Last year boys varsity tennis almost swept Ottawa Hills. This year, however, they swept Ottawa Hills, and almost every single flight beat them 6-0 in both sets on Wednesday.  The Rangers ended up winning 8-0 against the Bengals. FHC focused on practicing what they needed to improve on.

“We prepared for the Ottawa match working on areas where the team needed improvement,” Head coach Dan Bolhouse said. “Doubles players focused on making a higher percentage of serves while attacking the net. Singles players worked on consistency from the baseline and being patient waiting for an opportunity to attack.”

One doubles were the only team that didn’t win both sets 6-0. They won the first set 6-0 but ended up winning the second set 6-1. The only point they lost was because of a miscommunication between them.

“We played very well,” said sophomore Chris Battiste, who is part of one doubles. “The thing going through my head was if you miss a shot just move on to the next point and that’s what we did.”

One singles, which is junior Nick Sjolin, dominated against the Bengals. All of his strokes were on point, which helped Nick win both sets without giving up a point to the other team. Nick has had a great season so far.

“I was focusing on making each shot and playing my best during the match,” Nick said. “It’s awesome to win individually, but it’s even better to win as a team.”

The Rangers played the hardest that they have played all season, and their results showed it. The Rangers have been putting in extra practice to get ready for states. This win puts the Rangers OK White Conference record at 3-1. FHC’s next game will be the Rockford Quad on Saturday. The Rockford Quad consists of four teams: Rockford, Grand Rapids Christian, and St. Joe High school. The Rangers will be playing against some stiff competition, but they hope their extra practice will help them in the upcoming matches.

“We are entering the final stretch and the boys have improved a lot since the beginning of the season,” Bolhouse said. “I am proud of the team for how they played and handled themselves on and off the court.”