In the midst of perfect tennis weather—overcast skies and mild temperatures—the Bonney Lake Panthers hosted the Rogers Rams in a league match that saw the visitors walk away with a 4-1 victory. Rogers, fresh off a 5-0 sweep of Bethel, came in looking to extend their lead in the division, while the Panthers were determined to claw their way out of a 2-4 league record after a tough battle against Curtis, the top team in the league.
Despite the lopsided final score, the Panthers gave it their all, with all eyes fixed on the marquee matchup between Bonney Lake’s #1 singles player, Gavin Orozco, and Rogers’ Bryce Canion. Orozco, still undefeated on the season at 8-0, came into the match battling an illness but wasn't about to let that slow him down. Canion, no stranger to tough competition, had only lost one match all year—to Curtis’s Kai Mueller, the same opponent Gavin had just beaten.
What followed was a fierce battle that became the longest match of the day. Orozco, displaying grit and determination despite his condition, managed to outlast Canion with a 6-3, 6-4 victory, securing the Panthers’ only point of the day. The win moved Orozco to 9-0 on the season, continuing his dominant run.
In the #2 singles match, Evan Lane faced a different challenge against Rogers’ Brandon Lieu. Lane fought valiantly but ultimately couldn’t keep pace with Lieu’s precision and shot placement, dropping the match 0-6, 2-6.
The doubles matches proved to be an uphill battle for Bonney Lake. The Panthers’ #1 doubles team, Thomas Howard and Cameron Munsch, squared off against the Rams’ duo of Zachary Chatfield and Timothy Lee. Despite putting up a strong fight, especially in the second set, the Rams’ big serving from Chatfield and Lee’s powerful forehand proved too much for the Panthers to handle. Howard and Munsch fell 2-6, 4-6.
In the #2 doubles match, Adam Quinto and Jeremiah Mam were up against Rogers’ Branden Matt and Thomas Sevy. Matt and Sevy were dominant from the start, as Quinto and Mam couldn’t find an answer to their opponents' aggressive play, losing the match 1-6, 1-6.
The final match of the day was a heartbreaker for the Panthers. The #3 doubles pairing of Holden Mann and Jacob Acosta, who came into the match with a perfect 3-0 record, faced their toughest test yet in Hunter Kliendl and Tony Warmoth. In what was the closest and most dramatic match outside of the Orozco-Canion clash, Mann and Acosta battled hard but fell just short, losing 5-7, 6-7 (5-7). Despite the loss, their never-say-die attitude kept fans on the edge of their seats.
With the loss, the Panthers will need to regroup, but there’s little time to dwell. They’ll be back on the court this Saturday at Thomas Jefferson High School, joining a tournament with four other schools. Matches begin at 10 a.m., and it's sure to be a full day of competitive tennis. Panthers fans, come out and support your team!
While this match didn’t go Bonney Lake’s way, the fight in every game shows this team’s potential. With Orozco leading the charge and plenty of season left, the Panthers are far from done.
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