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Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor
Maybe it’s the warmer weather. Or perhaps the Forest Lake tennis team simply enjoys getting out of April and looked forward to the month of May. Then again, maybe the boys actually need the middle of the season to find their mid-season form.
Whatever it is, it’s suddenly working, as the Rangers went 2-for-2 last week, with a pair of those hard-to-come-by 4-3 wins.
Head coach Greg Patchin and his squad were in White Bear Lake on May 1, where the boys grabbed three points in a hurry, and then had to wait it out for the decisive fourth point.
“It was a classic case of White Bear loading their doubles with five seniors and playing for a singles win,” Patchin said. “It almost worked. Spencer (Conrad) at No. 2 singles rallied, despite not having his ‘A game,’ to win the match.”
Along with Conrad, Dusty Boyer, Sammy Steiner and Jeff Isaacson took care of matters at the respective No. 1, No. 3 and No. 4 singles positions, while the duos had to fight off all of those experienced seniors. The Bears were victorious in all three matches.
The day before making the short trip to White Bear Lake, the Rangers entertained Woodbury, and earned the first 4-3 decision.
(Photo by Greg Hunt)
OH, BOYER: Fortunes changed for the better for the Forest Lake tennis team, as the boys won two close matches against Woodbury and White Bear Lake. Dusty Boyer went 2-0 and is ranked in the state’s top 10.
All season long, Forest Lake has been strong and steady with Boyer, Conrad and Steiner, and on Wednesday, the boys got an added boost from the doubles side.
“Today we got a lift at No. 3 doubles for the win,” Patchin pointed out. “Right now, (Seth) Bostrom and (Dylan) Sperry look ready to be competitive.”
As for Boyer, the oxymoronic young veteran is ranked No. 9 in the state, and he had little trouble with Jason Brooks.
“He just does some things that you cannot coach,” Patchin said of Boyer. “He is so creative and uses all four corners of the court for being just an eighth-grader.
Forest Lake kicks back and takes it easy this week, with only five matches in six days. The team was in Cambridge-Isanti on Monday (an easy 7-0 win, which ensures the boys of a top seed at sections) and Mounds View on Tuesday, before hosting Stillwater on Wednesday and Park on Thursday. A breather arrives Friday, and then its off to Anoka Saturday morning.
Rangers 4, White Bear 3
SINGLES: Boyer def. Nelson 6-1, 6-1; Conrad def. Jesse Stein 4-6, 7-5, 6-1; Steiner def. Tyler Heins 6-3, 6-1; Isaacson def. Steven Rockwood 6-1, 6-2.
DOUBLES: Ben Mullen/Josh Magistad lost to Dan Moody/ Brendan Fitzpatrick 1-6, 2-6; Paul Hill/Randy Schroeder lost to Tim Abrahamson/Andy Chaperson 2-6, 0-6; Sperry/Bostrom lost to Kyle Johson/Dave Groschen 1-6, 3-6.
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