Pony tennis teams win in Lewistown

With plenty of foul weather in the future forecast, the Havre High tennis teams were looking to make the most of an important day in Lewistown. And, after four duals, the Pony boys and girls did just that.

Havre was in Lewistown for the Central A Preview Meet on Saturday, where the HHS boys went 3-1 in dual action, and the Havre girls went 2-2.

"I was very happy with the way we performed," HHS head coach George Ferguson said. "We played a ton of tennis against very good competition. We needed that strong competition, we needed to be pushed, and we got that. I thought we did very well against our Central A opponents, which was one of our goals this weekend, and I also thought we showed big improvements in a lot of areas. So we accomplished a lot, and that speaks to how focused our kids were."

The Havre boys beat all three Central A rivals, starting with a 5-2 win over Belgrade, as well as a 6-1 win over Livingston and a 4-3 defeat of Lewistown. Havre also lost its first dual of the season, as defending state champion Billings Central beat the Ponies 5-2. However, even in that dual, the Ponies flexed their muscle with Jeff Miller dominating at No. 1 singles, and Jerod Boles and Jake Sedahl winning at No. 1 doubles.

That trio would also go undefeated on the day, while Dustin Haas won three matches at No. 2 singles, and the teams of Nate Korb and Trey Hanson and Kennedy McKay and Trey Murphy combined for five more wins in doubles.

"Our boys played some good tennis," Ferguson said. "The guys at the top of our lineup played very well, and I think our younger guys did too. And playing Billings Central was a great experience for us. They (Rams) are very deep, and it showed us that we need to keep improving. We're close to being where we want to be, but we need to keep moving forward over the next three weeks."

On the girls side, the Ponies opened the day with a 7-0 sweep of Belgrade, before falling to Central 6-1. Havre then lost a close dual to arch rival Livingston 4-3, before bouncing back to beat Lewistown 5-2.

Havre's doubles tandems of Rainey Stoner and Madison Huebsch and Alara Vogel and Reggie Bernard paved the way, especially when the foursome swept Livingston. But HHS also got key wins from Alex Donaldson and Baylee Miller in doubles, as well as all four of its singles players, Meggan Smith, Paige Nelson, Ashley Hofland and Marca Herron.

"Our girls had a great day," Ferguson said. "They played some of their best tennis yet. We haven't been that close to Livingston in a dual in a while, so they were excited about the way we played them. Every girl in our lineup won matches Saturday, and I was just very proud of the way the girls stepped up. They really took a big step forward, and it was very fun to see them play so well."

Now the Blue Ponies will look to move forward in a new way. Havre will attend the Elks Invitational in Glendive Friday and Saturday, and that's a new meet on the Ponies' schedule. HHS was also slated to play Butte Central, Great Falls High and CMR Tuesday in Great Falls, but weather will likely force that event to be moved.

"It appears we have some rough weather ahead of us," Ferguson said. "So, we'll just work as hard as we can, focusing on the same goals as always, and that's to get better. We can't control the weather, but we can control how much we improve, so that's our focus, just to get better every day no matter what the weather is doing. And, in Lewistown, we did that, and we'll continue to keep doing that."

Central A Meet in Lewistown

BOYS

Havre 5, Belgrade 2

Singles

Jeff Miller, HAV def. Jan Mann, BEL, 8-2; Dustin Haas, HAV def. Jeff Fourneir, BEL, 9-7; Thomas O'Leary, BEL def. Brady Ophus, HAV, 8-2; Connor McCauley, BEL def. Vander Swensen, HAV, 8-0.

Doubles

Jerod Boles/Jake Sedahl, HAV def. Trey Layman/Aidan Hamilton, BEL, 8-3; Nate Korb/Trey Hanson, HAV def. Ethan Monlux/Dylan Bell, BEL, 8-4; Trey Murphy/Kennedy McKay, HAV def. Skyler Pulse/Javan Chilsolm, BEL, 8-3.

Billings Central 5, Havre 2

Singles

Jeff Miller, HAV def. Simon Marshall, BC, 8-1; Joey Nichols, BC def. Dustin Haas, HAV, 8-2; Jake O'Leary, BC def. Brady Ophus, HAV, 8-0; Connor Whalen, BC def. Vander Swensen, HAV, 8-0.

Doubles

Jerod Boles/Jake Sedahl, HAV def. Jake Pankratz/Cairo Morton, BC, 9-7; Andrew Nelson/Isaac Birdwell, BC def. Nate Korb/Trey Hanson, HAV, 8-6; Alex Bierwaltes/Chris Macintyre, BC def. Trey Murpnhy/Kennedy McKay, HAV, 8-4.

Havre 6, Livingston 1

Singles

David Noble, LIV def. Dustin Haas, HAV, 8-3; Jeff Miller, HAV won by fft; Brady Ophus, HAV won by fft; Vander Swensen, HAV def. River Nichols, LIV, 8-2.

Doubles

Jerod Boles/Jake Sedahl, HAV def. Jakim Ricketts/Karl Molina, LIV, 8-4; Nate Korb/Trey Hanson, HAV won by fft; Trey Murphy/Kennedy McKay, HAV def. Paul Hayward/Mitch Froelich, LIV, 8-1.

Havre 4, Lewistown 3

Singles

Jeff Miller, HAV def. Danyon Rice, LEW, 8-2; Dustin Haas, HAV def. Dalton Jensen, LEW, 8-1; Johnny Rainey, LEW def. Brady Ophus, HAV, 8-0; Jayce Phillips, LEW def. Vander Swensen, HAV, 8-0.

Doubles

Jerod Boles/Jake Sedahl, HAV def. McKye McCarthy/Kody Neill, LEW, 9-7; Nate Korb/Trey Hanson, HAV def. Chase Farrar/Tanner Mannin, LEW, 8-5; Chad Landers/Matt Smith, LEW def. Kennedy McKay/Trey Murphy, HAV, 8-4.

GIRLS

Havre 7, Belgrade 0

Singles

Meggan Smith, HAV def. Kiha Hohenstein, BEL, 8-6; Paige Nelson, HAV def. Grace Adams, BEL, 8-4; Ashley Hofland, HAV def. Carrie Sanders, BEL, 8-5; Marca Herron, HAV def. Abigail Werda, BEL, 8-4.

Doubles

Rainey Stoner/Madison Huebsch, HAV def. Brooke Gilbertson/Lilly Reddick, BEL, 8-2; Alara Vogel/Reggie Bernard, HAV def. Lauren Adams/Laura Stout, BEL, 8-3; Alex Donaldson/Baylee Miller, HAV def. Abbie Grooms/Ashley Sendon, BEL, 8-3.

Billings Central, 6, Havre 1

Singles

Meg Fitzgerald, BC def. Meggan Smith, HAV, 8-3; Hailey Keller, BC def. Paige Nelson, HAV, 8-5; Abby Fitzgerald, BC def. Ashley Hoffland, HAV, 8-3; Sarah Pankratz, BC def. Marca Herron, HAV, 8-4.

Doubles

Molly Putnum/Blayne Meyer, BC def. Rainey Stoner/Madison Huebsch, HAV, 8-3; Alara Vogel/Reggie Bernard, HAV def. Kenna Adolph/Sophia Mascarena, BC, 8-2; Emily Frey/Gigi Garcia, BC def. Alex Donaldson/Baylee Miller, HAV, 8-4.

Livingston 4, Havre 3

Singles

Emily Coleman, LIV def. Meggan Smith, HAV, 8-0; Paige Nelson, HAV def. Eliza Boyd, LIV, 8-0; Taylor Walker, LIV def. Ashley Hofland, HAV, 8-1; Cierra Villa, LIV def. Marca Herron, HAV, 8-1.

Doubles

Rainey Stoner/Madison Huebsch, HAV def. Lindsey Lane/Sophie Badten, LIV, 9-7; Alara Vogel/Reggie Bernard, HAV def. Stormy Knerr/Sarah Haines, LIV, 8-3; Reagan Smith/Nacoya Madden, LIV def. Alex Donaldson/Baylee Miller, HAV, 8-5.

Havre 5, Lewistown 2

Singles

Meggan Smith, HAV def. Abby Gatz, LEW, 8-5; Paige Nelson, HAV def. Taylor Woods, LEW, 9-7; Alexia Arndt, LEW def. Ashley Hofland, HAV, 8-0; Marca Herron, HAV def. Tessa Gatz, LEW, 8-0.

Doubles

Kodi Myhre/Aubrey Godbey, LEW def. Rainey Stoner/Madison Huebsch, HAV, 8-5; Alara Vogel/Reggie Bernard, HAV def. Lissy Southworth/Audra Frey, LEW, 8-0; Alex Donaldson/Baylee Miller, HAV def. Hayden Ziolkowski/Kloey Johnston, HAV, 8-5.