Tiger tennis team flourishes in horrid weather conditions

• Joe Deppe

Joe Deppe has been showing steady progress as the four singles player for the Tiger tennis team.

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Some of the worst imaginable conditions for tennis didn’t stop the New Richmond boys team from sweeping a pair of Middle Border Conference matches last week.

The worst of the conditions came last Tuesday, when the Tigers beat Ellsworth on their home court, 7-0. The Tigers went to Amery last Thursday and won by another 7-0 count.

Tiger coach Mike Montello muttered under his breath that he’d never had a team play in snow before, but there were occasional flurries being carried by the vicious howling wind last Tuesday. Montello said it was one of “the coldest tennis matches I have ever been involved in.”

Nick Bradish, Isaiah Hobbs, Pat Holland and Joe Deppe all won in two sets in the singles matches against Ellsworth. For Hobbs and Holland, it was their first varsity singles win. Two of the four Ellsworth singles players were foreign exchange students. They had another on their one doubles team.

The Tigers didn’t have any trouble winning the top two doubles matches. Jorden Aufderhar and Justice Harvieux gave up one game in two sets at one doubles. Buck O’Flanagan and Mike Stoffel safely handled the two doubles match. The lone challenge for the Tigers came at three doubles, where the Charlies, Gartner and Kleiner, lost the first set 6-4. They came back strongly, winning the final two sets by 6-2 scores.

Amery is extremely young and it showed in the singles matches, where the four Tigers lost a total of eight games.

Again, the heartiest challenges were in the doubles lineup. Montello expected a stiff challenge from Amery’s one doubles team, but Harvieux and Aufderhar rolled ahead, 6-0, 6-3.

“My pair was extremely focused for this match, as the Amery pair beat them during the scrimmage,” Montello said.

Montello shuffled the rest of the doubles lineup. Stoffel and Kleiner played two doubles, eeking out a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win. Montello said he likes this combination and they will likely see more time together.

O’Flanagan was at three doubles in this match, teamed with Jordan Kvam. They scored a 6-4, 6-2 victory.

Up next

The Tigers resume their conference schedule on Thursday with a match at Durand. The Tigers will be on their home courts next Tuesday, facing Baldwin-Woodville.

Tags: sports, tigers, tennis, prep