Pony tennis seeks state glory

There was a time when the Havre High boys tennis team would roll into a state tournament not having to wonder if the Blue Ponies would walk away state champions.

However, thanks to improving tennis programs all over Class A, as well as the inevitably of top players graduating each spring, the Ponies are now part of a handful of strong Class A programs, and they must battle for what is theirs each and every year.

Still, as three HHS players prepare to play in the 2011 Class A state tourney Thursday and Friday in Great Falls, it's a well-known fact that the Ponies are always a contender, and this year is no different. Havre finished second last season to Corvallis, and the Ponies are on a 13-year streak of bringing home a trophy from the state meet. And eighth-year head coach George Ferguson says this year could easily be a year in which his team earns more hardware – even though Havre qualified just three boys in senior Keenan Dolezal and juniors Justin Jensen and Brayden Grimson.

"At state, it's not always about quantity," Ferguson said. "It's about who the best individual players are and what kind of draw you end up with. And of course, it's about those players playing well for two days. We've finished as high as second with three boys before and we've finished second with nine boys, so the numbers aren't always the biggest factor. And I have the utmost confidence in the three guys we're taking to Great Falls this weekend. Would we have loved to qualify more? Of course, but the guys we did qualify will do a great job. They are all three very good players."

All three of Havre's state entrants are repeats as well. Jensen reached the state tourney as a sophomore and won a match during Havre's second-place run last spring in Billings. A year older, Jensen has had a strong season as HHS's No. 1 singles player, going 21-9 overall. And according to Ferguson, he's improved immensely.

"Justin has worked very hard, and he worked hard last year knowing he'd be our No. 1 guy this season," Ferguson said. "He's a very competitive kid and he really pushes himself to be better. And what I really like is, he knew he had two years as our top singles player, but he didn't wait until his senior year, he wants to the best he can be this year and that mentality is really playing off for him.

"Boys singles is always a tough draw at state," he added. "But mentally, Justin is as tough as they come and he's prepared for this moment. And I think if he plays his best tennis of the season, he'll right there, in the mix at the end of the second day."

Jensen finished second at last weekend's Central A meet and will face the third seed from the Southwest A in Hamilton's Ethan Selig. Jensen and Selig met last month in Hamilton with Selig coming out on top. But Jensen was returning from a 10-day absence, so he's back to a better form this time around. As for the entire boys singles draw, things are wide open. Hamilton's Bob Huppert, who finished second a year ago and Corvallis' Mitchell Decker are the overall favorites this weekend, but players from Libby and Hardin as well as Jensen and Lewistown's Ethan Bent will be in the mix too.

In doubles, Grimson and Dolezal have plenty of state tournament experience, though with different partners. Grimson and teammate Danny Roe finished sixth at last year's state tourney while Dolezal and partner Zach Cichosz also reached the state meet last season. Roe and Cichosz were both lost to season-ending injuries, and while it was tough on the Ponies early on, Ferguson said he's proud of the way Grimson and Dolezal have made the best of the situation.

"Both Brayden and Keenan came into this season with goals that included those other guys," Ferguson said. "But when the injuries happened, we had to make some tough choices and at the end of the day, putting them together was the best thing for our team and actually, for both of them too. And whatever happens this weekend, I'm really proud of those two for working it out together, for working hard to become a team as fast as they could, which isn't always easy to do. Their attitude and their dedication to our team and to our program this season is something I'll never forget.

"And not only have they become a team, they've become a very good team and one I think people will need to watch out for this weekend," he added. "They have really started to gel the last three weeks, and I think, despite a really difficult doubles draw, they can achieve great things this weekend. They have become a very strong team."

Grimson and Dolezal, who finished second at divisional will take on the No. 3 seed from the Northwest A in Whitefish's Camp Kenyon and Conner Ellis. The doubles is especially strong this year with teams from Corvallis, Stevensville, Polson, Livingston Butte Central and Hardin joining Grimson and Dolezal in the draw.

As a whole however, the boys meet will be as wide open as it has been in recent years. Corvallis broke Havre's record for team points in a tournament last year, but the Blue Devils qualified just five boys last weekend and have no No. 1 seeds in the draw. Hamilton is strong as is Hardin, but with things so wide open, a trophy for Havre's three boys is not out of the question.

"I fully believe we can get a trophy," Ferguson said. "But that's not how we ever approach a state tournament. This is these kids' time to shine, on their own. This is their time to let it all hang out and see how far they can go and how good they can play. To see if they can take their game to the next level. And when they achieve that, the team points add up and that's the formula that's always worked for us. So I'm very excited to see what these three guys can do this weekend, and I believe they have a great chance to do great things."

The 2011 Class A state tennis tournament will get under way at 8 a.m. Thursday morning and run through Friday afternoon, weather permitting. The meet will be played at CMR High School and at Meadowlark Country Club.