Posted: 6/8/05
Tennis team finishes as 7AA runners-up
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Joe Drennan
Sports Editor
When the season started, Forest Lake High School boys tennis coach Greg Patchin said the teamís goal was to make it to the final four in Section 7AA play. The team bettered Patchinís goal and ended the season as Section 7AA runners-up.
The Rangers were paired up against three time defending section champion Duluth East in the semifinal round. Duluth East won three of the four singles matches. Jeff Kohler was the lone Rangers singles player to earn a point as he won his match 6-0, 6-1.
The Rangers doubles teams stepped up and swept the doubles matches to give the Rangers a 4-3 victory. Luke Odegaard and Matt Peterson won the first match 6-3, 6-3, then Rob Gavanda and Sammy Steiner won 6-0, 6-3 to tie things up.
In the final match, Chris Albee and Spencer Conrad dropped the first set 1-6, but came back and won the next set 6-1. Albee and Conrad then won the third set 7-6 in what turned out to be the longest tie breaker in Section 7AA play.
ìThe duo survived eight match points to capture that match for us,î Patchin said.
Later in the day, the Rangers had to face Grand Rapids for the Section 7AA title and a trip to the state tournament.
Grand Rapids won the first three individual matches, but Kohler again earned the Rangers a point with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory. Odegaard and Peterson kept things rolling in doubles play with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory, but the other doubles teams were overpowered by Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids won the match 5-2 to advance to the state tournament.
ìI think the emotional hangover from beating Duluth East led to the slow start against Grand Rapids, but I was proud of our determination and effort to come back after being down a set,î Patchin said. ìIt showed we didnít quit.î
In the match against Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids won all the opening sets, but in four of the seven matches, the Rangers battled back to force a third set.
ìI believe that if we played Grand Rapids 10 times, weíd beat them five,î Patchin said. ìIím sure theyíd agree with that.î
Individual play
In individual play, Odegaard defeated Kevin Walker of Grand Rapids 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Odegaard lost to Joe Stejskal of Grand Rapids 7-6, 0-6, 2-6. Odegaard then lost to Patrick Stauss of Princeton 4-6, 6-7 to earn a third place finish in the section.
In doubles play, Chris Sobieck and Dan Cromwell lost to Matt Halvorson and Sean Turner of Duluth East 3-6, 4-6. Tom Kling and Steiner lost to Scott LaRogue and Tony Clafton of Grand Rapids 1-6, 3-6 as well.
ìThe boys played well,î Patchin said. ìI think Tuesdayís match play affected the doubles team and Luke (Odegaard) was ever so close to qualifying for the state tournament, but didnít get the clutch points. Luke is such a warrior on the court, but his tanks were on empty.î
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