Rockets’ depth, led by Glaser, gives coach options

The Oak Harbor boys tennis team’s challenge this year was finding someone to fill the place of Sandusky Bay Conference Player of the Year Brenen Ish.

The good news is that Ish and second doubles player Delaney Hayes were the only key losses from last year, and that this year’s team has plenty of depth with eight seniors and 19 players.

That gives coach Rick LaFountain, in his 30th year and 54th season, plenty of options.

Huron and Port Clinton are the top two teams in the SBC, as expected, but the Rockets have big matches coming up with Sandusky St. Mary and Willard. 

“Things are going pretty much like expected,” LaFountain said. “We hope to be in the top half of the league. We have a bunch of great kids.”

The seniors are Bryce Chanthavong, Nick Dewitz, Noah Dewitz, Kyle Glaser, Spencer Goldstein, Jack Mikolas, Nathan Noble and Ben Sage. Returning letter winners are Glaser, Mikolas, Goldstein, Chanthavong, juniors Danny Tack, Dom Martinez, and Josh Johnson and sophomore Noah Heintz.

The team, at 6-6 overall, 4-4 in the SBC, appears to be on their way to an improvement from last year, where they finished 8-13 and 6-8 in the conference, good for fourth place. The Rockets are led by Glaser at first singles, who has a winning record. LaFountain says he is “very proud” of Glaser’s performance so far.

Glaser opened the season by defeating Fostoria’s Zach Ward 6-1, 6-3, and has wins over Parker Campbell (Edison) twice, 6-1, 7-5 and 6-3, 4-6, 10-8, Will Cundiff (St. Mary) 6-1, 6-1, and Jack Dumminger (Fremont St. Joseph) 6-0, 6-0.

Glaser has given some of his better competition a battle, but lost to Justin Hire (Rossford) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, Cam Robinson (Willard) 6-2, 7-5, Ryan Stanbaugh (Bellevue) 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, J.T. Murray (Huron) 6-4, 6-1, and Brian Seisel (Tiffin Columbian) 6-4, 6-4.

Tack has held on to second singles most of the season, getting wins over Jair Flores (Willard) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, Jackson Dinsmore (St. Mary’s) 6-4, 6-2, and Xander Reid (St. Joseph) 6-0, 6-2.

Tack also has losses to Joah Proctor (Edison) 6-3, 6-2, Trent Manlet (Bellevue) 6-2, 6-4, Joey Lenczyk (Huron) 6-0, 6-0, and Drew Vasko (TC) 6-0, 6-0.

Tack also teamed with classmate Josh Johnson in first doubles, but they fell to Edison’s Jeff Snyder and Collen Smith, 6-3, 6-3.

Martinez has taken the second doubles slot, too, defeating Wyatt Cobb (6-2, 6-3), Zach Boggs (Rossford) 6-2, 6-2, but he fell to Noah Proctor (Edison) 6-4, 6-4. At third singles, Martinez defeated Jaxson Masohari (St. Mary’s) 6-2, 6-1, but fell to Otto Berkmueller (Edison) 6-2, 7-5, Brayden Thompson (Willard) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, Gavin Brugnone (Bellevue) 6-4, 7-5, Isaac Cortez (TC) 6-0, 6-1, 

At first doubles, Martinez teamed with Johnson, and they swept St. Mary’s Tristan Obergon and Taylor Ohms 6-0, 6-0. He teamed with Mikolas against Huron’s Jared Lenczyk and Sam Findley, and the Tigers prevailed 6-3, 6-2.

At third singles, Chanthavong defeated Carlos Carbajal (Fostoria) 6-1, 6-2 and Gavin Linkous (Rossford) 6-0, 6-2, but since has moved mostly to doubles. 

At second doubles Chanthavong and Noble went on a tear, defeating Edison’s Devin McLaren and Jonah Main, 7-6 (2), 6-1, Willard’s Collen Hill and Grace Rothnhaar, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, Bellevue’s Matthew Higgins and Charles Littlejohn 6-3, 6-3, and St. Joseph’s Jackson Wright and Michaela Hahn, 4-6, 6-4, 10-3 and St. Mary’s Andrew Fullam and Jacob Harrison 7-5, 6-1.

Chanthavong and Noble did lose to Huron’s Nick Walls and Dawson Berry 6-0, 6-2, to Columbian’s Andrew Shawberry and Bryce Burns, 6-0, 6-3, and to Edison’s Kris Maschari and Jonah Main, 6-0, 7-5.

Johnson has gotten his opportunity at third singles, losing to Huron’s Mason Schindley 6-0, 6-2. He also teamed with Mikolas at first doubles to defeat Fostoria’s Toni Hill-Hernandez and Jake Leboy 6-0, 6-0, Rossford’s Luke Reiter and Chloe Madden 6-2, 6-2, Edison’s Kris Maschari and Jeff Snyder 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (1).

Johnson and Mikolas have had their setbacks, too, falling to Willard’s Mayson Johnson and Grace Hall 6-3, 2-6, 6-1, Bellevue’s Kaden Miller and Blake Hunter 6-4, 6-2, St. Mary’s Parker Kasper and Charlie Kaftan 6-0, 6-2, and Columbian’s Jacob Weingardt and Trey Shuey 6-0, 6-0.

Goldstein and Noble have teamed at second doubles, defeating Fostoria’s Christian Price and Roberto Carbajal 6-0, 6-0 and Rossford’s Zach Royal and Allie Misko 6-0, 6-0.

Included among team wins have been over Fostoria (5-0), Rossford (4-1), Edison (3-2), St. Mary’s (4-1), St. Joseph (5-0). Among the losses are to Willard (3-2), Bellevue (4-1), Huron (5-0), Columbian (5-0), and Edison (4-1).

LaFountain, who has also coached tennis at Fremont Ross and St. Joseph, has Greg LaFountain and Jacqueline LaFountain helping as assistant coaches. 

Other players are juniors Ric Edinger, Connor Hand, and Trae Moss, sophomore Seth Auger, and freshmen Stephen Heschel and Ben Wallace.