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camps Herald photos by Chris Juzwlk Michelle Landis, top, and Melanie Smith will reunite at the No. 1 doubles spot for McHenry's tennis team. Smith returns from a year as an exchange student in Denmark to give the Warriors a formidable lineup. By Chris Juzwlk Herald sports writer McHENRY - If this is fall, 1985, this must be McHenry. Nobody could fault Melanie Smith if she were confused. The McHenry High School senior just returned from a year's stay in Denmark as an exchange student, and she may be just a tad baffled as to her cur­ rent place of residence. But she does know one thing for sure: she's ready to play some ten­ nis, Fox Valley Conference style. And Warrior coach Gary Gray is glad to have her back. "Melanie's a good player, there's no doubt about that," said'Gray. "We're glad to have her again. Like most of the girls on the team, she's very smart, so she picks up on things very quickly. She's very quick to take an idea she sees will help, and incorporate it into her repertoire." Smith will be reunited with fellow senior Michelle Landis. The two, who teamed up at No. 2 doubles for the Warrior varsity when they were sophomores, will man the top dou­ bles slot in 1985. Landis was a state qualifier last season with partner Geri Haner, who graduated "I think Landis and Smith will be very tough again," Gray, whose team opens its season Tuesday at Antioch, said. "They had a good record two years ago. They just have to get used to £ach other again, and hopefully, they'll gel. Whether we're talking about going Fall Preview to state or not, it's just too early to tell," Gray said. "They're smart players. If they get beat, it will be because they lacked skill. It won't because they're boneheaded." Also returning to the Warrior squad is senior Melissa Rhode, who played No. 1 singles for the latter part of the 1984 campaign, after being felled by a lengthy illness. Senior Sue O'Halleran, along with Landis the team's captains, will also be back. "I really wish I knew what the lineup will be," Gray said. "We've got a lot of options." Rhode will play in the top singles position, while junior Beth Dimo- poulus will play second singles. The third slot will be filled by either O'Halleran or juniors Katie Prust, Lisa Rigsby, Mary Sieverin or Chris VanDewege. Landis and Smithwill play No. 1 doubles, while O'Halleran and Prust or any other number of combina­ tions could fill the second^ doubles^ . hole., "We've got two spots wide open. There will be a bunch of kids fight­ ing for the third singles spot, or the other position at No. 2 doubles," Gray said. "It's just wide open." Gray also noted that he has a handful of freshmen and sopho: mores among his 26-member throng who could see varsity action before all is said and done. "We've got a real good group of sophomores and freshmen. Some­ body may come to the front and end up playing some this year. There are some good players down there. It's just a matter of who will make their presence felt. With freshmen, though, I like to nurse them along a little bit first," Gray said. Gray said he hasn't "done a whole lot of analyzing as far as the confer­ ence goes. "Crystal Lake Central had an out­ standing team last year, but most of them graduated. But they've got a good program there, a humongous number of kids, so a graduation like that isn't as devastating. "Woodstock with Kathy Meyer and Lisa Palmquist, some doubles kids back, will be tough. And, until someone can prove otherwise, South has got to be beaten. Cary-Grove has some young kids coming back, and Jacobs had a couple of good young gals last year. "There really isn't a slouch in the conference. All the teams will prob­ ably have winning records. Where we'll end up, I just don't know. The third singles and second doubles spots will play a big part," Gray said. McHenry will play three straight road matches before returning to West Campus Sept. 10 against Grant. Gray's success at building state qualifying doubles teams is becom­ ing more and more legendary as his career goes on. "It's funny, we talk to a lot of- people, and they all say what great Gary Gray doubles teams we have, both boys and girls," Gray, who also coaches the Warrior boy tennis team, said. "I think it's hard for a kid in singles to catch up and surpass the kids who have been playing since the third grade. But with people in doubles, it seems to me more of a coaching opportunity to do some things. We've have more success with doubles than singles. Plus, it's better to take two to state instead of just one." If it's late October and Melanie Smith is still playing high school tennis, she'll know where she is. In the capable coaching hands of Gary Gray. Grid Picks Sound the trumpets, wake the dog and start the coffee. It's us -- your Illustrious Board of Prognosticators -- ready to set out on the inaugural edition of Grid Picks for the 1965 football season. As if you didn't already know, here's the lineup of characters who will be picking games throughout the season: Chris This week's games Marian Central at CL South Johnsburg at Richmond-Burton lliverside-Brookfield at McHenry Woodstock at Waukegan West CL Central at Montini Wauconda jat Cary-Grove Palatine at Dundee-Crown Lake Zurich at Jacobs Marengo at Harvard Williams Bay, Wis. at Alden-Hebron ' « _r Sam Natrop South Rich.-Burton McHenry Woodstock Central Cary-Grove D-C Lake Zurich Harvard Alden-Hebron Juzwik, Mark Meyer, Sam Natrop and Phil English of the Herald sports department. We're here to have fun, so if you find yourself disagreeing with us let us know about it and give us a few tips. But if you find yourself getting uptight about the way we're picking, lighten up and don't call. And here we go: Chris Juzwlk CL South Richmond-Burton McHenry Woodstock CL Central Cary-Grove Palatine Lake Zurich Harvard Alden-Hebron Phil English South Johnsburg McHenry Woodstock Central Cary-Grove Palatine Jacobs Marengo Alden-Hebron 'fr\ Mark Me South Richmond McHenry Woodstock Montini Wauconda Dundee-Crown Jacobs Harvard Williams Bay Natrop: South has two years of frustration inside and will probably celebrate the opening of its new field at the expense of the Hurricanes; Streaks will make third time the charm over West. The last two scores against Waukegan have teen 14-12 and 13-12. Is 12-12 the next in the progression? Bradshaw hopes not; R-B should feast on depleted Skyhawks; Harvard looking toward good year gets the nod by an eyelash over improved Marengo team; McHenry will make Riv.-Brookfield hope it doesn't gain entrance into FVC; Is the new lighting system enough to help Cary past Wauconda? Probably. Barely; Lake Zurich could be the class of the Northwest Suburban Conference and will give Jacobs a 'heckuva' battle. Juzwik: The first week's always the toughest. I'm just thankful I don't have to make a living from this. Honestly, the Williams Bay-Hebron game is the toughest of the bunch. But, football being what it is in Wisconsin, on any level, A-H by 35. McHenry shoots down R-B aerial show. Richmond on way back to playoffs. South and Lake Zurich win on revenge factor. Shedding light on A1 Bohrer Field leads the Trojans -- this week. English: Comments: South, a loser to Marian for two years, can taste blood. Watch out! Johnsburg will be fired up with new coach. McHenry will have one of many hey days. The Streaks will sing Blue Skies and start the season off right. Central will finally get a chance to unleash the crush. The light factor will fire up a surprising C-G. Big Conference will power the Pirates past D-C. Jacobs will spring its surprise early. Marengo's new look wilt keep Harvard guessing. AH may have a tough time, but will send WB packing. Meyer: Believe it or not, the first week of prep football is upon us. Who's going to do what? Hard to say. Central, picked by many to win the Fox Valley Conference, will definitely have its hands full with Lombard Montini as will Jacobs with Lake Zurich. Dundee-Crown and Palatine could go either way, as could Marian Central and CL South. Harvard gets my "Lock of the Week" vote. The "Hittin' Hornets" should have little or no problem at all with Marengo. Seniors to key Warrior success Smith returns to give Gray, McHenry netters solid lineup , AUGUST 30, 1985 Nail, Fox Hole all even in finals different story, as Fox Hole re­ bounded, collecting an impressive 9- 6 win. Fox Hole led all the way after a three-run first when Rich Meyers, Mark Vogt and Jim Yaworski all drove in runs. FHT added four more in the third on RBI singles from Wayne Hiller, Vogt and Yaworski, plus an error. The Nail made a game of it with a four-run seventh. In that inning, the Nail made good use of a couple FHT errors, and got an RBI double from Bentz, and singles from A1 Stilling and John Meyers. Jeff Meyers had three hits to lead all betters for the Fox Hole. Rich Meyers, Vinnie Freund and Vogt all had two hits: Yaworski drove in two runs. John Meyers, Bentz and Stilling all had two hits for Rusty Nail. The series will resume Wednes­ day night after a break for the La­ bor Day holiday. The first game will be at 6:30 p.m., the next at 7:30, and the fifth, if necessary, will com­ mence at 8:30 p.m. All games are played at Knox Park. Vogt's .667 average leads all hit­ ters in^ the post-season. His totals include five extra base hits. Vinnie Freund and John Meyers are at .611 each. Rich Meyers is at .542, while Bentz is hitting a cool .538 and Jeff Meyers .519. By Herald News Service McHENRY -- The Rusty Nail Inn and the Fox Hole Tap split the open­ ing two games in the best-of-five championship series of the McHen­ ry Men's 12-inch Softball League. The Nail, which won the Western Division by a landslide, won the opener in convincing fashion, 19-1, banging out 21 hits and taking ad­ vantage of five Fox Hole errors. But that didn't have much bearing on game two, as Fox Hole, which fin­ ished second in the Eastern Divi­ sion, came back to even the series at l-all. , The Nail led by just a pair at 2-0, before they broke the game wide open with a nine-run third inning. Fourteen batters came to the plate, the big blows a two-run double by Bill Meyers, a twor-un single by Ray Thelen. The Nail scored seven more in the sixth when Don Bentz delivered a Herald photo by Chris Juzwik tWO-TUn double, aS did ChUCk Marke. And just one more thing ... X ** N!S attack. Joe Meyers had three hits McHenry assistant football coach Dan Boland, left, makes a point JJld three ,scorf?'J.?1 HITlQSULJUT«JlfK* Meyers and Marke added three hits to h6&d coach Joe ScRlenoer as the Wsrriors prepare for the &ND THR66 RBI 8pi6C6 Rick WS* season opener Friday against Riverside-Brookfield at McCracken kitsch and Bentz chipped in two Field at 8 p.m. Johnsburg High School will also open its season at safeties each. Richmond-Burton, alSO at 8 p.m. In 8ame two, however, it was a