 , -;

No. 2 - Alex Russman, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Riley Schwartz, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 6-0 , 6-1 , -;

No. 2 - Trent Bowen, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Riley Schwartz, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 6-0 , 6-0 , -;

No. 2 - Alex Russman, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Kaleb Whisman, Essexville GARBER, 4-6 , 6-2 , 6-2 ;

No. 2 - Kaleb Whisman, Essexville GARBER def. Riley Schwartz, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 6-1 , 6-0 , -;

No. 2 - Trent Bowen, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Alex Russman, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 6-1 , 6-2 , -;

No. 3 - Joe Mirate, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Ryan Leonard, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 6-0 , 7-5 , -;

No. 3 - Connor Lyman, Essexville GARBER def. Austin Whitney, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 6-0 , 6-0 , -;

No. 3 - Ryan Leonard, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Austin Whitney, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 6-1 , 6-1 , -;

No. 3 - Joe Mirate, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Connor Lyman, Essexville GARBER, 6-1 , 6-2 , -;

No. 3 - Ryan Leonard, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Connor Lyman, Essexville GARBER, 6-1 , 6-2 , -;

No. 3 - Joe Mirate, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Austin Whitney, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 6-1 , 6-0 , -;

No. 4 - Tommy Warren, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Nick Swanson, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 6-0 , 6-0 , -;

No. 4 - Zach Goetz, Essexville GARBER def. Ethan Webert, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 1-6 , 6-1 , 6-4 ;

No. 4 - Zach Goetz, Essexville GARBER def. Nick Swanson, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 6-0 , 6-1 , -;

No. 4 - Tommy Warren, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Ethan Webert, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 6-1 , 6-0 , -;

No. 4 - Tommy Warren, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Zach Goetz, Essexville GARBER, 6-0 , 6-0 , -;

No. 4 - Ethan Webert, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Nick Swanson, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 6-3 , 6-3 , -;

Doubles: No. 1 - Kurt Kraczon, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL - Jorgen Sonday, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Payton Swinehart, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL - Riley Holmberg, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 7-5 , 0-6 , 6-2 ;

No. 1 - Chris Kemler, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL - Maxwell Battist, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Owen Brey, Essexville GARBER - Izaiah Schmidt, Essexville GARBER, 6-0 , 6-0 , -;

No. 1 - Kurt Kraczon, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL - Jorgen Sonday, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Owen Brey, Essexville GARBER - Izaiah Schmidt, Essexville GARBER, 6-0 , 6-0 , -;

No. 1 - Chris Kemler, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL - Maxwell Battist, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Payton Swinehart, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL - Riley Holmberg, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 6-3 , 6-2 , -;

No. 1 - Chris Kemler, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL - Maxwell Battist, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Kurt Kraczon, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL - Jorgen Sonday, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 6-2 , 6-4 , -;

No. 1 - Payton Swinehart, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL - Riley Holmberg, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL def. Owen Brey, Essexville GARBER - Izaiah Schmidt, Essexville GARBER, 6-0 , 6-1 , -;

No. 2 - Isaac Higgins, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL - Sawyer Carr, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL def. Luke Piggott, Essexville GARBER - Isaiah Ciesla, Essexville GARBER, 6-1 , 6-0 , -;

No. 2 - Jack Smith, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL - Joey Heilman, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Kai Kipp, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL - Casey Smith, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL, 6-3 , 6-0 , -;

No. 2 - Jack Smith, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL - Joey Heilman, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Luke Piggott, Essexville GARBER - Isaiah Ciesla, Essexville GARBER, 6-2 , 6-2 , -;

No. 2 - Kai Kipp, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL - Casey Smith, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Isaac Higgins, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL - Sawyer Carr, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 6-0 , 4-6 , 6-1 ;

No. 2 - Jack Smith, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL - Joey Heilman, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Isaac Higgins, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL - Sawyer Carr, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 6-1 , 6-2 , -;

No. 2 - Kai Kipp, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL - Casey Smith, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Luke Piggott, Essexville GARBER - Isaiah Ciesla, Essexville GARBER, 6-4 , 6-1 , -;

No. 3 - Cadin Cross, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL - Timothy Pohl, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Alex Kulmachz, Essexville GARBER - Nick Long, Essexville GARBER, 6-0 , 6-0 , -;

No. 3 - Lukas Jeitschko, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL - Ethan Egger, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Drew Crater, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL - Eli Bradley, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 6-0 , 6-4 , -;

No. 3 - Cadin Cross, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL - Timothy Pohl, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Lukas Jeitschko, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL - Ethan Egger, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL, 6-3 , 4-6 , 6-3 ;

No. 3 - Drew Crater, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL - Eli Bradley, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL def. Alex Kulmachz, Essexville GARBER - Nick Long, Essexville GARBER, 6-3 , 6-4 , -;

No. 3 - Cadin Cross, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL - Timothy Pohl, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Drew Crater, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL - Eli Bradley, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 6-2 , 6-0 , -;

No. 3 - Lukas Jeitschko, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL - Ethan Egger, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Alex Kulmachz, Essexville GARBER - Nick Long, Essexville GARBER, 6-1 , 6-0 , -;

No. 4 - Raph Rivera, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL - Jack Schafer, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Noah Bach, Essexville GARBER - AJ King, Essexville GARBER, 6-4 , 1-6 , 6-1 ;

No. 4 - Dane Wildrom, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL - Austin Getchell, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Seth Schuitema, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL - Matthew Mansfield, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 6-0 , 6-0 , -;

No. 4 - Raph Rivera, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL - Jack Schafer, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL def. Seth Schuitema, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL - Matthew Mansfield, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL, 3-6 , 7-6 (3), 6-4 ;

No. 4 - Dane Wildrom, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL - Austin Getchell, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Noah Bach, Essexville GARBER - AJ King, Essexville GARBER, 6-2 , 6-4 , -;

No. 4 - Seth Schuitema, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL - Matthew Mansfield, GRANT HIGH SCHOOL def. Noah Bach, Essexville GARBER - AJ King, Essexville GARBER, 6-2 , 6-2 , -;

No. 4 - Dane Wildrom, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL - Austin Getchell, PORTLAND HIGH SCHOOL def. Raph Rivera, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL - Jack Schafer, WILLIAMSTON HIGH SCHOOL, 7-6 (4), 6-4 , -;

Portland will travel to Haslett this Thursday (8/27) at 4:00 pm, to battle the state-ranked Vikings.