BATTLE CREEK — The high school boys tennis season will soon be in full swing and there’s a lot to know about the city and area squads.
Fans of high school boys tennis will want to keep in mind some key dates coming up. MHSAA regionals will begin Oct. 7. The MHSAA will do something different with the state boys tennis tournament this year, holding it at one site over two weekends all at the Midland Tennis Center. Division 1 is Oct. 14-15, Division 3 is Oct. 16-17, Division 4 is Oct. 21-22, Division 2 is Oct. 23-24.
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Here is an extended look on the key city and area boys tennis teams for 2026:
Battle Creek Central
Coach: Paul Buchanan (2nd season)
Top returners: Samson Green
Outlook: The Bearcats have a lot of questions marks as BCC is struggling with overall numbers in the program. Second-year head coach Paul Buchanan is hoping to build a strong foundation for the tennis team moving forward, but will only have four players on the roster to start the season. Samson Green returns after playing doubles a year ago as a first-year player.
According to Buchanan, “This year we will continue to build on the growth of players since last season. Last season we started with three players and ended with six. Of those six players, four of them were seniors. This season we are expected to start with four players and hopefully expand throughout the season. As the season progresses, we will continue to work hard and grow with every match we play.”
Gull Lake
Coach: Roger Cornelius
Last year: 12-1
Top returners: Cade DeMaagd, Jake Worgess, Jacob Nichols, Lucas Nichols, Jackson McDermott, Jayden Jones, Maguire Abegg, Lincoln Peterson
Outlook: Longtime Gull Lake head coach Roger Cornelius returns, starting his 50th season as a coach in the Blue Devil system as he led a mix of boys and girls teams throughout the decades. The Blue Devils are coming off a strong season, going 12-1 overall and qualifying out of regionals for the state tournament. Gull Lake has 11 varsity members returning. That group includes the top two players as Jake Worgess will play No. 1 singles this year and Cade DeMaagd will play at No. 2. There is also experience at No. 3 singles with Jacob Nichols and No. 4 singles with younger brother Lucas Nichols.
According to Cornelius, “We should have a pretty good lineup. But whether that gets us back to states, you never know.”
Harper Creek
Coach: Christopher Selva (2nd season)
Last year: 4-6-2
Top returners: Jake Shragg (sr.); Quinten Valenzuela (sr.); Logan Messenger (so.); Charlie Cotts (so.)
Outlook: Harper Creek will continue to rebuild with a second-year head coach for the boys tennis team in Christopher Selva, who also took over the girls program in recent years. The Beavers are coming off a season where they were 4-6-2 after winning just one dual the season before. Harper Creek brings back its top player in Logan Messenger, who was 11-8 a year ago as a freshman at No. 1 singles. Senior Quinten Valenzuela returns at No. 2 singles with junior Jake Schragg coming back at No. 3 singles. To fill out a full singles lineup with experienced players, the Beavers also have sophomore Charlie Cotts returning a No. 4 singles.
According to Selva, “We are very excited for this upcoming season. We have a relatively young team that is very hungry to compete and shows a lot of promise and potential. It will be really fun to watch these boys compete this year and for years to come.”
Lakeview
Coach: Trevor Lewis (1st season)
Last year: All-City Tournament champs
Top returners: Brogan Oxley (jr.); Charlie Forman (sr.); Brady Oxley (jr.); Jaxon Bishop (jr.)
Outlook: After consistent leadership the past decade under a combination of coaching from Stuart Smith and Jeff Van Dis, Lakeview will have a new head coach in 2026 in Trevor Lewis. Lakeview was All-City Tournament champs again last year, but fell short of making it to the state tournament after taking fifth at regionals. With graduation losses, on paper it looks like a rebuilding year for the Spartans with a small group of returning varsity players. Three of the four singles positions will be new players for Lakeview this season. Included in that group will be Neston Cardinaux, who is an exchange student from Switzerland. Brogan Oxley played No. 3 singles a year ago and will return in that spot. Charlie Forman played doubles a year ago, but makes the jump to No. 2 singles.
According to Lewis, “Lakeview tennis is on the way to being a powerhouse again. After several seasons of large seniorclasses, we have a core team body that is a bit younger this year. The expectation is to get back tothe state tournament and continue our All-City streak. Our players know that we are not the mostskilled team, but there will not be a team that works harder than us.”
Marshall
Coach: Cristy Ortiz (8th season)
Last year: 6-4-3
Top returners: Jack Marsh, John Hazen, Brendan Parks, Brady Hill, Samuel Scott, Harrison Nessel, Landon Emmons, Arjun Lamuth, Derek McDonald, Dean Harroff, Caleb Emmons.
Outlook: Marshall will be able to lean on some experience with several players with multiple years on the varsity. Marshall has a big group of players in their fourth year on varsity, including Jack Marsh, John Hazen, Brendan Parks, Brady Hill and Samuel Scott. Several more are third-year varsity players in Harrison Nessel, Landon Emmons, Arjun Lamuth, Derek McDonald and Dean Harroff. Nessel will start the season at No. 1 singles for Marshall with Parks at No. 2 singles.
According to Ortiz, “We have returning players that have will move up in positions as well as some first-year players and with all that I see a very competitive and fun season. Overall, seeing what I have seen so far with the boys coming out on their own all summer and working on things, we have shown improvement. If we keep practicing as hard as they have been, it will be an exciting and fun season.”
Pennfield
Coach: Nicole Badger (3rd season)
Last year: 3-6-2
Top returners: Hudson Badger (jr.)
Outlook: In her third season leading the program, Pennfield head coach Nicole Badger has seen improvement each season. Hudson Badger is a rising prospect and will play No. 1 singles as a junior after he finished third in regionals and going 15-9 overall.
According to Badger, “Each year we have improved. We have actually had much success that isn’t shown on our record. We have had several compliments about the direction our program is headed.”
Bill Broderick can be reached at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on X/Twitter:@billbroderick
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: 29 boys tennis players to watch, what to know about Battle Creek area
Reporting by Bill Broderick, Battle Creek Enquirer / Battle Creek Enquirer
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By Bill Broderick, Battle Creek Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
