Don't forget about Forest Lake's No. 3

Zack Decker didn't grow up in a tennis family or with a racquet in his hand. He didn't watch it much on TV, didn't play much as a kid. And he certainly didn't think it would ever be his No. 1 sport.

Decker, now a senior at Forest Lake, always thought he'd be a baseball and hockey player throughout his high school career.

His first real experience came in the sixth grade at a community athletics clinic with Greg Patchin, the Rangers varsity coach now entering his 21st season at Forest Lake. Patchin then taught Decker in seventh grade geometry and gave him his best recruiting pitch.

"Once I started playing it, I discovered I had a knack for it," Decker said. "It just came natural to me. It just clicked."

His development and love for the game only grew from there.

"The more I played, the more I loved it," he added. "I've just been transformed into a tennis-only guy. I fell in love with the sport and I wouldn't want to spend my time any way else. I just can't believe it's my senior year."

His senior year, indeed, on a two-time Class 2A, Section 7 championship team spearheaded with stud brothers Dusty and Toby Boyer. Dusty, also a senior, is campaigning to be the state's first-ever four-time individual state champion. Toby, a freshman, is a tennis talent in his own right. Both make up the 1-2 punch on Forest Lake's top-heavy team.

"Under a normal year, he'd be a good No. 1 singles player for us," Patchin said of Decker.

Decker is a fine tennis player in his own right, with a very strong forehand and serve. His brain gives him an added advantage. Decker is one of Forest Lake's brightest students in the graduating class. That has translated well onto the court, especially for a guy who, well, didn't grow up in the sport.

"He actually understands the game, I think, better than Toby and Dusty, in term of when things don't go right," Patchin said. "He knows what he needs to do whereas the Boyer boys have been so skilled for so long that they just have it kind of figured out."

And having the Boyers around has also been a blessing for Decker, who gets to hit with them every day at practice.

"Every day we get to practice with two players that are undoubtedly among the best in the state," Decker said. "They make us better and the team around them better. It just helps everyone in the process. They really mesh with the team."

With Decker in the No. 3 spot for the Rangers, Patchin boasts as good of a top-three group as any team. The key for the Rangers is to flesh out the rest of their lineup to compete with the depth other teams. That includes Elk River, a new addition -- and a powerful one at that -- to Section 7.

The Rangers are confident they will contend with the firepower they have.