Ponies ready to net gold in Billings

The Havre High boys and girls tennis teams went through an intense, pressure-packed three days last weekend at the Central A Divisional tournament in Bozeman, but the reward for nine HHS tennis players is competing at the state’s highest level of competition.

Thursday and Friday at locations around Billings, boys and girls from the Blue Pony tennis teams will compete at the Class A state tournament, and longtime Havre head coach George Ferguson couldn’t be more excited for his squad.

“We’re taking nine very good tennis players to state,” Ferguson said. “I’m very confident in these kids. They’ve already been through the ringer at divisionals. They are all playing their best tennis of the season right now. So now they can just relax, enjoy the ride and we’ll see how it comes out on Friday night. But it’s a very exciting time for these kids, and this weekend is going to be a lot of fun.”

The Havre boys dominated the Central A last weekend and moved five boys into this weekend’s state tournament. Among them is sophomore Jeff Miller, the two-time defending Central A champion, who has gone 23-3 this season and hasn’t lost to a Class A opponent yet this spring. Last year, Miller placed sixth at the state tournament, but is gunning for much more in Billings.

“Jeff is young, but he is an elite player,” Ferguson said. “Jeff is as full time a tennis player as you can be in Havre. He works on his game all summer long, he plays the USTA tournaments against really good competition. He’s dedicated and tennis is his passion. And this is a big state tournament for him. He got his feet wet last year, but now he is one of the best players in the state. There’s no question about it. When you talk about the kids who can compete for a state championship, Jeff is one of the few kids that is in that conversation. I know he is excited about this week, and he’s looking forward to going to Billings and playing at a very high level.”

Miller, like everyone else in Class A boys singles will be trying to dethrone two-time defending champion Dillon Meyer of Billings Central. Among the other favorites this weekend are Polson’s Brady Hislop and Corvallis’ D.J. Pekoc.

Miller is HHS’s lone entrant in singles, but the Ponies have two doubles teams in the field. Seniors Ned Malone and Brian Smith captured the Central A title last weekend, while juniors Noah Landgraf and Wyatt Lindbloom finished fourth. All four players are making their first trip to the state tourney, and while teams from Billings Central, Polson and Butte Central are favored, Ferguson noted that his two doubles tandems can’t be overlooked.

“Ned and Brian are playing the best tennis of their lives right now,” Ferguson said. “Things have really clicked with them in the past couple of weeks, and I don’t think it matters one bit that this is their first year as a team. The way they are playing, I fully expect that they will do very well at state. They also will really embrace and appreciate being at state, being part of the experience. I know they are very pumped up about this trip. I’m just so proud of how far both of them have come.

“And I wouldn’t want to be the team that has to face Wyatt and Noah along the way,” he continued. “They are a dangerous No. 4 seed. This is their first year playing together, too, but they are very competitive and very driven, and they won’t just be happy being in Billings. They want to win tennis matches down there. So I’m really excited about what we’ve got going in doubles this weekend.”

The Havre girls are also excited and ready to go. Senior Brandy Lambourne is making her third straight trip to the state tournament, but this year, she’s going in as the Central A champion and a No. 1 seed. Lambourne has lost just five times all season, and she will have help in the singles draw in junior Tatiana Ralph. Ralph finished third at last weekend’s Central A meet, and hand-delivered the Havre girls the Central A championship with her dramatic win in the consolation final. The singles bracket has favorites Laramie McCugh and Barclay Fagg, but Ferguson insists his two singles players will be tough to beat.

“Brandy is playing her last-ever tennis tournament,” Ferguson said. “For someone who never picked up a tennis racket until two weeks into the season her freshman year, she’s become one of the best players in the state, and one of the best singles players we’ve had in a while. Her progress has been remarkable, and I know she’s on a mission this weekend. She wants to have the same kind of success she had in basketball, and she’s so driven to succeed, that it’s just so much fun to coach her and to be around her. And this will be a great week for Tati. She is really coming into her own as a player as well. She’s become an outstanding player, and she’s going to have people talking about her this weekend. I know those two are going to play very well.”

Seniors Breck Don and Ellery Bresler round out the HHS state lineup. The duo won a match at the state meet a year ago, and they come in as the No. 2 seed out of the Central A. The doubles draw is wide open, with little to no returning state experience from a year ago. And while Corvallis and Billings Central have strong teams, Ferguson expects his senior duo to be a force in their final high school tournament.

“Breck and Ellery have played doubles together for four years,” Ferguson said. “They’re that doubles team you dream about having. One you can start as freshmen, keep together and watch them grow. That’s what they’ve done in this program. They fell in love with tennis, and they put their heart and soul into every match they play together. It’s been an honor and a privilege to coach those two. I’ve really enjoyed it, and I’m going to enjoy watching them play together one last tournament. This is it for them, and I’ll tell you what, they are playing some really good tennis right now, and I wouldn’t want to be a team that has to face them this weekend.”

And as far as teams go, Ferguson said he believes both his teams have a chance to compete for hardware in Billings. Billings Central and Polson tied for the state title in boys a year ago, and both field strong teams again, while Glendive is also a serious threat on the boy’s side. The girls race will feature defending champion Corvallis, as well as Billings Central, but after that, Hardin and Havre might have the best shot at a trophy. Yet, Ferguson said his approach to the state tournament is less about trophies and more about the kids focusing on their individual brackets. It’s a philosophy that’s worked well for Havre over the years, as the Ponies have won a combined five state championships during Ferguson’s tenure.

“In a way, the kids have earned the right to be a little selfish at this point,” Ferguson said. “Tennis is an individual sport first, and while our teams are very close and bonded, this week is about all of these kids doing their best and chasing their goals and dreams. This is about each player or doubles team trying to chase their own personal glory. And then, the more success they have individually, the more the team points we rack up.

“I absolutely think we are taking boys and girls teams down to Billings that both have a chance to score enough points to get a trophy,” he continued. “I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t believe it. But I want them focusing on playing their best individually and not worrying about anything else. I want them to make the most out of this experience because it’s very hard to get to this level, and they have all earned it. I want them to play the best tennis of their lives and make great and lasting memories for themselves. That’s what I want to see all of these kids do, and whatever happens after that, happens. This is a special week for these nine kids, and I’m really excited and I’m already very proud of all of them.”

The 2014 Class A state tournament gets underway at Pioneer Park and Central Park Thursday morning in Billings. The tournament will all be held at Pioneer Park on Friday, and is slated to wrap up Friday evening.