Pony tennis teams scorch the Electric City

The Havre High tennis teams are playing a lot of tennis in Great Falls this week. And it started with three duals in the Electric City on a toasty Tuesday afternoon.

The Blue Ponies spent the day at the CMR Courts taking on Class A rival Butte Central, as well as Class AA powers CMR and Great Falls High. And after the long, hot day was over, HHS veteran head coach certainly liked what he saw.

“It was a great day for us,” Ferguson said. “We played a ton of tennis, against great competition. We really stepped it up in the level of competition on Tuesday, and I thought our kids responded really well. It may not always show that in some of the scores, but I thought many of our kids played some of their best tennis so far. And, as always, our attitude and dedication on the court was great. The kids played really hard through some of the hottest weather we’ve seen this season. So I’m really proud of all of them.”

Even without defending Class A singles champion Jeff Miller in the lineup, the Blue Pony boys went 2-1 Tuesday. The Ponies took care of Butte Central 7-1, then toppled the Rustlers 5-3. The end of the day proved to be tough, however, as a powerful GFH squad took down HHS 7-1. Still, Ferguson was impressed with his boys team.

“I thought our boys took their game up a notch,” Ferguson said. “I want to see them go even further, and we found plenty more we can work on. But I thought, collectively, they all did a great job. Jerod (Boles) and Noah (Landgraf) won two hard-fought matches against the Great Falls’ schools, and as a unit, our doubles teams played really well. And Jake Sedahl did a great job playing No. 1 singles for us. He played some really good tennis against tough opponents.”

Boles and Landgraf led the way for the Ponies going 3-0. Sedahl won twice at No. 1 singles, while Dustin Haas added two wins, and Jamie Lieberg had one. The tandems of Wyatt Lindbloom and Nate Korb and Jeffrey Ralph and Trey Hanson also won twice, while the freshmen squad of Kennedy McKay and Trey Murphy picked up a win over Butte Central and played two close matches against the Rustlers and Bison in what was their first varsity appearance.

Meanwhile, the Havre girls went 1-2 Tuesday, beating the Maroons 5-3, before falling to CMR 6-2 and GFH 7-1. Still, with such a youthful team, and facing some of the best competition they’ve ever seen, Ferguson said his Ponies were very impressive.

“The girls played great,” Ferguson said. “Great Falls High is really good, and CMR has perhaps one of the best doubles teams in Class AA. So it was very tough competition for those girls, and I thought they all did great. They learned a lot, and matches like that will really help them down the road.”

Senior Tatiana Ralph scored wins over Butte Central and CMR for the Ponies, while Paige Nelson won twice at No. 2 singles, including notching HHS’ only win against the Bison. Junior Meggan Smith also scored two wins at No. 3 singles, while Madison Huebsch and Rainey Stoner beat the top team from Butte Central, while playing two great Class AA teams in the afternoon.

“Tatiana had a great day,” Ferguson said. “She needed some tough compeititon, and she did really well against it. I thought Meggan Smith played some really good tennis, and so did all of our doubles teams, regardless of the scores. But we also saw some of our young girls, Alex Donaldson, Megan Lindbloom, Marca Herron, Chido Chikwava and Baylee Miller, make big strides in just one day. Those girls have so little experience, and then they’re playing Class AA kids, and they improved a ton over the course of three matches. So that was exciting to see, and while our girls may not have won a ton of matches against the Great Falls schools, they all got better, and that was the ultimate goal going in.”

The Blue Ponies will be right back in Great Falls for the Great Falls Invitational Friday-Saturday.

BOYS

Havre 7, Butte Central 1

Singles

Jake Sedahl def. Sam Sterns, BC, 6-4, 3-6, 10-3; Jamie Lieberg def. Jake McPherson, BC, 6-1, 6-2; Dustin Haas def. Ian Campbell, BC, 6-4, 6-1; Tyge Yelenich, BC def. Kyle Kirkpatrick, 8-1.

Doubles

Jerod Boles/Noah Landgraf def. Frank Hendrickson/Sam Joyce, BC, 6-0, 6-2; Wyatt Lindbloom/Nate Korb def. Bryon Arnold/Zach Luebeck, BC, 6-0, 6-1; Trey Hanson/Jeffrey Ralph def. Shane Callahan/Colby Klein, BC, 6-1, 6-4; Kennedy McKay/Trey Murphy def. Frank Doyes/Tash Lester, BC, 8-5.

Havre 5, CMR 3

Singles

Jake Sedahl def. Ian DeBoo, CMR, 6-0, 6-2; Gavin Will, CMR def. Jamie Lieberg, 6-4, 6-4; Dustin Haas def. Asher Lynde, CMR, 4-6, 6-4, 10-8; Brett Lawson, CMR def. Kyle Kirkpatrick, 6-0, 6-4.

Doubles

Jerod Boles/Noah Landgraf def. Jacob Bernhardt/Kyle Korb, CMR, 7-6 (7-4); 5-7. 10-2; Wyatt Lindbloom/Nate Korb def. Leonard Ormseth/Roy Muhns, CMR, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 10-7; Trey Hanson/Jeffrey Ralph def. Payton Sexe/Stuart Gray, CMR, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 10-7; Karl Reuter/Patrick Brennan, CMR def. Kennedy McKay/Trey Murphy, 8-5.

GFH 7, Havre 1

Singles

Miggy San Pedro, GFH def. Jake Sedahl, 6-3, 6-1; Erik Abarr, GFH def. Jamie Lieberg, 6-0, 6-0; Andrew Davidson, GFH def. Dustin Haas, 6-1, 6-2; Sean Robinson, GFH def. Kyle Kirkpatrick, 6-1, 6-1.

Doubles

Jerod Boles/Noah Landgraf def. Tom Johnson/Seth Dobler, GFH, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5); Chase Perry/Taylor Lunn, GFH def. Wyatt Lindbloom/Nate Korb, 6-1, 6-4; Jacob Jarrell/Blade Massy, GFH def. Trey Hanson/Jeffrey Ralph, 6-1, 3-6, 10-3; Gavin Austin/John Leonard, GFH def. Kennedy McKay/Trey Murphy, 8-7 (7-4).

GIRLS

Havre 5, Butte Central 3

Singles

Tatiana Ralph def. Sarah Drew, BC, 6-2, 6-2; Paige Nelson def. Larysa Blavatsky, BC, 6-3, 6-2; Meggan Smith def. Regan McPherson, BC, 8-6; Zoe Sullivan, BC def. Marca Herron, BC, 6-3.

Doubles

Rainey Stoner/Madison Huebsch def. Ali Guldseth/Kellsie Quinn, BC, 6-2, 6-4; Sierra Pica/Ryan Trudnowski, BC def. Reggie Bernard/Ashley Hoffland, 6-2, 4-6, 10-8; Samantha Burton/Savannah Healey, BC def. Alex Donaldson/Megan Lindbloom, 8-7 (7-5); Chido Chikwava/Baylee Miller, HAV won by FFT.

CMR 6, Havre 2

Singles

Tatiana Ralph def. Quincy Borggard, CMR, 6-2, 6-3; Justine Runkel, CMR def. Paige Nelson, 4-6, 6-2, 10-5; Meggan Smith def. Ariana Easton, CMR, 6-2, 6-2; Michelle Bragat, CMR def. Marca Herron, 6-2, 6-3.

Doubles

Lindsay Martinez/Mackenzie George, CMR def. Rainey Stoner/Madison Huebsch, 6-0, 6-0; Lindsey Pyette/Kyla Campbell, CMR def. Reggie Bernard/Ashley Hoffland, 6-2, 6-2; Chandler Schroer/Skyler Anderson, CMR def. Alex Donaldson/Megan Lindbloom, 6-2, 6-1; Paige Kujala/Andrea Laine, CMR def. Chido Chikwava/Baylee Miller, 6-4, 6-2.

GFH 7, Havre 1

Singles

Abigail Davidson, GFH def. Tatiana Ralph, 6-3, 6-4; Paige Nelson def. Anna Johnson, GFH, 7-5, 6-1; Bryn Dobler, GFH def. Meggan Smith, 8-7 (7-1); Maddie Goode, GFH def. Marca Herron, 8-3.

Doubles

Stephanie Fellows/Libby Fellows, GFH def. Rainey Stoner/Madison Huebsch, 6-2, 6-3; Brooke Dart/Baylie Roadie, GFH def. Reggie Bernard/Ashley Hoffland, 6-2, 6-0; Hannah Willis/McKayla Thurston, GFH def. Alex Donaldson/Megan Lindbloom, 6-1, 6-1; Emma Macken/Aaron Murphy, GFH def. Chido Chikwava/Baylee Miller, 6-0, 6-0.