Members of the Negaunee High School boys tennis team, including head coach Kyle Saari at right, stand in front of the school’s outdoor banner proclaiming its numerous conference and Upper Peninsula championships, with the Miners going for their third straight U.P. title next week. (Photo courtesy Kyle Saari)

NEGAUNEE — It may not roll off the tongue like “back-to-back!” or even “three in row!” but Negaunee High School boys tennis coach Kyle Saari had to be more than satisfied with what his Miners did on Tuesday.

The chants of “14 in a row!” had to go up after Negaunee extended its streak to that many consecutive times winning the Mid-Peninsula Conference meet.

Going back to 2011 — no tennis was played in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — the Miners have won every conference finals meet with an ever-changing cast of characters, though the same head coach.

“No championship is taken for granted, and this is always one of the goals for the guys,” Saari said in an email detailing the results. “A lot of players have come and gone in this 14-year stretch, and it’s special to see another group have their moment.

“Tradition and culture is sustained by kids that care about the program, and we’re grateful for every one of them.”

Nevertheless, Saari the coach still sees some work to be done with the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Finals approaching on Wednesday morning.

His Miners, along with Westwood and Marquette, will head to the Division 1 finals at Escanaba, while Ishpeming, Gwinn and Munising will be among those playing at exactly the same time in Division 2 at Kingsford, both starting at 10 a.m. EDT.

“We have room for improvement still over this next week, and it’s good we realize that before our final day next Wednesday,” he said.

There wasn’t much doubt about whether Negaunee would extend its M-PC triumphant streak playing on its home courts, considering the Miners won every flight for a perfect 48-point total.

Westwood was about as close as it could get without winning a flight, finishing as runner-up in six of them for 28 points.

Ishpeming placed third with 22, Iron Mountain was fourth with 20 and Gwinn didn’t score.

There wasn’t much of anywhere Saari could look without seeing success on Tuesday.

For instance, there was Negaunee’s No. 4 doubles tandem of Marshall Knapp and Jhon Jarvi, who won their only match 6-1, 6-0 over Westwood’s Evan Hebert and AJ Pizziola.

“Jhon and Marshall played a good all-around final together and we look for big things out of them the rest of the way,” Saari said.

Or at No. 3 doubles, with the Miners’ Eli Cody and Hank Tincknell outlasting Westwood’s Damian Grondz and Caden Balzarini in their championship match, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4).

“Hank and Eli gutted out their last match and it’s exactly what you expect from two kids that have competed in many sports throughout their entire lives,” said the Negaunee coach.

The Miners’ No. 2 doubles duo of Carson Lajimodiere and Quinn Walters breezed to their title with a 6-3, 6-2 win over IM’s Ben Truong and Dylan Lindgren in the finals, and NHS’s No. 1 doubles pairing of Nolan O’Dovero and Easton Guenette zipped through a 6-1, 6-0 victory over the Patriots’ Reid Frustaglio and Cam Mahaffey in their ultimate match.

In singles, Negaunee No. 1 Brady Johnson won 6-0, 6-0 over Westwood’s Jaxon Alderton in the finals, while at No. 2, the Miners’ Ethan Harris won by the same 6-0, 6-0 whitewash over the Pats’ Mitchell Ford in his finale.

At No. 3, NHS’ Kolten Store also won 6-0, 6-0 over Ishpeming’s Joey Giroux in their final, the Hematites’ best finish of the day, while at No. 4 singles, Negaunee’s Max Larson won 6-2, 6-1 over Westwood’s Sam LeClair in that championship.

“Brady, Ethan and Kolten were all solid, and those three seniors have been reliable for the better part of the year,” Saari said of his singles players in the top three flights.

Story contents based on email received from NHS head tennis coach Kyle Saari. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.