BY WENDI REARDON PRICE
Clarkston News Sports Writer
The Wolves are heading to the state championship this Friday and Saturday after finishing the MHSAA Division 1 Boys Tennis Regional 7 tournament in second place last Thursday.
“We had a great day,” said Chas Claus, head coach for Clarkston Varsity Boys Tennis. “We came out and played. I am really proud of the boys. The whole day was a highlight. It was very much a team effort.
“At every flight, we either played up to expectations or exceeded expectations in terms of the matches we were supposed to win.”

The Wolves secured their spot for finals, scoring 15 points. Bloomfield Hills claimed the regional championship with 20 points and Rochester joins the two teams at finals after earning 12 points.
Senior Luke Baylis, senior Frank Piana and junior Noah Fasczewski finished at regional champions in their flights going undefeated for the day.
Baylis, on Singles No. 1 court, defeated Rochester Adams’ Peter Wattai, 6-0, 6-0; Lakeland’s David Pluszczyk, 6-2, 6-2; and Bloomfield Hills’ Noah Roslin, 6-1, 6-3.
Piana, on Singles No. 2 court, defeated Oxford’s Brock Heilig, 6-0, 6-0; Rochester Adams’ Owen Dong, 6-0, 6-0; and Bloomfield Hills’ Andrew Chen, 6-0, 6-0.
Fasczewski, on Singles No. 3 court, defeated Waterford United’s Sean Brennerman, 6-0, 6-0; Lakeland’s Ryan Ramboer, 6-2, 6-3; and Bloomfield Hills’ Toni Vasile, 6-2, 6-3.
Senior Adam Zentner went 1-1 for the day on the Singles No. 4 court, opening with a win over Waterford United’s Nathan Bilotta, 6-0, 6-0.
The team of senior Joey Chrenka and sophomore Adam Walsh won two matches on the Doubles No. 3 court as they posted wins over Lakeland’s Ajay Bikki and Eli Parsons, 6-1, 6-4; and Lake Orion’s Nate Fox and Hunter McCarty, 6-1, 6-4. They lost to Bloomfield Hills in the final, 6-4, 1-6, 6-7 (6).
“They played the best of any doubles I have seen play all year,” said Claus. “They really took care of business in the first couple of rounds. They were efficient in the way they played. They made it to the finals and played a Bloomfield Hills team that is one of the best three doubles in the state. They took them to three sets and a tiebreaker. They lost by two points.
“They played brilliantly.”
The rest of the doubles teams started out the tournament with a win in their flights.
Seniors Nick Galley and Nicholas Rouman defeated Rochester Adams’ Dan Benedict and Ethan Eliasson, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, on Doubles No. 1.
“As far as upsets or playing above and beyond, Nick and Nicholas were great,” said Claus. “They went up against a Rochester Adams team that had beaten them earlier in the year. They came away with a big win which help set a tone for the day.”
Juniors Brendan Aughe and Collin Horst defeated Lake Orion’s Stanton Ashman and Jon Gibson, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, on Doubles No. 2. Junior Drew Roeser and sophomore Blake Botterill defeated Lakeland’s Will Dungan and Zack Swartz, 6-4, 7-6 (2), on Doubles No. 3.
“They had a great match, too,” said Claus. “They had some bad luck in drawing the No. 2 seed right away for the first match of the day. They dug in and played their best match of the season and took them out. It was a great win for them.”
The Wolves qualified as a team six out of the last seven years, beginning in 2013. The following year in 2014, only Alex Matisse qualified.
“It’s a nice run for us,” said Claus. “I am extremely blessed to have had some really talented players and also a lot of hard working players. We are excited for the opportunity. We have said from the beginning of the year, and really last several years, the bar has been to be the best team in Clarkston history in terms of placement and in points at the finals. It continues to be the bar for us.”
He added it would be great to finish in the top six and Baylis, Piana and Fasczewski have a fair shot to win thier flights.
“There is certainty good competition at all of those so we are not taking that for granted,” he said. “I am very excited for them to have that opportunity. Each one of them has a fair shot to win it.”
The state championship is this Friday and Saturday at Greater Midland Tennis Center, 900 E Wackerly Street in Midland.

  Clarkston Boys Tennis, regionals, Tennis