Pony netters lay it all on the line

The success the Havre High tennis teams have had at the Central A Divisional tournament the last 10 years has been staggering. In that time alone, the Blue Pony boys and girls have won a combined 15 Central A championships.

And that streak includes just last season when the HHS boys captured the team title, edging Livingston by a mere three points. The Pony girls also finished second at the Central A last year.

Havre High senior Lainey Chagnon strikes a forehand during last month's Havre Invitational. Chagnon is one of 20 Blue Ponies who will be gunning for glory at Thursday-Friday's Central A tennis tournament in Lewistown.

However, as the 2013 Central A Divisional approaches, things might be a little more difficult for the Ponies. That's because this weekend in Lewistown, Havre is up against some strong and balanced competition according to HHS head coach George Ferguson.

The Central A meet begins Thursday afternoon in Havre, and weather permitting, will wrap up Friday evening in Lewistown. The top four boys and girls singles players, and top four doubles teams on each side will move on to the Class A state tournament next Thursday in Polson.

"This is it," Ferguson said. "This is the tournament we practice for all season long. It's the tournament that all of the matches this year have been preparing us for. It's going to be tough. I don't think there is a clear favorite in the boys or girls tournament. It's that balanced and it's going to be that close. This looks like a tournament where literally anything can happen.

"And I believe our kids are ready," he added. "I think we are taking 20 kids to Lewistown, all of whom are capable of helping us win two team titles. We just have to play our best tennis of the season. If we do that, I think we've got a great chance."

Of course team titles aren't the only thing the Blue Ponies are hunting for. Last year, Havre qualified just four kids for the state tournament, a low for Havre since Ferguson took over the program 10 years ago.

"That was tough, it made the tournament bitter-sweet last year, because team-wise we did really well. But we didn't get as many kids through as we should have," Ferguson said. "That's the nature of the divisional tournament. Kids are going to lose out. You can't take everybody to state. But this week, we'd certainly like to see a lot more kids get through. And I think we're more than capable of doing that. I have a lot of confidence in this group because they've worked very hard this spring. They just need to make that hard work pay off the next two days."

The Havre boys swept the singles and doubles at the 2012 Central A, but Justin Jensen, who finished third at state a year ago, and Brayden Grimson and Simon McCann all graduated. Havre has no returning placers from the Central A. However, the Ponies do have some experience, along with a whole lot of talent.

And that starts with freshman Jeff Miller (22-8) in singles. He's certainly the favorite this week, having beaten everybody in his division already. However, he, along with No. 2 Ned Malone (17-12), No. 3 Zach Hellegaard (16-1) and No. 4 Jacob Holden (14-14) will have plenty of challengers in the singles draw. Malone came within a few points of reaching state last year, while Hellegaard has lost just one match all season. Combined, Malone, Holden and Hellegaard have all played in at least two previous divisional tournaments.

"We have the experience, even Jeff," Ferguson said. "That shouldn't be an issue. Confidence has been an issue for our boys singles players. They've lacked that at times this season. So that's the key. Those four guys have to go out and believe they can win. They have to play at a high level and they can't have letdowns."

Doubles is where the Havre boys do lack experience. Only seniors Nick Rhines and J.J. Hovet, and junior Brian Smith have prior divisional experience. But Rhines and Hovet (18-11) are a new team this season, as are Smith and Noah Landgraf (21-11) and newcomers Jerod Boles and Wyatt Lindbloom (10-18). So the Ponies will be underdogs this week as they try to win their ninth doubles title in the last 10 years.

"Our doubles teams have come along, but it's been a tough road," Ferguson said. "That's what happens when you put three new teams together. It takes time to develop doubles teams. One season isn't really enough. But I'm really very proud of those six guys because they have worked hard to come together this season. They are three solid teams and they all have a chance to do very well. I'm really proud of those guys. They've come a long way this season."

As for the boys tournament itself, it should be close. Lewistown boasts three strong doubles teams, while Anaconda has two doubles contenders. Livingston is led by three solid singles players. So the scoring could be very spread out.

Havre's Ned Malone is hoping to earn a trip to the Class A state tennis tournament via the Central A Divisional this weekend in Lewistown.

"I think it's going to be a low-scoring boys tournament," Ferguson said. "There isn't a team in the field which is heads and shoulders better than the rest. I think it's going to be a dogfight. I think we have 10 really good tennis players and I expect us to play very well this weekend. Our boys team has had to work very hard this season because we were so inexperienced at the start and I'm proud of them for that. I believe that hard work is going to play off in Lewistown."

For the most part, experience isn't something the Havre girls lack. Havre returns nine players from last year's divisional tournament, including junior Brandy Lambourne (19-8), who placed third in singles, and all three of its doubles teams. Also back is junior Shannon Herring and sophomore Tatiana Ralph, both of whom scored points for the Ponies a year ago.

"I have been looking at this season as a big one for our girls team for a while now," Ferguson said. "We have a bunch of juniors and seniors who have been playing varsity since the first day of their freshmen year. That means they are really ready for this. Again, it's about confidence. They have to believe they can win and believe they can be the best. If they do that, they will have a lot of success this weekend."

Lambourne is one of the singles favorites this weekend, while Herring (19-11) will play No. 2 for Havre, Ralph (20-8) will play No. 3 and freshman Rainey Stoner (4-2) earned the No. 4 spot. And while Havre will look to make plenty of noise in singles, doubles is where the Ponies could, and should score big.

Seniors Lainey Chagnon and Jennifer Cichosz (16-15) play No. 1 and will be seeded in the top four. They are more than capable of going all the way this week, as are the No. 2 duo of Breck Don and Ellery Bresler (26-6), who, like Chagnon and Cichosz, came within a match of making it to state last season. Then there's the junior duo of Haley Graham and Morgan Jappe (20-3), who have lost only three matches all season, and could be the biggest key to Havre's success in Lewistown.

"Doubles is where we can really make up some ground," Ferguson said. "No one in this tournament has three better doubles teams than we do. There are some other good teams, but we have three experienced and good teams. Breck and Ellery and Morgan and Haley haven't lost to a divisional opponent all season, so that shows just how strong we are from top to bottom. That's going to be huge. If all three of teams play their best, the sky is the limit. And I think the same goes for Brandy. If she's at her very best, she can go as far as anybody in the field.

"Like the boys tournament, the girls is wide open," Ferguson added. "Nobody is overly loaded. I think we have the most experienced group of girls in the tournament. I think we are ready for this weekend. I'm really proud of our girls team for not just this year, but what they've done to help keep our program going. And this is going to be an exciting weekend for them. I know they'll do their best. They always do."

And doing the best they can is the goal for the Ponies in Lewistown. Ferguson says that in a team tournament based on an individual sport, the better the individual plays, the more the team points add up. And Havre is certainly capable of racking up team points on both sides.

"We've always taken the approach that the kids only need to worry about themselves and the match they are playing. If they do that, focus on just the moment, then they play their best and when they play their best the wins come and the team points add up anyway. There is an immense amount of pressure at the divisional tournament. It's an intense time for these kids because it's win or the season is over. So anything we can do to simplify things for them, we will do that.

"This is a great time of year for these kids," he added. "They've been training since March 13, and it all comes down to these two days in Lewistown. I'm so proud of my team and how far they've come and I'm hoping they all find as much success as they can this weekend. They've earned that."

The Central A tennis tournament will begin at 3 p.m. Thursday in Lewistown. The finals are slated for Friday evening. The Class A state tournament will run next Thursday-Friday in Polson and Ronan.