Forest Lake senior takes last shot at hoops

After his eighth-grade season, Dusty Boyer decided to hang up his basketball sneakers to focus on tennis. He was his team's best ballplayer, but his singular focus on one sport helped him win three consecutive individual state championships for the Rangers.

Now a senior at Forest Lake, Boyer has returned for his final shot to play varsity basketball. It's the sport he absolutely adores. The one he has dreamed to turn pro in all these years.

"But ... I'm not exactly 6-6, or super fast or can jump," said Boyer, who also quit baseball that same year after eighth grade.

Regardless, the tennis aficionado began showing up to open gyms before the season started. Teammates started asking him if he was making a comeback, but he wasn't 100 percent certain at that point. After all, he was a bit rusty. And sore, due to using a lot of different muscles for basketball.

"The first couple of weeks of open gym, I was cramping," said Boyer, who will play tennis at Nebraska. "It's so much different shape than tennis. My muscles -- I was just dying."

Head coach Dan Cremisino wanted him.

"I've been bugging him off and on every year: 'Hey, if you ever want to play basketball, let me know,'" Cremisino said.

"I knew it was a stretch if he was going to be able to help us at any point. He's never complained. He's tried his best," Cremisino said. "It's just different being on the basketball court than being on a tennis court. He's not used to the explosiveness and the pace of the game that happens on a varsity court. That was the hardest thing for him at first, and he's slowly caught up."

That's good news for the Rangers, who have suffered injury problems this year and teetered around .500. Boyer began the season as the 10th or 11th player off the bench. Now, he is an option to start or often the first player off the Forest Lake bench. One thing he didn't lose much of over the years is his shot.

"He's a varsity shooter," Cremisino said. "He's becoming a legit varsity player. Things are coming back to him that he no longer has to think about."

Instead of basketball taking away from his tennis prowess, Boyer's fitness level is better than it's ever been. He's stronger, faster and has more stamina.

"Playing a three-hour tennis match now is quite a bit easier than it used to be," said Boyer, who still tries to play tennis at least one hour each day.