Trophy Time: Pony boys take third

Tennis is a game of inches. It’s also a game of momentum and timing. And, in regards to state championships, it really was that close for the Havre High boys.

The Blue Pony boys wrapped up another highly successful season Friday in Bozeman, finishing third at the Class A state tournament for the third straight year. Thanks to another huge effort from senior singles star Jeff Miller, and big points from the doubles team of Jerod Boles and Jake Sedahl, the Ponies scored 18 points, but it wasn’t quite enough to catch now four-time defending champion Billings Central, or stay close to a strong Glendive team, which finished second.

Still, at the end of a two-day tournament that took the Ponies from Bozeman to Livingston and back to the indoor courts in Bozeman, head coach George Ferguson, who’s now led the program to 16 different trophies at the state tourney, couldn’t have been more proud.

“Our boys left their hearts and souls on the courts down in Bozeman,” Ferguson said. “They wanted to win a state championship so badly, but in tennis, sports and life, things don’t always go the way you dream of them going, and it didn’t for us this weekend. But, that doesn’t change how proud I am of those boys. They worked hard, they were dedicated and focused, they love playing for Havre High, and they gave it every single thing they had down there. So I’m nothing but proud of them and so glad they’re Blue Ponies.”

Miller definitely made sure he gave everything he had in his final tournament of an incredible career. He breezed past Whitefish’s Nathan Fauth and Dillon’s Bradley Rakich on the opening day, then put away Corvallis’ Caleb Powell Friday morning to reach his third straight state championship match, joining an elite group of Havre players to accomplish that feat alone.

Then, in front of a big crowd, Miller and Billings Central star Harrison Fagg put on a show in the state title match. Fagg won the first set 6-1, though the set was much closer, then, Miller battled back and forced a tiebreak in the second set, before finally falling 7-5. It was Miller’s second straight runner-up finish after winning the 2014 state title, and it was his fourth All-State performance of his record-breaking tennis career.

“As a fan of tennis, that championship match was everything you hope to see at the high school level,” Ferguson said. “It was high-quality stuff. It was two great kids who respect each other so much going at each other in a very honorable way. So it was a special match, and as a coach in this sport for a long time, you wish they could always be like that. It was so much fun to be a part of that. So, congrats to Harrison (Fagg). I have always been such a huge fan of Harrison’s. We’ve known him for a long time, he is such a great player and a great person, and it was an honor to coach against him and to watch him play all these years. He had a tremendous tournament, and played an exceptional match against Jeff.

“And Jeff was just as incredible in my book,” Ferguson continued. “He played one of the best matches of his career. …Every point, every game was so close. It was a real battle, and the scores won’t ever tell the whole story. Jeff played phenomenal tennis in that match, and I couldn’t have been more impressed or more proud of him. And he was able to walk off the court with his head high because he gave everything he had. He let it all out in that match. He didn’t hold anything back. He showed what a great competitor he is, and what a truly amazing player he is. I know it hurt him that he couldn’t get those few points he needed to make it turn in his favor, but, at the end of the day, he knows he’s a champion, too. He played amazing, and it was an honor to coach him in that tennis match.”

Despite falling in what was deemed an epic match, Miller’s career closed in spectacular fashion. He was a four-time Central A champion without dropping a set. He was a four-time placer at the state tournament, and in the last three years, he played in every state championship match, won a title, earned double-digit points for three different trophy teams, and lost just 10 total times. In his final season, he went an incredible 37-3.

“Jeff has had one of the most successful careers in Havre High tennis, ever, from start to finish,” Ferguson said. “He played brilliant tennis in his last high school tournament, too. He gave his heart and soul in those last four matches, just like he has always done. It’s a little too soon to completely reflect on everything Jeff has done and accomplished, but I can say this, in his time at Havre High, he completely changed the face of our boys program. He led us back to being an elite program in Class A tennis. He has meant so much to me and to our program, so much more than just winning tennis matches, and for that, I will be forever grateful. He’s simply one of the greatest of all time, and it was nothing but an honor to be his coach. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

In winning a third straight trophy, Miller got help too. Boles and Sedahl had high hopes coming into the state tournament, and they didn’t let a three-set quarterfinal loss to the eventual runner-up from Glendive derail that. They battled back to win two straight matches, eventually landing in the 5th-place match where they beat the top team from Polson in straight sets, earning All-State honors.

“So happy for Jerod and Jake that they were able to finish the tournament off with a win,” Ferguson said. “They came into the tournament playing really well, but they ran into some struggles over the course of the two days. Still, they battled really hard, they never gave up, and they kept coming back. They won a huge match against Dillon, where they had to come from way behind Friday morning to keep their season alive, so they really showed a lot of heart.

“I’m really proud of those guys,” Ferguson continued. “Jerod Boles has had an outstanding career for us. And I was so happy to see him and Jake go out with a win, and go home with medals. They were a great number one team for us this season, and I’m really happy for them that their season ended on a winning note.”

The rest of Havre’s contingent wasn’t able to find the win column this weekend, with Dustin Haas, Paige Nelson and the doubles team of Rainey Stoner and Madison Huebsch all suffering back-to-back losses Thursday. However, that didn’t mean they didn’t play well, and Ferguson certainly took notice.

“All those kids battled hard,” Ferguson said. “All of them, Dustin and the girls were all playing in their first state tournament, and that’s never easy. The quality of competition is very high and, while none of them were able to win, they all played some really good tennis. They all played better than they even realize, so, at this level, that’s all you can ask, and I was really proud of them for playing well and never giving up, even against really strong opponents.”

And there were many strong opponents at the state tournament, like the Billings Central and Glendive boys. The Rams scored 32 points, swept both brackets and won their fourth straight Class A title, while Glendive’s doubles teams carried the Red Devils to 26 points. On the girls side, there was no stopping Whitefish, which went 1-2 in doubles to win a state title for former Havreite Pat Dryden, while there was also no stopping Central’s Barclay Fagg, who won her second straight girls singles title with little resistance.

Still, at the end of the tournament and at the end of his 14th season at the helm of the Blue Pony tennis program, Ferguson had nothing but respect and pride for his teams.

“This was a great season,” Ferguson said. “It was so much fun. The kids in our program are great kids, they are great students and great athletes, and they made this an awesome season, not just the kids who made it this far, but all of them. The entire group is so much fun to coach.

“As for the state tournament,” he continued. “It was a special and emotional two days. We had a lot of seniors playing for the last time. That’s always hard, but always special. Those kids will be missed dearly when next season starts. And I’m so proud of all of them, and I’m proud of all seven of the kids who made the trip. They are great representatives of Havre High, and they showed the rest of the state how much pride we have in Havre High tennis. So it was a great end to a great year, and I couldn’t be happier.”

CLASS A STATE TENNIS

At Bozeman/Livingston

BOYS

Team Scores

Billings Central 32, Glendive 26, Havre 18, Corvallis 11, Dillon 9, Hardin 8, Hamilton 8, Stevensville 6, Polson 4, Livingston 3, Whitefish 3, Lewistown 2, Belgrade 2, Butte Central 1.

Singles

Championship – Harrison Fagg, BC def. Jeff Miller, HAV, 6-1, 7-6 (7-5); Consolation – Caleb Powell, COR def. Alex Raymond, HAM, 6-2, 6-1; 5th Place – Colton Belcourt, STE def. Bradley Rakich, DIL, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Jeff Miller (2nd Place)

1st rd – def. Nathan Fauth, WF, 6-1, 6-3; QF – def. Bradley Rakich, DIL, 6-2, 6-1; SF – def. Caleb Powell, COR, 6-4, 6-2; Championship – lost to Harrison Fagg, BC, 6-1, 7-6 (7-5).

Dustin Haas

1st rd – lost to Max Smyley, WF, 6-2, 6-1; L/O – lost to Michael Hopfauf, GLE, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Doubles

Championship – Marshall/Nichols, BC def. Hoffer/Opp, GLE, 6-7 (7-4), 6-3, 6-3; Consolation – Asche/Vester, GLE def. Lefthand/Neeser, HAR, 6-3, 6-3; 5th Place – Boles/Sedahl, HAV def. Harlan/Morgan, POL, 6-4, 6-3.

Jerod Boles/Jake Sedahl (5th Place)

1st rd – def. Southam/Peterson, DIL, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5); QF – lost to Opp/Hoffer, GLE, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3; L/O – def. Chowning/Sitter, POL, 6-3, 6-4; L/O – def. Nordahl/Wilson, DIL, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3; Consolation Semis – lost to Lefthand/Neeser, HAR, 6-3, 6-3; 5th Place – def. Harlan/Morgan, POL, 6-4, 6-3.

GIRLS

Team Scores

Whitefish 30, Billings Central 19, Dillon 16, Hardin 15, Glendive 14, Polson 14, Livingston 13, Clumbia Falls 8, Belgrade 2, Corvallis 1.

Singles

Championship – Barclay Fagg, BC def. Madisan Chavez, HAR, 6-0, 6-0; Consolation – Emilee Coleman, LIV def. Emily Getts, CF, 6-3, 6-4; 5th Place – Marlee Congdon, POL def. Alyssa Kessel, GLE, 6-4, 6-1.

Paige Nelson

1st rd – lost to Barclay Fagg, BC, 6-0, 6-0; L/O – lost to Maggie Magee, DIL, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Doubles

Championship - Fyall/Peterson, WF def. Madsen/Luedke, WF, 6-3, 6-3; Consolation – Crockett/Staiger, GLE def. Sawyer/Southam, DIL, 6-2, 7-5; 5th Place – Carlyle/Lenz, POL def. Womack/Thompson, DIL, 3-6, 6-1, 6-0.

Rainey Stoner/Madison Huebsch

1st rd – lost to Sawyer/Southam, DIL, 6-2, 6-2; L/O – lost to Hewston/Lundeen, POL, 6-1, 6-1.