PORT ORCHARD — The Port Angeles boys tennis team began its season by participating in the inaugural South Kitsap Invitational with seven other teams.
There were five different flights (two for singles and three for doubles) and the Roughriders finished third overall behind 2A powerhouse North Kitsap and 3A Gig Harbor.
The highlight for the Riders was the duo of Nathan Basden and Luke Flodstrom, who won the No. 1 doubles flight in a thrilling championship match vs. the No. 1 team from North Kitsap. Basden and Flodstrom were down 5-0 in the first set before rattling off seven consecutive games to take the first set. They took the second set in a more conventional style, 6-4.
“Nathan and Luke are on a mission this year and I could tell by the look in their eyes that they were going to be tough,” said coach Brian Gundersen. “The team they beat from North finished in second place at State last year, so we’ve definitely got a target on our back now.”
Other highlights for the Riders were a pair of third-place finishes from the duos of Keatyn Hoch-Austin Worthington in the No. 2 doubles flight and Carter Gundersen-Grant Butterworth in the No. 3 doubles flight.
Tate Alton finished top six in the loaded No. 1 singles bracket and sophomore Sky Gelder took fifth in No. 2 singles.
“All in all, it was a great experience for our guys to play somebody else and we’re looking forward to starting our league schedule next week,” Gundersen said.
