By John George
The tennis team has been stretched pretty thin through the early weeks of practice for a variety of reasons...family reasons...other activities. It showed last Thursday as they fell in their season opener to Wadena-Deer Creek, 4-3.
We played up to our ability today, head coach Terry Grzybowski said. We were missing Ian Johnson (No. 3 singles). With him in the line-up, it could easily have been a 4-3 Perham victory.
What Perham did have was a strong 1-2 punch with No. 1 Sean Wurgler and No. 2 Gus Rutten at the top of the singles line-up. Rutten won in straight sets while Wurgler needed a third set plus a tie-break win in the second set to force a third, which he won 6-4.
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He was a little rusty at times, Grzybowski said of Wurgler. But he never gave up. He played his game and brought home the win.
The teams third win came at No. 3 doubles where Tim Eickschen and Brandon Heimer, both in their first ever varsity match, won by taking the third set tie-break, 8-7 (7-6).
Grzybowski said about half of the team are involved in other activities. This week, several will take part in the State Speech Competition.
Perham will have had plenty of time to work out the kinks by the time they return to action at the Park Rapids Invite on April 22, even though they will still be without the speech team participants.
After speech is over, practice should intensify and the boys will have a shot at reaching their potential before we head into section play, Grzybowski said.
They return to Park Rapids a few days later for a triangular meet on April 25.
Barring a schedule change, Perham will have their last regular season home meet on April 27 against Long Prairie-Grey Eagle.
Tennis
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Thursday, April 13
Wadena-Deer Creek 4, Perham 3
Singles
1. Sean Wurgler (P) def. Nelson, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4; 2. Gus Rutten (P) def. Hillesland 6-3, 7-5; 3. Blazek (WDC) def. Mike Buer, 6-1, 6-4; 4. Brown (WDC) def. Cody Gustafson, 6-2, 6-2.
Doubles
1. Taggart & Peterson (WDC) def. Colman Silbernagel & Jake Muszynski 6-2, 6-1; 2. Hall & Leyh (WDC) def. John Carlson & Mike Howey, 6-4, 6-0; 3. Tim Eickschen & Brandon Heimer (P) def. Bain & Schmidt, 4-6, 6-2 8-7 (7-6).
Jackets: 0-1
Next:
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4/22 at Park Rapids Invite
4/25 at Park Rapids Trianguar
4/27 Long Prairie-Grey Eagle (H) 4:30 pm
