Fresh off conference and regional victories West Ottawa Boys Varsity Tennis has their sights on a higher challenge: the state finals. WO will compete against the seventeen best teams in the best division in Michigan high school tennis. 

   While the rest of West Ottawa has the day off of school, Boys Varsity Tennis will be balling out in the Byron Center area against many schools from the east side of the state. A day predicted to reach 68° will start around seven o’clock for the team. With matches starting at 8:30 a.m., there is no telling how far the team can go.

(More) Favorable Matchups

   With a season record of 22-4, Soph. Luke Koschmann will face up against Ann Arbor Skyline at 4 singles. He was a conference champion and winning was a key to West Ottawa winning the OK Red Conference Tournament. Koschmann has already gone against Skyline earlier this season. He won and will try to do the same on Friday.

   After starting later into the season, Jr. Trevyn Bethke has a 13-2 record at two singles. Bethke has been playing without a serve because of a shoulder injury, but is still able to tear up his opponents. He was both a conference and regional title at 2 singles. Both wins were vital for WO to become conference and regional champions. Bethke will go head-to-head with Ann Arbor Pioneer in his first match on Friday.

   Three doubles team Lincoln Taylor and Brylan McConnell with a record of 19-7 will also go against Ann Arbor Pioneer. After reaching the conference and regional finals they will look to outlast Pioneer to continue in the state tournament.

Rematches

   After being 18-7, 2 doubles duo Teddy Mauger and Landon Meyer will face 3-seeded Northville. Almost two months ago, Mauger and Meyer almost beat Northville after losing 7-10 in a third-set tiebreaker. Such a close match is bound to happen again. West Ottawa will look to hand Northville’s 2 dubs only their third loss of the season.

   West Ottawa’s 4 doubles flight, with a record of 17-9, Lukas Woudwyk and Harper VanNoord will go against 5-seed Troy Athens in their first match. Woudwyk and VanNoord played Troy Athens over a month ago and will look for revenge after a close match the first time.

Goal

   The obvious goal would be to win the tournament, but Assistant Coach Lee Schopp has other goals for the team. Schopp said, “Honestly, our goals shouldn’t be about winning or earning a certain number of points.  Our goals should be to compete at the highest level we can.” Schopp and the coaching staff know that not every point can go in our favor, but he does know that the points will come if the boys do their job. Playing the top 17 teams in Division I is no easy task. 

   Three years ago the boys earned 6 points at state, two years ago they earned 7, and last year they earned 2.