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!