I always kind of laugh when the all-state tennis teams come out. Not that they're wrong. Just that I'm a little jealous at how easy it is for the Coaches' Association to pick those teams. They're divided among the four divisions, which make it easy to reward the kids who deserve recognition.
My job in picking an all-county team is much, much more difficult. My team is combined among all four divisions, among all the best players in the state. And we all know how much talent resides here in Oakland County.
My all-county team will be released shortly. I always wait until the all-state teams are released before making my final decisions. But first, I thought I might give a little love to those kids who did, and didn't, make the all-state squads.
Half of the Division 1 first-team singles players (eight) were from Oakland County. Seniors Brett Forman (Troy), Gunnar Peery (Rice) and Jack Hamaty (Rice) will be graduating, but the other five - Michael Dube' (Catholic Central), Alex Kim (Lakeland), Richard Zhang (Troy Athens), Tim Wang (Novi) and Justin Hyman (Rochester Adams) - will all be back next year.
One name missing from the team, Nick Fiaschetti of Stoney Creek. He was a state quarterfinalist and took Huron's Jack Petersen three sets before bowing out. Five others on the first team did not make it that far. He was also the OAA runner-up to Brett Forman (three sets) this season and was a regional runner-up to Hyman. His play on the courts warranted inclusion on the first team, if not the honorable-mention squad.
Novi's top two doubles teams (Jason Carless and Andrew Ying, Nishant Kakar and Michael Chang) were first teamers, as was Brother Rice's Blake Hildebrand and Gavin McNulty.
Calvin Greer (Groves) and Griffin Mertz (North Farmington) represented the county in Division 2. Greer, a senior, and Mertz, a sophomore, were the lone first-team members. Seaholm's Jason Mondry and Ben McDermott (first doubles) and Zach Tayler and Griffen Neel (second doubles) were honorable mention.
And it was no surprise that Country Day's 1-2-3 singles players, Max Fliegner, Sven Kranz and Rishi Patel, made the Division 3 first team. They all won state titles. Cranbrook's Matt McCormick was also a first-teamer.
The Yellowjackets' top two doubles teams of Alex Gruskin and Patrick Adams and Max Lee and Lorenz Gahn, also made the first team. Cranbrook's Alex David and Taylor Ghesquiere made it, too.