Boys tennis team looking for the final piece to its puzzle

FREMONT – Is there anything worse than missing one piece to a jigsaw puzzle?

No matter how pretty the picture is, the eye is just naturally drawn to the one blank space.

Such is the case for coach Lisa Wolfe and the 2018 Ross boys tennis team.

Wolfe has nearly a complete picture – a pretty good-looking, too – but she can’t help but wonder where the last piece is hiding.

“As a coach, you’re always wanting more and more and more, I guess,” Wolfe said. “’If we just had that one more singles player,’ but I’m very happy with the turnout.”

The Little Giants return most of the group that went 11-7 overall last year with a 4-3 mark in the TRAC, graduating just two seniors, only one of whom, Brandon Richter, played regularly in varsity matches, competing at No. 2 doubles.

Wolfe’s team is set at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, where Alex Thatcher and German foreign exchange student Nils Nolte will be battling with one another for positioning all season. Wolfe is excited to see the duo push one another.

“I like the No. 1 and 2 being very strong players. They get to play against each other in practices and they’re very close to talent. They’ll be vying for that No. 1 position, which is great to have throughout the season and it can change at any time. You’ll see those two flux around, I’m sure.”

The question mark comes at No. 3 singles. While Wolfe has returning singles players Sam Long and Lucas Cronin back from last season, both have expressed their preference to play doubles. They, along with Trevor Weickert and Ethan Moyer, could give Wolfe solid doubles units, but leave the hole at No. 3 singles unfilled. The question becomes, who steps in at No. 3 singles? If it comes from the doubles side of things, is there a newcomer capable of playing doubles as well?

“We have six for-sure varsity players, I have two singles and four that want to play doubles. So, we are lacking a No. 7 player,” Wolfe said.

Wolfe said she may be borrowing a page she used in the fall with the girls team. The Lady Giants had three strong singles players in Olivia Henry, Gillian Gallagher and Lily Abdoo. If Ross’ opponent was weaker at singles, Wolfe played the trio at singles, assuring at least a 3-2 win. If the opponent’s singles were strong, Gallagher and Abdoo paired up on doubles, giving Ross a different look.

“Depending on who we play and, if I do my scouting right, we can see where their strength is and where we need to beef up,” Wolfe said. “It worked perfect with the girls’ season, that’s why they were so successful, we had that positioning.”

Candidates to fill the No. 7 spot on varsity include Skyler Huff and Cody Lopez, who played JV last year, as well as Isaac Minor and first-year tennis player Drew Miller who, despite his lack of experience in the game, has put himself on Wolfe’s radar.

“I’ve been very impressed,” Wolfe said. “He’s got the mindset of absorbing everything. Everything we talk about, everything his teammates tell him. He’s willing to correct what he’s doing wrong and you see it in his next round of play. He’s already corrected so much.

“Isaac Minor, he has quick feet from soccer and he would make a great doubles player also,” Wolfe added.

Wolfe said St. Francis, St. John’s and Central Catholic remain the top dogs in the league, but she believes the Little Giants are more than capable of being at the top of the next pack of teams in the TRAC.

Ross opens its season Thursday at Bowling Green in the first round of the Ohio Tennis Coaches Association Tournament.

“I think we can do just as well with this team as we did last year,” Wolfe said. “Hopefully we can improve on a couple of those 2-3 losses we had.

“We have a lot of experience. I have a lot of seniors on this year, this is their fourth year, so they know each other, they like each other and I think it’ll be a great season.”