Boys tennis team wins first match

The Outlaws’ new boys tennis team defeated North Marion 7-1 in their first league match of the season earlier this month.

Coach Boyd Stuwe told The Nugget that his players worked hard going into the season and all the hard work paid off.

Sisters went into the match without their number one player and team captain, Jeff Minke, who was in the hospital at the time. Without Minke, who normally plays No. 1 doubles with Evan Simms, the team had to fight a little harder to pull off the victory.

Eric McKinley and Dylan Stuwe (No. 2 doubles) moved up and played in the No. 1 doubles spot. The duo defeated Devore/Gillette easily with scores of 6-1 and 6-2.

Evan Simms moved to No. 1 singles and played a great match against Brickley, North Marion’s strongest player. Simms won the match 7-6, 6-2.

Shama Ellis played the No. 2 singles position and beat Krekos in a gutsy three set match 4-6, 6-4 and 6-2. Will Newport posted a decisive win at the No. 4 singles position with scores of 6-2, 6-3 over Mills.

Stuwe described the match as “a thing of beauty.”

Two days later the boys lost 5-2 at Cascade.

Simms played in the No. 1 singles position and captured the win in three sets 2-6, 6-2, 6-1. Will Newport defeated David Lippoid in No. 4 singles 7-5, 6-4.

The No. 2 doubles team of Eric McKinley and Dylan Stuwe and No. 3 doubles team of Sam Fullhart and Jake Thomas both had close matches but lost in a tight third set.

Stuwe said, “We just have the beginning of a line-up. What line-up we had established was really turned upside down because our No. 1 player (Jeff Minke) was out and everyone else had to be bumped up one position to cover that loss. Simms (Minke’s No. 1 doubles partner) was forced to play singles because he’d lost his partner.”

Since the team got little or no practice before their first match because of weather and they have no track record to work with from the previous season, Stuwe is still searching for what his final line-up will look like.

“It still might be another week before I know what the final line-up will look like,” said Stuwe, “and it will partly depend on Jeff’s health situation.”

The following week the team earned a 6-1 victory over the Stayton Eagles at home on Tuesday, April 11.

All four singles players won their matches. Evan Simms (No. 1), defeated Chris Nichols 6-1, 7-5. Jared Wendt (No. 2) had a decisive 6-0, 6-0 win over Frank Lewis. Jordan Wellman (No. 3) defeated Darick Silbernagel 6-1, 6-3 and Will Newport (No. 4) beat Derick Culver 6-3, 6-0.

Riley Newport and Eric McKinley, Sisters’ No. 1 duo, defeated Zach Aegie and David Dayton 6-3, 6-3. The No. 2 doubles team of Dylan Stuwe and Shyama Ellis played a long and close match. Stuwe and Ellis pulled out the win with scores of 7-6, 2-6 and 6-1.

On Thursday, April 13 the Outlaws traveled to Central.

Stuwe said, “We had players who couldn’t make it because they were sick and two players that actually played sick. It was a pretty weak line-up.”

Only two Outlaws players won their matches. Jared Whent (No. 2 singles) defeated Jeff Gratreak 6-1, 6-1 and Jordan Wellman (No. 3 singles) defeated Alex Gragg 6-3, 6-2.

Coach Boyd Stuwe was very happy when Jared Whent joined the team. (After varsity baseball was cancelled for the season Whent decided to try tennis.)

“It’s a pleasure to have him (Whent) on the team,” said Stuwe. “He did a great job of filling out our line-up with the absence of our captain and he’s such a coachable kid. He’s willing to take advice and always gets it on the first stroke.”

On Thursday, April 20, the Outlaws will host North Marion at Black Butte Ranch.