The Bowling Green boys tennis team has been a roll, sweeping three straight matches over Fremont Ross, Napoleon, and Maumee by 5-0 scores.
To show how far the team has come, in an earlier match this season, the Bobcats only defeated Northern Lakes League foe Napoleon by a narrow 3-2 team score.
Against Fremont Ross Wednesday at Bowling Green State University’s Keefe Courts, in first singles Aaron Hershberger defeated Cole Kinsey, 6-3, 6-4, in second singles Zack Mangan defeated Jack Swinehart, 6-0, 6-0, and in third singles, Caleb Goff defeated Bakari Scott, 6-1, 6-3.
In first doubles, Mathias Drumm and Theo Bock defeated Zach Bishop and Gage Ross, 6-0, 6-1, and in second doubles Jonas Kendrick and Robby Seiffert defeated Megan Darr and Evan Garcia, 6-2, 6-2.
On Tuesday against Napoleon at the Keefe Courts, Hershberger defeated Mason Peckinpaugh, 6-0, 6-2, Mangan shut out Brayden Bostelman, 6-0, 6-0, and in third singles, Paul Guo did the same to David Rodriguez by 6-0, 6-0 scores.
In first doubles Mathias Drumm and Bock defeated Caden Stover and Alex Geyde, 6-1, 6-1, and in second doubles Jonas Kendrick and Seiffert defeated Mitch Valazquez and Kohen Weichers, 6-0, 6-1.
Against Maumee on April 13, Hershberger defeated Hayden Yu 6-0, 6-1, Goff defeated Jared Chen 6-0, 6-3 and Guo defeated Jeff Lin 6-1, 6-0.
In first doubles, Jonas Kendrick and Seiffert defeated Gabe Waller and Sam Johnson 6-0, 6-2 and in second doubles, Bobcats Trey Ladler and Aden Kendrick defeated Matt Mullins and Gideon Whitney 6-0, 6-0.
Drumm, Hershberger win doubles title
BG participated in the Second Annual Joe Taylor Perkins Doubles Tournament on Saturday, April 15 in Sandusky, and Mathias Drumm and Hershberger came away with a championship.
The format was four flights of doubles teams playing a pro-set to eight games with Ashland, BG, Clyde, Huron, Mayfield, Perkins, Sandusky, and Sandusky St. Mary participating.
In the first doubles flight, Drumm and Hershberger advanced to the final with victories over St. Mary (8-2) and Ashland (8-4).
BG coach Andy Drumm said in the final Aaron and Mathias “used big serves and precision volleys” to take a lead 7-3. They finished as flight champions, 8-5.
In the second doubles flight, Jonas Kendrick and Guo won the first-round match 8-2 over Sandusky and advanced to a semifinal versus Perkins.
In the semifinal, the match was back and forth to 7-6 with Perkins ahead. Drumm said Guo and Kendrick had a couple of double faults and missed volleys that led to the Perkins team breaking serve and taking the match, 8-6.
In the third-place match, Drumm said Guo and Kendrick “seemed to lose a little energy” and fell 8-4 for a fourth-place finish.
In the third doubles flight, Seiffert and Goff of Bowling Green cruised in the first and second round matches versus Huron (8-1) and Mayfield (8-3).
Drumm said in the final versus Ashland, Goff and Seiffert “couldn’t seem to find enough ways to get it past Ashland’s net players” and Ashland cruised to an 8-4 victory for the championship.
In the fourth doubles flight, Drumm said BG’s Ladler and Corin McMurray “struggled against a good Perkins team” in the first round and lost 8-3.
In the consolation bracket, Ladler and McMurray played St. Mary and lost 10-8 in a tie-break played at 7-7. “Bowling Green had match points and could not capitalize on the chances,” coach Drumm said.
Overall, Ashland was the tournament team champion with 80 points. Perkins finished in second with 63 points, and BG finished in third place with 60 points and received a trophy.
Early matches
On April 12, BG lost to Central Catholic, 3-2, at The Twos Athletic Club in South Toledo, in part thanks to two close down-to-the-wire losses in doubles.
On April 11, BG defeated Springfield in Northern Lakes League match at Keefe Courts, despite one singles win.
In doubles, Jonas Kendrick and Goff defeated Patrick Kovach and William Meeker, 6-3, 6-0, and Ladler and Aden Kendrick defeated Brody Murphy and Gavin Murphy, 6-1, 6-1.
In singles, Hershberger fell to Max Kufner, 6-2, 6-1, Seiffert fell to Zachary White, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, and Guo defeated Connor Gilley, 6-1, 6-0.
At Defiance on April 10, the Bobcats fell to the host Bulldogs, 3-2, thanks to two doubles losses.
In first singles, Seiffert fell to Aiden Brenner 6-2, 6-2, but Goff won second singles by defeating Jackson Honsberger 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 and Guo defeated Carmine Castanada, 6-3, 6-1.
In doubles, Jonas and Aden Kendrick lost to Kolton Greear and Carter Campbell 6-1, 6-1, and BG’s Ladler and Corin McMurray fell to Jack Hanson and Dylan Johnson, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (4).
“The best match of the day was at second doubles,” Drumm said. “After a slow start to the first set Ladler and McMurray came out strong in the second.
“In the third set Ladler/McMurray had two match points, 5-4, before falling to Hanson and Johnson 7-4 in the third set tiebreak.”
In Sylvania on April 6, the Bobcats defeated Northview, 3-2, in an NLL match, on the power of taking two of three singles matches.
Hershberger lost at first singles to Max Forquer, 6-1, 6-1, but Mathias Drumm defeated Shane Kagy, 6-1, 7-5, and Zack Mangan defeated Alex Kasee, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, at third singles.
Coach Drumm said Mangan put up a good fight to get the win, ultimately helping BG earn the team win.
“Mangan cruised through the first set capitalizing on errors by Kasee,” coach Drumm said. “Kasee made some adjustments in the second set and came to the net more to win the second set.
“Mangan overcame some tightness and tried to move Kasee a little more in the third set and was able to hold on for a 6-4 victory which clinched the team match.”
In doubles, Jonas Kendrick and Guo defeated Ethan Mack and Ji-Fu Tsou, 7-6 (2), 6-2, and at second doubles, Goff and Seiffert fell to Bryce Behan and Nathan Taylor, 6-2, 6-1.
On April 4 in Sylvania, the Bobcats fell to Southview, 4-1. Mathias Drumm and Bock got the only win at first doubles, taking down Keyshav Agnihotri and Praxnan Dixit, 6-1, 6-2.
In second doubles, Goff and Jonas Kendrick fell to Max Malinowski and Jasiit Singh, 6-0, 6-0. In singles, Hershberger lost to Isaac Vens, 6-3, 6-2, Mangan lost to Hritik Dhar, 6-2, 6-1, and Seiffert fell to Ben Perry, 6-1, 6-1.
Prior to that in a non-league match at Fostoria, the Bobcats prevailed, 5-0, sweeping every match and winning 60 of 68 sets.
Hershberger defeated Jordan Ferguson 6-0, 6-1, Bock defeated Eli Kiser 6-1, 6-0, and Guo defeated Tom Hill-Hernandez 6-1, 6-0.
In doubles, Jonas and Aden Kendrick defeated Gulmano Torias and David Waltermyer 6-1, 6-1, and Goff and Seiffert defeated Lance Miller and Roberto Tovias 6-1, 6-2.
In the season opener at Findlay on March 29, the Bobcats fell to the Trojans, 5-0. Hershberger lost to Austin Asada, 6-0, 6-1, Bock lost to Arda Dastan, 6-1, 6-2, and Guo lost to Sam Swisher, 6-0, 6-0.
In doubles, Jonas Kendrick and Goff fell to Aaron Miller and Luke Williams, 6-0, 6-2, and Aden Kendrick and Seiffert lost to Owens Metz and Mason Greenawalt, 6-1, 6-4.
