Wyandotte Roosevelt Boys Tennis Team Headed to State Meet

After winning the Division 2 regional championship at Allen Park, the entire Roosevelt High School boys varsity tennis team is headed to the Division 2 state meet this weekend.

The team is playing its best tennis of the season now, which is how it should be, coach Patrick Haley said.

“They worked really hard,” he said.

It will be nice for the team, which includes a lot of young guys, to go to the state meet together, Haley said. There are two freshmen on the varsity team and going to states will be a new experience for 10 of the 12 teammates.

“It’s a lot of fun to go as a team,” Haley said. “It’s a nice bonding thing for the guys. They’ll remember this their whole life.”

It will be Wyandotte’s fourth trip to the state meet as a team in the last six years, Haley said. Their best placing during that span was finishing 12th in 2010, according to mhsaa.com. Haley said he would like to keep the momentum going over the next few years as well.

The coach said he has high hopes at states for senior who won No. 1 singles at regionals. Loselle was the only Roosevelt player to make it to the state meet last year. He also is the only player on the team to compete in four straight state tennis tournaments.

During his freshman and sophomore years, he competed at state at the No. 2 singles flight. He competed at No. 1 singles as a junior.

“He’s one of the best players in the state,” Haley said.

At last year’s state meet, Loselle had a bye in the first round in the No. 1 singles flight and won his first match 5-7, 7-6(5), 7-6(12). In his second match, he lost 6-1, 6-0 to the eventual state champion, Davis Crocker from Kalamazoo Loy Norrix.

Loselle is pursuing tennis at the collegiate level. He’s interested in Adrian College, Wayne State University or Lake Superior State University, his coach said.

Between last year and this year, Loselle has increased in strength, which has improved his serve, Haley said. Loselle has always been a good, steady player with good ground strokes.

Including Loselle, Wyandotte had three flight winners at regionals and won the Division 2 championship with 22 points.

Loselle took the No. 1 singles regional championship, defeating Anderson’s James Birmingham 6-1, 6-4 in the finals. Other Wayandotte flight champions at regionals were John Calhoun and Connor Vellmure at No. 1 doubles, and Joe Wisniewski and Justin Armatis  at No. 2 doubles. 

The state meet, which takes place Friday and Saturday, will be played at Holly High School, Fenton High School and Genesys Athletic Club.