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Wednesday, March 22, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Outlaws fall to Mt. View id teddis opeder
By Rongi Yost
Correspondent
The Outlaws fell 7-1 to
Mt. View in their first match
of the season on Tuesday,
March 14. Sean Willitts did
not play in the match due to
injury, and his partner Jacob
Gurney was moved to No. 3
singles. In addition, all the
doubles teams had to play one
level higher.
“These circumstances
placed a huge burden on all of
our remaining doubles play-
ers, as only Isaiah Chapen
had any real tennis experi-
ence before this season,”
said Coach Bim Gander.
“Although all three teams lost
by lopsided scores to much
more seasoned teams, there
were plenty of bright spots in
their play today. I saw very
few double faults, and several
games were well-contested.”
The Outlaw hero of the
day was Jed Kizziar, who
nipped Josh Samuels 11-9 in
a super-tiebreaker, after the
players split the first two sets
6-3, 2-6, at No. 4 singles.
“Jed’s style of play looks
a lot like his older brother
Josh’s, but that style will
enjoy more success at No. 4
singles than at No. 2, where
players have more variety
and consistency. Nonetheless
I’m pleased with Jed’s tenac-
ity, and we’ll build on the
strengths that I saw in him
today.”
Jonny Gurney lost to TJ
Fournier 7-5, 2-6, 0-1 (13),
in a heart-breaker at No. 1
singles. Gurney went down
13-11 in a super-tiebreaker,
which was played in lieu of a
third set.
“Jonny had a match point
against serve at 9-11, but
he barely missed the pass-
ing shot that would have
won him the match,” said
Gander. “This was a terrific
battle under swirling winds
that frequently bothered both
players.”
The No. 2 and No. 3 sin-
gles were similar in play. Josh
Kizziar (No. 2) and Jacob
Gurney (No. 3) were aggres-
sive in their play, but both
were overcome by steadier
play by their opponents.
“Limited outdoor court
practice, due to the snow
that buried our home courts,
seemed to be a factor in
both matches,” said Gander.
“Jacob’s first venture into
singles play was a bit outside
his current comfort zone, but
both players will thrive under
better practice conditions and
additional competition.”
Two days later, the
Outlaws only posted one win
against a tough Redmond
squad.
Gander said, “The
Outlaws tennis team met
some stiff competition at the
hands of Redmond. Led by
No. 1 singles player Benny
Saito, this may be the stron-
gest Cougar team we’ve seen
in years.”
The lone win for the
Outlaws came at No. 1 dou-
bles Jacob Gurney paired
up with Jed Kizziar, who
replaced Sean Willitts, who is
still recovering from a snow-
boarding-related concussion.
The duo defeated Nich Willis
and Garrett Gross 6-3, 6-3.
After the match, Gurney
stated that he and Jed had
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good chemistry out on the
court.
“Their consistent service
returns, and very effective
poaching at the net ruled
the day for this brand-new
doubles combination. Their
immediate success may pose
a bit of a quandary for me
when Sean returns,” said
Gander.
Although the Outlaws
were swept in singles, Gander
told The Nugget there were
some bright notes.
Jonny Gurney served
more consistently, and cov-
ered the court better than he
did in Tuesday’s match. His
exchanges against Benny
Saito were longer and
showed more variety. Gander
did note that Saito will be a
force to be reckoned with for
the next couple of years, as
the Redmond sophomore is
unquestionably a state-caliber
player.
Elijah Gurney picked
up a pair of games against
a much more experienced
Connor Lennie. This was
Eli’s first singles match ever,
and Gander said he’s making
great progress as a new tennis
player.
Isaiah Chapen also had
a good match. His serve
and his court coverage have
improved this year, and
Gander said that with just
a bit more self-confidence,
he’ll continue to make great
strides.
Gander said, “The No.
2 and No. 3 doubles teams
consist of entirely new play-
ers this year. To make matters
even more difficult, we are
still a couple of players short-
handed. This means that all
of the guys are always paired
against much stronger com-
petition. But, their spirits are
good, and I’m seeing steady
improvements with every
practice.”
The Outlaws will play
at home against Bend on
Thursday, March 23, and
then will pick up play again
on Wednesday, April 5, with
a match at Madras.