Despite winning four of the eight flights, the boys’ tennis team took second place at the City tournament on Saturday, Sept. 25.

"The team did well overall," coach Jeff Bush said. "We won two more flights than any other school, and we had five flights make the final."

The Sailors fell one point short of the City title. North Muskegon won the tournament with 48 points. Whitehall was third with 41 points.

Senior Coty Bouchard (No. 1 singles), junior Nick Beall (No. 3), and freshman Sam Kling (No. 4) won singles titles while the No. 3 doubles team of junior Daniel Darcy and freshman Thomas Dreliozis also placed first.

"It felt great (to win an individual title) because it was what I worked hard for all season," said Bouchard, who won the City title at No. 2 singles as a junior.

Bouchard defeated NM’s Stefan Miller 6-1, 6-0 in the finals. Beall beat the Norse’s Donald Dean 6-0, 6-4 for the title.

Kling downed Whitehall’s Jeremy Adkins 6-2, 6-2 to claim the crown while Darcy/Dreliozis went all three sets, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to claim the title from NM’s Zac McCamant and Nick Huisingh.

"We connect very well," Dreliozis said. "We are similar with humor and personality which helps us on the court."

Most talent may come naturally to some players, but Beall said the whole team practiced hard to be prepared for City.

"I worked a lot because obviously all the teams are really good," Beall said.

The team practiced everyday after school for an hour and a half and put forth all their effort to get better.

"As far as preparation for the tournament, we had a good, focused week of practice leading up to the tournament," coach Bush said.

For the Sailors, winning second place is not bad at all, and everyone played their best.

"Everybody stepped it up; some flights just didn’t go our way," Bouchard said.