Fall Practices

Our fall practices have been going very well so far.  We are getting a good turnout and the weather has been great for us so far.  Here are some pictures from the past few weeks:

Fall Workouts

Dear Grizzly Tennis Faithful,

It's that time of year again - our fall hitting sessions.  This fall (weather permitting) we will be holding optional practices 3x a week.  Mondays and Tuesdays will focus on skill development and fitness/footwork, while Thursdays will be match-play sessions.  I encourage the guys to come out and attend as many practices as possible in addition to hitting on their own.

2012 Fall Grizzly Tennis Schedule (all at Cowls Courts):

• Mondays: 3:45-5:15pm (Skills, Drills, and Fitness)
• Tuesdays: 3:45-5:15pm (Skills, Drills, and Fitness)
• Thursdays: 3:45-5:15pm (Match Play/Strategy Development)

Looking forward to seeing the guys develop their skills this fall season in preparation for our spring high school season!

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions @ wgabrielsen@msd.k12.or.us 

-Coach Gabrielsen

Season in Review - 2012

My apologies to the Grizzly faithful for the delay in postings.  With all of our rescheduled matches and poor weather this past spring I stopped posting matches while dealing with scheduling, prepping the guys for districts, state, etc.  What a great fun season.  I am very sad to see two key members of our team (Jesse and Marshall) head off to college and not play for the team this next season, but and very excited to have a returning team full of seniors who are itching to win the league and district championship this upcoming spring. We have a great group of guys coming back with lots of talent who have the key ingredients for us to be successful.  I am excited to see what the guys will achieve this spring!

Here is a recap of our past season:

2012:

Overall Record: 13-6

Pacific Conference Record: 10-4

Non-Conference Record: 3-2

3rd Place Pacific Conference Dual Season

4th Place Pacific Conference District Tournament

Grizzly Invitational Champions (2x - 2 consecutive)

District Tournament Results:

Jesse Stahl - District Singles Champion (Qualified for State) 

Nathan Johnson - District Consolation Singles Champion

Reza Refaei - Consolation Singles Semi-Finalist

Bradyn Stowe - Consolation Singles Round of 16

Brendon Walters/Cody Thomas - District Doubles Quarterfinalists

Will Worth/Adam Kiff - District Doubles Round of 16

Nicky Domenichini/Marshall Dittel-Payne - Consolation Doubles Round of 16

Daniel Post/Wyatt Waterbury - Consolation Doubles Round of 16

State Tournament Results:

Jesse Stahl - #6 Seed, Quarterfinalist, OSAA 6A State Singles Tournament

All-Conference Players:

Jesse Stahl - 1st Team Singles

Cody Thomas - 2nd Team Doubles

Brendon Walters - 2nd Team Doubles

Nathan Johnson - Honorable Mention Singles

Team Awards:

• Captain's Award - Will Worth/Jesse Stahl
• Grizzly (Hustle) Award - Reza Refaei
• Game Ball Award - Jesse Stahl/Nathan Johnson
• Court Jester Award - Will Worth *
• Most Improved Player - Nicky Domenichini
• Most Inspirational Player -  Will Worth
• Most Valuable Player - Jesse Stahl *

* - Indicates awards voted on by players.

Thanks for all of the support this past season.  I look forward to a great upcoming season of fall workouts and of course, our spring OSAA season.

-Coach Gabrielsen

More matches . . .

The weather did cooperate with us a bit to end last week as we were able to get 1.5 matches in.  We started the Tigard match up there on Thursday and were up 3-0 when the rains came.

Here were the scores from that match:

McMinnville 3, Tigard 0 (5 Matches still in progress)

Singles
1. Jesse def. Tyler Cozy 6-3, Retired (Injury)
2. Nathan leads Kevin Li 7-6(6), 4-4 (0-30)
3. Reza leads Alex Piatski 6-7(1), 6-4, 3-0 (40-30)
4. Bradyn def. Tyler Presjack 6-1, 6-1

Doubles
1. Will/Adam def. Ditton/Raja 6-2, 6-3
2. Brendon/Cody lead Josephson/McKenzie 6-2, 5-7, 5-4 (30-40)
3. Wyatt/Marshall lead Davis/Roloffs 2-6, 6-1, (40-15)
4. Nicky/Daniel lead Maddox/Cabrerra 6-3, 1-2 (40-15)

Match will be resumed tomorrow at 4pm at Tigard.

Friday we headed to Century and I mixed things up a bit.  It was fun to see guys contribute at different spots in the line-up and have fun doing so.  We ended up with a great 8-0 win on the road and had a nice team dinner at Red Robin in Hillsboro afterward.

Here were the scores:


McMinnville 8, Century 0 (7-5, 7-3)

Singles
1. Jesse def. Danh Vu 6-0, 6-1
2. Will def. Chris Finley 6-3, 6-7(5), 10-4
3. Reza def. Cameron Lampkin 6-1, 6-0
4. Wyatt def. Mick Wattanatam 6-4, 6-4

Doubles
1. Nathan/Adam def. Verdi/Laxamana 7-5, 6-4
2. Brendon/Cody def. Hoang/Costa 6-0, 6-2
3. Nicky/Marshall def. Verdi/Wakeland 6-2, 6-1
4. Bradyn/Daniel def. Islas/Melanson 6-1, 6-1

Game Ball - Will (great singles win!)


On Monday we hosted Hillsboro and it was a nice clear day for tennis.  Before the matches began we held a plaque dedication ceremony for former MHS Coach Chuck Biederman.  Coach Biederman led the program for 28 years and coached in some capacity between 1971-2002.  During that time he won 11 league titles, sent 48 players to state, and amassed a 290-105 record.  As part of the ceremony former MHS coach Casey Rich shared a few kind words, and former MHS Athletic Director Sean Burke, along with current MHS AD Ben Patterson were present.  Coach Biederman then said a few words about the Cowls Courts and we proceeded to introduce our line-ups.

Coaches discussing the match during warm-ups.  

The guys did a great job competing in different spots again today (as I decided to mix it up again) and won the match 8-0 over the visiting Spartans.  Coach Biederman was on hand today to help me coach as an "honorary coach" during the match.  He had his clipboard and court diagram out there and helped Adam and Brendon briefly while they were on their way to a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 1 Doubles.

Here are the match scores:


McMinnville 8, Hillsboro 0 (8-5, 8-3)

Singles
1. Jesse def. Michael Nguyen 6-2, 6-3
2. Nathan def. Steven Nguyen 6-1, 6-0
3. Reza def. Corey Strandberg 6-4, 6-2
4. Cody def. Nathan Schaller 6-0, 6-1

Doubles
1. Brendon/Adam def. Real/Toro 6-0, 6-1
2. Nicky/Marshall def. Hang/Walker 6-1, 6-1
3. Wyatt/Daniel def. Thomas/Cowman 6-0, 6-3
4. Bradyn/George def. Peterson/Costa 6-1, 6-3

JV - Wins 2-0

Game Ball - Team (great overall effort!)


Yesterday we played at Newberg and were down 2-4 when the rains came.  Not sure about when the reschedule will be but I will post information soon.

Today we're off to Pacific University to make up our "home match" with Forest Grove.  They have indoor courts so we will get the match in.  Match starts at 4pm.  Hope to see you up there.

Go Grizz!

-Coach Gabrielsen

Back in the win column!

It was a tough three weeks for the Grizzlies.  In three straight matches the guys gave a great effort but we unfortunately lost all three matches.  Yesterday under the cloudy skies of Hillsboro the guys really stepped up their game to defeat a much improved, hard-working Glencoe team.  In our first meeting with Glencoe this season we on 6-2 at home.  In that match Glencoe was missing 2 key starters.  On this day, they had a full squad and brought a ton of energy into the match.

The guys adapted well to a different start.  Instead of starting with 1s and 2s in this match we started with 3 and 4 singles and 2 and 4 doubles.  At No.  3 singles Reza played a great match against a tough player from Glencoe and avenged an early season loss to win 6-4, 6-4.  With each match Reza has shown his teammates, coaches, and opponents that he means business.  It was a great win.  At No. 4 singles Bradyn gave 110% (something that he does in all of his matches) and played a great match.  He ended up on the losing end of the match dropping the final set 5-7, but I was very, very pleased with his effort.  He put a lot of work into the off-season preparing for this spring and his hard work has paid off.

At No. 2 doubles Cody and Brendon got back to their usual winning ways in part by implementing a new poaching strategy with serving signals we implemented at Monday's practice.  The guys used this strategy well and became much more active and aggressive at the net, beating a consistent doubles team 6-3, 6-1.  At No.4 doubles I mixed up the pairings and put Nicky and Daniel together for the first time this season.  After playing together on Monday in practice, the two of them carried over their fine chemistry to win their match 6-4, 6-4.

After those 4 matches were completed we were up 3-1.  At No. 1 doubles, Will and Adam played a very consistent, scrappy, hard-hitting team and won 6-4, 7-5.  They exhibited great patience and went for put-away volleys at the right times in the match.  At No. 3 doubles, the new pairing of Wyatt and Marshall won in decisive fashion 6-0, 6-1.  After hearing a few "primal screams" of joy from Wyatt early on in the match, I knew they were well on their way to winning the match.

The last two matches of the day were true battles. Jesse won a close match 7-6, 6-3 against one of the most athletic players in our league.  Kurtis from Glencoe only plays tennis 3 months out of the year as basketball is his primary sport, but you wouldn't know it based on his wonderful play.  Jesse stayed mentally tough and beat Kurtis on one of his great playing days of the year.  The best, fiercest match of the day was at No. 2 singles.  Nathan, who is accustomed to playing right away, had to wait until about 7pm to start his match.  While playing in near darkness by the end of the match and dealing with noises from the softball batting cages nearby the courts, Nathan bounced back after losing the set to beat one of the strongest singles players in our league 3-6, 6-3, 10-3.  The energy, aggressiveness and consistency he continues to use in every match is really working well for him.  He is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the Pacific Conference at the No. 2 singles spot.  Lastly, George played an exhibition match for the Grizz and won decisively 8-2.  The JV squad was victorious today as well, winning 5-1 against an athletic Glencoe team.

Overall it was great to get a decisive win over one of the tougher teams in our league.  We always have great battles with Glencoe and the guys really stepped up and played well today.  If they continue to play with that much energy and consistency, mainly with that heightened "will to win," then the sky is the limit for our guys.  I have a great feeling moving forward as we finish our regular season, and into our Grizzly Invitational and District/State tournaments.

Here are today's scores:

McMinnville 7, Glencoe 1 (6-5, 6-3)

Singles
1. Jesse def. Kurtis Campbell 7-6(5), 6-3
2. Nathan def. Thommy Nuthmann 3-6, 6-3, 10-3
3. Reza def. Wesley Upton 6-4, 6-4
4. Brian Rassmussen def. Bradyn 7-6(0), 4-6, 7-5

Doubles
1. Will/Adam def. Matthew Bergthold/Brian Forbes 6-4, 7-5
2. Brendon/Cody def. Josh Bailey/Daniel Koleshnikov 6-3, 6-1
3. Marshall/Wyatt def. Quillen Bourassa/Jacom Gerber 6-0, 6-1
4. Nicky/Daniel def. Brendon Summers/Kyle Campbell 6-4, 6-4

Exhibition - George def. Jacom Gerber 8-2

JV - Wins 5-1

Game Balls - Reza/Nathan (singles), Cody/Brendon (doubles)


Here is our schedule for the rest of the season:

• 4/26 - @ Tigard
• 4/27 - @ Century
• 4/30 - vs. Hillsboro (Chuck Biederman dedication ceremony)
• 5/2 - @ Newberg
• 5/3 - vs. Forest Grove (Senior Night)
• 5/5 - Grizzly Invitational Tournament
• 9am - vs. Mt. View (Cowls)
• Noon - vs. Beaverton (Patton)
• 3pm - vs. Clackamas (Cowls)
• 5/10-5/12: Pacific Conference District Tournament (Linfield College)
• 5/17-5/19: OSAA 6A State Tournament (Tualatin Hills Tennis Center)

Thanks for the support this season!

Go Grizzlies!

-Coach Gabrielsen

Mid-Season Report

We've reached the halfway point in our season. We've lost some very close matches lately against some good teams, but I'm pleased with the confidence and progress the guys are showing with each match they play.

Here are some stats from our season so far:

Overall Record: 5-5

Conference Record: 5-3

Non-Conference Record: 0-2

Most Wins:

• Jesse - 8 (8-2)
• Bradyn - 8 (8-2)
• Marshall - 6 (6-1)
• Cody - 6 (6-4)
• Daniel - 6 (6-4)
• Wyatt - 6 (6-4)
• Nicky - 5 (5-3)
• Brendon - 5 (5-3)
• Adam - 4 (4-5)
• Will - 4 (4-6)
• Austin - 2 (2-2)
• George - 2 (2-4)

Here's our remaining schedule for the season:

• 4/24 - @ Glencoe
• 4/25 - vs. Forest Grove (resume match from 2 weeks ago)
• 4/26 - @ Tigard
• 4/27 - @ Century
• 4/30 - vs. Hillsboro
• 5/2 - @ Newberg
• 5/5 - Grizzly Invitational Tournament (Cowls and Patton Courts)
• 9am - vs. Mt. View (Cowls)
• Noon - vs. Beaverton (Patton)
• 3pm - vs. Clackamas (Cowls)
• 5/10-12 - Pacific Conference District Tournament (Linfield College)
• 5/17-5/19 - OSAA 6A State Championships (Tualatin Hills Tennis Center)

Hope to see you out there for some great weather and tennis!

-Coach Gabrielsen

"Off Court" Season Photos

Saxon Invite Pre-Tournament Photo (@ Courthouse Tennis Center in Salem)

(Redmond, McMinnville, Summit, South Salem - from left to right)

A little "hand tennis" competition while waiting for our late bus to Tualatin in the MHS parking lot!

If you have any pictures you'd like to contribute to the blog feel free to send them to me at wgabrielsen@msd.k12.or.us

Go Grizzlies!

South Salem Tennis Player - Interest Story

One thing that's great about coaching is to see the progression of athletes over the course of their careers. In addition, tennis to me is all about overcoming obstacles and competing despite facing these obstacles. Both concepts of progression and overcoming obstacles are highlighted in a recent Statesman Journal (Salem paper) article about a former tennis student of mine who is currently playing for South Salem High School. It's pretty remarkable to see what he's doing despite the injury he's currently inflicted with. Amazing stuff.

Enjoy the article: http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20120419/PREPSSPORTS/304190032/Saxons-Erion-adapts-injury?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Sports|p

News Register Athletes of the Week

Congratulations to the following MHS Boys Tennis Players for being selected as News Register Athletes of the Week this season:

• 3/24 - Bradyn Stowe
• 4/7 - Brendon Walters/Cody Thomas
• 4/14 - Nathan Johnson
• 4/21 - Jesse Stahl

Great work guys!

Matches, Rain, and Matches

It's been quite a while since I've updated the blog. We have had 3 matches over the course of 2 and a half weeks due to the rain. In those 2 weeks we played at Tualatin, started a match with Forest Grove, hosted Newberg, and then hosted Tualatin. It's been frustrating for the kids to have to wait for all of the rains to go away and for courts to clear up. But, through it all the kids are improving with each match and having fun.

Since the last blog update we have played several matches. Here are the results:

• McMinnville 8, Hillsboro 0 (5-2, 5-0)
• Tualatin 6, McMinnville 2 (5-3, 5-1)
• Newberg 7, McMinnville 1 (5-4, 5-2)
• Tualatin 5, McMinnville 3 (5-5, 5-3)

McMinnville 8, Hillsboro 0 (@ Hillsboro)

Singles

1. Jesse def. Michael Nguyen 6-4, 6-2

2. Nathan def. Jesus Toro 6-0, 6-1

3. Reza def. Forrest Walker 6-0, 6-0

4. Bradyn def. Brian Loza 6-1, 6-0

Doubles

1. Will/Adam def. Steven Nguyen/Corey Strandberg 6-3, 7-5

2. Cody/Marshall def. Chris Gonzalez/Brandon Wicks 6-0, 6-2

3. Daniel/Wyatt def. Danny Real/Benson Hang 6-2, 6-0

4. Nicky/George def. Jed Thomas/Brandon Cowman 6-2, 6-1

Tualatin 6, McMinnville 2 (@ Tualatin)

Singles

1. Jesse def. Jason Lemieux 6-3, 6-2

2. Randall Tainer def. Nathan 6-3, 6-3

3. Tyler Hayashi def. Reza 7-6(4), 6-4

4. Bradyn def. Michael Rinker 6-3, 6-1

Doubles

1. Chris Pritchard/Kyle Rinker def. Will/Adam 6-3, 6-3

2. Joe Hiefield/Josh Olson def. Cody/Nicky 1-6, 6-4, 7-5

3. David McKeen/Danh Nguyen def. Wyatt/Daniel 6-2, 6-2

4. Terrence Kuga/Spencer Hayashi def. Austin/George 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 11-9

Newberg 7, McMinnville 1

Singles

1. Anthony Croteau def. Jesse 6-3, 3-6, 6-4

2. Nathan def. Anthony Farr 6-2, 6-0

3. Aidan Thillman def. Reza 6-0, 6-1

4. Tyler Krupicka def. Bradyn 6-1, 7-5

Doubles

1. Cody Brem/Mike Peterson def. Will/Adam 6-3, 6-3

2. Brady Vernon/Barry Vernon def. Cody/Brendon 6-3, 6-0

3. Alvin Yu/Jacob Lindley def. Nicky/Marshall 6-2, 6-0

4. Adam Norris/Chris Peterson def. Wyatt/Daniel 6-2, 6-2

Tualatin 5, McMinnville 3

Singles

1. Jesse def. Jason Lemieux 6-0, 6-2

2. Randall Tainer def. Nathan 6-2, 6-2

3. Tyler Hayashi def. Reza 4-6, 6-2, 6-2

4. Bradyn def. Joe Hiefield 3-6, 6-0, 6-4

Doubles

1. Chris Pritchard/Kyle Rinker def. Will/Adam 6-4, 6-4

2. Michael Rinker/David McKean def. Cody/Brendon 6-4, 6-1

3. Nicky/Marshall def. Danh Nguyen/Spencer Hayashi 7-5, 6-3

4. Terrence Kuan/Mitchell King def. Wyatt/Daniel 0-6, 7-6(5), 6-4

We got off to a great start in conference play, going 5-0 to start the season. A few weeks ago we faced Tualatin on the road and were without some of our regular contributors to the starting line-up. However, despite the changes we made in our line-up, the guys played well and dropped a close match on the road 6-2.

A week later we started our annual night match with Newberg at home. We were down 1-2 and competing very well on all 4 courts when the rains came. Almost one week later we were able to resume the match and dropped it 7-1. Despite the score, the overall match was much closer than the score reflects.

Today we hosted Tualatin in a home match. Despite an improved effort from the guys and fully loaded line-up, we dropped a close match 3-5 that could have gone either way depending on a few points here and there. Despite this tough stretch of 3 matches I am very proud of the effort and improvements seen in the guys with each and every match. They are beginning to figure out how to compete against and succeed when facing challenges and adversity on the court. Despite weather conditions or off-days in their own tennis games the guys are playing some great matches (win or lose). I know today was very difficult for many of the guys on our team who have been varsity players for 3+ years. We are still winless against Tualatin over the course of the last three years, but I am proud of the effort the guys are showing with each match we play against a tough, well-coached Timberwolves squad. With continuing hard work and perseverance we can take them in the years to come!

Overall, we are at a trying point in our season. We have lost several matches in a row and will be tested Tuesday against a very good Glencoe team on the road. However, I know that when we get a few wins in a row under our belt, the guys will realize the tremendous improvements they have made over the course of this season. I know that our team does a great job of peaking (in terms of performance) at the end of the season, and really competes well in the district tournament. I am truly excited to see what the rest of the season has in store for us and am excited to get some nice weather in the upcoming weeks!

Thanks to the Grizzly Faithful for continuing to support the boys with food, beverage, and enthusiastic cheering!

Go Grizz!

-Coach Gabrielsen

News Register Article

The NewsRegister wrote two great articles about our Century and Tigard matches in today's paper. Please check out the stories in print form or at the links below:

http://newsregister.com/article?articleTitle=grizzlies+4-0+in+league+matches--1333573468--3128--

http://newsregister.com/article?articleTitle=mac+baseball+opens+with+5-0+league+win--1333574186--3130-- (You have to scroll down to the bottom of the page to see this article).

The guys are off to a great start to the season.

Go Grizzlies!

2 More Matches, 2 More Wins

Over the last few days the weather reports have been wrong . . . and to our advantage! We were blessed to be able to play two more league matches over the past few days. On Monday we hosted a Century team that returned a good 80% of their varsity line-up from last year. In singles at the No. 1 and No. 4 spots Jesse and Bradyn made quick work of their opponents. At 2 and 3, Nathan and Reza played some great patient tennis and pulled out key 3rd set wins. It's always nice to get a sweep whether it's in singles or doubles, the our four singles players did an excellent job to give our team four key wins!

In doubles all four teams played great tennis and got the doubles sweep! Adam/Will, Cody/Brendon, and Wyatt/Dan continue to improve with each match as a doubles team and will be a force to reckon with by the end of the season. Marshall did a nice job adapting to playing with a different partner as he and Austin pulled out a nice 3-set win at the No. 4 doubles spot. I have really enjoyed watching different guys play with various doubles partners this season, and the success each new combination has had. As a coach it is very pleasing to have all 14 players on the roster who are willing to play with any of their teammates in order to earn a victory for the team!

Overall it was a great effort by the guys today as they were able to come back from a one-week layoff and get a key Pacific Conference win!

Here are the match scores:

McMinnville 8, Century 0

(3-2, 3-0 Pacific Conference Play)

Singles

1. Jesse def. Jesus Verdi 6-0, 6-0

2. Nathan def. Danh Vu 4-6, 6-2, 6-3

3. Reza def. Chris Finley 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(5)

4. Bradyn def. Phoomin Wattanatam 6-1, 6-3

Doubles

1. Will/Adam def. Julius Laxamana/Alexander Hoang 6-1, 6-3

2. Cody/Brendon def. David Costa/Cameron Lampkin 6-0, 6-1

3. Wyatt/Daniel def. Ariel Islas/Kamerin Blasingame 6-3, 6-3

4. Marshall/Austin def. Edward Verdi/Anthony Wakeland 6-2, 3-6, 10-3

Game Ball - Reza for an outstanding 3rd set singles win!

The following day we lucked out again with the weather and hosted a talented, athletic Tigard team, who dropped a close match earlier in the season 5-3 to our annual rivals Tualatin. Seeing this score reaffirmed my believe that our match with Tigard would be a challenging one.

Over the last few seasons we have defeated the Tigers by scores of 8-0 or 7-1, but each match as been much closer than the overall score reflects, and this match was no different. Tigard is a well coached team that traditionally consists of talented, steady singles players, and aggressive doubles teams. As a result, I always expect a tough match with the Tigers.

The guys really stepped up and showed their true potential in this match. In the end our guys played with more passion, energy, and consistency than the Tigers, but our opponents played a very good match as well. In the end we were able to pull out a 7-1 victory over a talented Tigard team. All season we have been discussing the characteristics of becoming a champion. Our ultimate goal during this season (and every season when we compete) is to win the Pacific Conference Title. As a team we know that it takes both a blend of tennis skill, internal desire, teamwork and overall motivation to win a league title. One of the key aspects I have been focusing on with the boys is to treat each match like it's against your toughest opponent. In this case, beating your toughest opponent takes a 110% effort from all 14 players physically, mentally, and emotionally. Our goal is to approach each match with an effort level of 110% and to play winning tennis the way we know how to play it . .. and today, the guys took it to their opponents and played solid tennis. I told the guys today at practice that I had goosebumps while watching them play Tigard yesterday. Their skill development, mental toughness, and overall desire to win are all coming to fruition at the same time, which is what any coach desires by season's end. I am extremely pleased that the guys have reached this point this early in the season. In my mind, as a team if we continue to execute good fundamentals, play smart, consistent tennis, and give a 110% effort day in and day out during matches and at practice, we will achieve our overall goal of winning the conference title. The sky is the limit with this group of players in my mind, and I can't wait to see what they will do next!

Here are the match scores from yesterday's win @ home against Tigard:

McMinnville 7, Tigard 1

(4-2, 4-0 Pacific Conference Play)

Singles

1. Jesse def. Tyler Cozy 6-4, 6-4

2. Nathan def. Kevin Li 6-2, 6-1

3. Alex Piatski def. Reza 7-5, 4-6, 10-5

4. Bradyn def. Tyler Presjack 6-0, 2-6, 6-4

Doubles

1. Will/Adam def. Andrew Ditton/Nial Raji 7-5, 4-6, 6-3

2. Cody/Brendon def. Chris McKenzie/Brian Josephson 6-4, 2-6, 6-0

3. Wyatt/Daniel def. Mitch Davis/Keenan Cabrera 6-3, 6-1

4. Marshall/George def. Willy Maddox/Brandon Li 6-3, 6-3

Game Ball - Nathan for an unbelievable match (best win of his Grizzly career)

This decisive win puts us at an overall record of 4-2 for the season. Our record in Pacific Conference play is a perfect 4-0. We have a tough stretch of 3 matches over the next 6 days. We travel to Hillsboro tomorrow, travel to Tualatin Friday, and host our geographic rival Newberg in our annual night match next Tuesday. It should be a great end to the 1st half of league play. The Hillsboro and Tualatin matches start at 4pm, while the Newberg match will start at 6pm. I hope to see you there and thanks for all of the parents, families, and friends who have provided food and support for the team since the season began.

Take care and Go Grizz!

-Coach Gabrielsen

Pacific Conference Play Begins

We finally started competing in Pacific Conference play this past week. We went on the road to take on Forest Grove, and also hosted Glencoe at our home courts. I was pleased to see the guys build on their solid performance at the Saxon Invitational, and continue to play solid tennis in these two matches. The guys played with great focus and consistency, and we were able to win both matches in decisive fashion.

Here are the scores below:

McMinnville 6, Glencoe 2 (McMinnville players in BOLD)

Singles

1. Jesse Stahl def. Kurtis Campbell 7-6(5), 6-4

2. Wesley Upton def. Reza Refaei 6-3, 6-2

3. Bradyn Stowe def. Brian Rasmussen 6-4, 4-6, 10-8

4. Daniel Forbes def. George Zakaib 6-1, 6-0

Doubles

1. Will Worth/Adam Kiff def. Bergthold/Kolesnikov 7-6(4), 6-2

2. Brendon Walters/Cody Thomas def. Gerber/Bourassa 6-1, 6-1

3. Nicky Domenichini/Marshall Dittel-Payne def. Rogers/Reed 7-6(4), 6-3

4. Daniel Post/Wyatt Waterbury def. Marcus/Lee 6-0, 6-0

Game Ball - Dan/Wyatt for a great 6-0, 6-0 win!

McMinnville 6, Forest Grove 2 (McMinnville players in BOLD)

Singles

1. Jesse Stahl def. Nathan Tanous 6-1, 6-1

2. Cory Stanley def. Austin Wiley 6-2, 6-0

3. Reza Refaei def. Judd Parson 6-4, 6-1

4. Bradyn Stowe def. Andrew Pitaressi 6-2, 6-2

Doubles

1. Cameron Wilbur/Josh Cohrs def. Will Worth/George Zakaib 6-3, 6-2

2. Brendon Walters/Cody Thomas def. Pendleton/Medina 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-4

3. Nicky Domenichini/Marshall Dittel-Payne def. 7-6(7), 6-1

4. Daniel Post/Wyatt Waterbury def. Wilson-Fey/Veliz 6-4, 5-7, 6-4

Game Ball: Jesse for a great win that set the tone for the team win!

These two wins put us at 2-0 and into a 1st place tie with Newberg atop the Pacific Conference standings. The Pacific Conference season is heating up and we will have some very challenging matches upcoming in the next week or two. With all of the rainouts before spring break, our schedule is packed full of matches in the next few weeks (15 matches left to play in 5 weeks!) I look forward to a great week of matches this upcoming week.

This week's matches are:

• Monday (4/2) - vs. Century
• Tuesday (4/3) - vs. Tigard
• Thursday (4/5) - @ Hillsboro
• Friday (4/6) - @ Tualatin

I hope to see many of you out there to cheer on the boys this week! It should be a fun week of quality matches.

-Coach Gabrielsen

Central Oregon Athlete - Blog

In looking online this spring break I came across a blog that was created by the Summit Boys Tennis coach Josh Cordell. Josh is a great ambassador for the sport, and besides updating the Summit High School community about his team's progress, he occasionally includes highlights of high school tennis from around the state. In the following blog post he previews the upcoming high school senior and mentions key players from around the state to watch this season. Congrats to our own Jesse Stahl who is included in the preview!

http://www.centraloregonathlete.com/feature/some-players-to-watch-in-the-2012-oregon-high-school-tennis-season/

News Register Athlete of the Week

Congratulations to Bradyn Stowe who was selected as the MAC Club/News Register Boys Tennis Athlete of the Week for our first week of the season!

South Salem Invitational Results

It's been a crazy week weather-wise so I apologize for not keeping this up to date. We had a great day of tennis in Salem for the 1st annual South Salem Saxon Invitational. The Courthouse Tennis Center was gracious enough to host our tournament from 10-4 for free. South coach Todd Bobeda did a great job of organizing the event and the kids had a great time while playing some great tennis!

We started off the day with a match against defending 5A state champions Summit. Summit is a well-coached team that has tremendous depth. Their top 3 singles players are as tough as the top 3 singles players from the top few teams in the state at the 6A level. At the 1-3 spots or guys played great matches and had tough matches at the same time. Jesse faced the defending 5A state singles champion to open the day's play. The Summit player (Paxton Duel) is the top returning player in the state and has an excellent game. Jesse played a great match, competed hard, and played a much closer match than the 6-0, 6-1 final score indicated. At 2 singles Nathan played a great match, competed well, and used a variety of spins against a very tough freshman player (who happens to be one of the top 20 players in the northwest in the 14s age bracket in USTA Tournament play). Despite the great effort, Nathan lost the match 6-0, 6-0.

Reza and Bradyn both battled hard in their matches at the 3 and 4 spots in singles, and Bradyn came out on the winning end. He won in two close sets to a very good #4 singles player from Summit.

In doubles, all of our d0ubles teams came out firing, playing good consistent, aggressive doubles against 4 very talented doubles teams from Summit. Will and Adam gave a great effort against a returning state-qualifying team, and Cody and Brendon played very well against another returning state team at No. 2 doubles. At No. 3 Wyatt and Daniel played in their first varsity match and competed really well against a tough No.3 Doubles team. At No. 4 Doubles, Nicky and George had the closest result of all 4 of our teams. They dropped a close match 3-6, 5-7.

Overall, I am very proud of the effort of the guys in their first match. Playing a defending state champion is a very tough task, and the guys challenged their opponents at all spots in the line-up. For those of you who are new to the varsity team, I award a game ball at the end of each match for the player or players who I believe exemplify great character and effort in the team match. For his gritty, two set win in singles, Bradyn Stowe earned the game ball for this match! Congratulations Bradyn!

Here are the match scores vs. Summit (Semi-Final Round):

Summit 7, McMinnville 1 (McMinnville Players in BOLD)

Singles

1. Paxton Duel def. Jesse Stahl 6-0, 6-1

2. Chandler Oliviera def. Nathan Johnson 6-0, 6-0

3. Parker Nichols def. Reza Refaei 6-1, 6-0

4. Bradyn Stowe def. Max L'Etoile 6-3, 6-4

Doubles

1. Liam Hall/Lionel Hess def. Will Worth/Adam Kiff 6-3, 6-1

2. Bo Hall/Scott Parr def. Cody Thomas/Brendon Walters 6-3, 6-4

3. Wes Franco/William Dalquist def. Wyatt Waterbury/Daniel Post 6-2, 6-1

4. Ben Souther/Tosh Harrington def. Nicky Domenichini/George Zakaib 6-3, 7-5

After completing our match against Summit, we awaited the loser of the South Salem vs. Redmond match. South Salem finished 3rd in the 6A state tournament last year and only lost 2 of their team members. In my opinion, the Saxons are definitely one of the favorites to compete for the state title this year. They beat a very good Redmond team in the other semi-final match 6-2. As a result, while South Salem took on Summit for the tournament championship, we would be playing the Redmond Panthers for 3rd place in the Inaugural Saxon Invitational. With one match under our belt, we were ready to go out and compete again against a very tough squad.

In singles, Redmond was very solid. In my opinion, all four of their singles players were very good "No. 2 Singles Players" in most line-ups. This would make them a challenging match-up for most teams around the state. At the top spot, Jesse came out firing, playing good consistent and aggressive tennis to beat his opponent 6-2, 6-3. At No. 2, Nathan played a very crafty and skilled player. Although Nathan played very well, he came out on the losing end of the match 6-0, 6-2. At No. 3 Reza played very comfortably and confidently and lost a close match 6-4, 6-3. At No. 4, Bradyn played very well, losing to one of the more solid No. 4 players I have ever seen at the high school level. The score was 7-6(2), 6-2. After doing some research the day after the match, I discovered that Bradyn's opponent played No. 1 singles for most of the season last year. Overall, the guys played very well in singles.

On the doubles side, with one match already played, the guys played with more poise and confidence than in their first match. Will and Adam played a very good, athletic team at No.1 and lost 6-2, 6-2, but the match was much closer than the score indicates. At No. 2-4 doubles, we showed the tremendous depth we have at doubles this year as each duo won by playing aggressive, smart tennis. Cody and Brendon made quick work of their opponents, Wyatt and Daniel won a close 3 set match, and Austin and Nicky won 8-3 in a modified match (due to time constraints). Overall the boys played really well in this match, and we ended up with a tie score of 4-4. However, the first tiebreaker rule to break the tie in this tournament was sets won. Redmond had won 9 sets, we had won 8, so we ended up losing the match. Despite this technicality, I was very pleased with the effort the guys displayed in this match. It's difficult to bounce back after losing to a tough opponent, and to go back on the court with little to no rest. However, the guys showed their resilience and played very well. Game balls in this match went to Jesse (singles), and Cody/Brendon (doubles) for their efficient wins.

Redmond 4, McMinnville 4 (McMinnville Players in BOLD) (3rd Place Match)

Singles

1. Jesse Stahl def. Zach Powell 6-2, 6-3

2. Carlo Gangan def. Nathan Johnson 6-0, 6-2

3. Miguel Hidalgo def. Reza Refaei 6-4, 6-3

4. Luke Maxwell def. Bradyn Stowe 7-6(2), 6-2

Doubles

1. Aaron Chriss/Zack Jackson def. Will Worth/Adam Kiff 6-2, 6-2

2. Cody Thomas/Brendon Walters def. Stephen Witherom/Calen Fitzsimmons 6-3, 6-2

3. Wyatt Waterbury/Daniel Post def. Joe Guerra/Trevor Jordan 3-6, 6-4, 11-9

4. Nicky Domenichini/George Zakaib def. Blair Binder/Caleb Maxwell 8-3

1st Annual Saxon Invitational Final Results:

1. Summit 2-0 (def. McMinnville 7-1, def. South Salem 5-3)

2. South Salem 1-1 (def. Redmond 6-2, lost to Summit 3-5)

3. Redmond 1-1 (lost to South Salem 2-6, def. McMinnville 4-4 (9-8))

4. McMinnvile 0-2 (lost to Summit 1-7, lost to Redmond 4-4 (8-9))

Overall I am pleased with the performance of our guys at this event, and the sportsmanship they continue to display with each match they play. The guys competed really well against some of the best teams in the state at the 6A and 5A levels. It was a great time by all, and I want to send out a special thanks to Kathy Stahl and the Worth family for providing food for the guys, and to all of the families who drove down to Salem to watch the guys compete. After the tournament was over, a few parents and family members joined us for dinner in Salem and it was a great time had by all.

I am truly excited to see what great things the guys will accomplish this season. I can only hope for the weather to get better as we await to play!!!!

-Coach Gabrielsen

Off to Salem for the Saxon Invitational!

Season Preview

The NewsRegister published a nice preview article about the team in this Saturday's edition. We had a sports reporter attend Thursday's practice to take pictures, interview players, and learn about how our program works. It turned out to be a nice article about the team. Check out the shortened, online version below:

http://newsregister.com/article?articleTitle=grizzlies+ahead+of+the+game--1331356783--2917--home-news

Practice, Practice, Practice . . .

. . . and some nice weather too! Two weeks of practices are in the books and the we have been able to get out and hit a great amount! Our first week of practice was filled with one day of try-outs, two days of conditioning in the gym, and then three days of outdoor hitting. Additionally, we were able to get into the Linfield Fieldhouse Sunday night for an optional practice.

This past week we were able to practice all five days, then had a short practice Saturday before heading over to watch the Linfield Men's team play a match. Each practice the guys are becoming more polished tennis players, and our team unity continues to grow. We have a very cohesive group of 14 players this year, and they are challenging and pushing each other to improve at each and every practice. I have a great feeling about our upcoming week of matches.

Tuesday we open our season and conference schedule with a match at Forest Grove at 4pm. Forest Grove is a young team and includes several key returning players from last year's team. It should be a good opening test for our team. On Thursday we host Century at 4pm. Friday we are playing in Salem at the Courthouse Tennis Center in the Saxon Invitational. We open at 10am against Summit High School - the defending 5A state champions. Win or lose we will have another match immediately after our first match. We will play either the South Salem Saxons or the Redmond Panthers.

I know the guys and I are excited for this upcoming week of matches. I look forward to a great season and look forward to seeing all of you at the matches in the coming weeks.

Go Grizz!

-Coach Gabrielsen

2012 MHS Boys Tennis Teams

After one day of great try-outs I am pleased to announce our Varsity and JV teams for this spring season. Congrats to all for a great effort yesterday!

Varsity

Jesse Stahl

Nathan Johnson

Reza Refaei

Bradyn Stowe

Will Worth

Adam Kiff

Brendon Walters

Cody Thomas

Marshall Dittel-Payne

Wyatt Waterbury

Nicky Domenichini

George Zakaib

Daniel Post

Junior Varsity

Joey Chapman

Daniel Robertson

Alejandro Gonzalez

Cristobal Juarez

Austin Wiley

Cody Green

KJ Smith

Juan Cortes

Aspen Nelson

Try-Outs - 2012

We had great weather today for try-outs. We had around 20 guys sign up for tennis this year and they gave a great effort today. Coach Teller and myself ran the players through a series of tennis and fitness drills, and I appreciated the effort all players gave during these drills. In my three years of coaching tennis here at MHS we have not had the type of nice weather on day one of practice like we had today. I can only hope that it means we will have a great season. Overall, the guys battled hard today for two hours, and will find out their team placements tomorrow morning at school. 1st practices as respective teams will be held tomorrow after school.

Go Grizzlies!

-Coach Gabrielsen

2012 Season Is Upon Us!

Dear Grizzly Tennis Faithful,

The 2012 Season is nearly upon us! Try-outs will be held Monday, February 27 at the Patton Middle School Courts from 3:45-5:45. Let's hope for some great weather for our first week of practice. I know this will be a great spring season!

Best wishes,

-Coach Gabrielsen