Coach Charlie Giordano praised the players’ dedication and strategy, emphasizing the importance of consistency and positioning over raw power.

“We keep stressing position over power,” said Giordano. “Make the other team beat you with winners.”

Gagnon’s match was a three-set battle, demonstrating his ability to adapt and outlast his opponent. After losing the first set 3-6, he changed his approach, making his opponent hit from uncomfortable positions while focusing on keeping more balls in play. His shift in strategy paid off, as he won the second set 7-6 in a tiebreaker and finished strong with a 10-5 victory in the third set.

“Landen made a conscious decision to keep more balls in play and put pressure on his opponent,” Giordano noted. “That shift in strategy really paid off for him.”

News Photo by Leslianne Johns Zachary Cloft prepares to defend in a match against Harbor Spring on Thursday in Alpena. The Wildcats fell short, losing 2-6.

Pokorzynski, competing at two singles, also delivered a solid performance, winning his match in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4. Giordano highlighted Pokorzynski’s ability to control the pace by keeping his opponent deep and minimizing errors.

“Nathan did a great job keeping his person deep and cutting down on his errors,” said Giordano. “It’s all about executing the game plan.”

Though the team came up short in the overall score, Giordano was proud of how the players maintained positive attitudes and stuck to their game plan. He emphasized that the focus moving forward would continue to be on putting one more ball in play and forcing opponents to win with clean shots.

“They all worked hard on their game plan of one more ball in play,” said Giordano. “It’s that kind of resilience that will help them in future matches.”

The Wildcats are ready to bounce back in their upcoming matches with a clear focus on improvement.