Blue Ponies heat up in Helena

Success at the Helena Invitational tennis tournament is something the Havre High tennis program has had plenty of over the years — even though the Ponies are one of just two Class A squads invited to what many consider the toughest tournament in the state of Montana.

But while the Ponies have seemingly always played well in Helena, head coach George Ferguson’s teams certainly took things up a notch this weekend.

Havre was in Helena Friday and Saturday for the 2017 Helena Invite, a tournament that features all 14 Class AA schools, and when the scorching-hot two days were over, Havre got two second-place finishes in boys doubles, and a whole lot of exciting wins.

“Incredible,” Ferguson said. “That’s the word that best describes how our kids played in Helena. This is the best competition we will see all season, and all our kids did is go out and play their best tennis of the season. Doesn’t matter which match, wins or losses, our kids played their best tennis of the year. They all raised the level of their play. It was so much fun to watch, and I just couldn’t be more proud of my teams than I am right now.”

At the top of Havre’s scintillating performance was the dominance showed by HHS’ three boys doubles teams.

The senior duo of Nate Korb and Jake Sedahl became the first Pony doubles team to reach the final of the No. 1 bracket in 14 years. And while they fell to Bozeman’s Logan Derby and Jackson Peterson in the championship, it was still a ride for the ages.

“In the number one bracket at this tournament, you’re talking about the cream of the crop in Montana high school tennis,” Ferguson said. “The very best. So for Jake and Nate to not only make it to the final, but to play at such a high level for four matches, it just speaks volumes to where they’re at as a team right now, and how good of tennis players they are. They started off with an incredible win over a really good team from Billings West, and they just kept on going. It was so much fun to watch. They have really come into their own as an elite doubles team, and the show they put on this weekend, really proves that. I just couldn’t be happier for them.”

But as exciting as Sedahl and Korb’s run was, Havre had two teams playing in the championship in doubles Saturday, and overall, the Ponies won a grand total of 10 doubles matches. Tommy Brown and Brady Ophus worked their way to the championship match in the No. 3 bracket, before falling to a strong team from Billings Senior, while Trey Murphy and Kennedy McKay battled deep into a tough draw in the No. 2 bracket.

“Tommy and Brady have been getting better and better with every match,” Ferguson said. “And it kind of culminated with what they accomplished this weekend. They played at such a high level. They were fired up and and excited and they were just awesome to watch. It was so much fun, and they are becoming a real threat in our division now.

“And their performance, along with how well Trey (Murphy) and Kennedy (McKay) are playing this season, that shows how strong we are in doubles,” Ferguson continued. “Those six guys are really playing great tennis right now, and if they keep going, like I believe they will, they are in for a lot of fun times over the last few weeks of this season.”

Havre’s boys team showed its depth, too. Trey Hanson and Bobby Personett each scored two wins in their singles brackets, and senior Dustin Haas, playing in the top singles bracket, played well, despite falling to tough opponents from Billings Skyview and CMR.

“Our boys are getting stronger and stronger, and our depth is just incredible right now,” Ferguson said. “Look at what Bobby (Personett) did this weekend. He has been playing tennis for nine weeks, and he goes out and wins matches in this tournament (Helena). It’s awesome, and that really speaks to where our boys team is at right now. And I know they’ll keep this thing rolling for sure because they all work so hard and are so determined and focused.”

Havre’s girls also made plenty of noise in Helena over the weekend. State Music Festival mixed up the Pony lineup some, but still, HHS saw the doubles team of Megan Lindbloom and Devyn Solomon reach the semifinals of the No. 3 bracket, while Paige Nelson scored a big win in the No. 1 singles bracket. Cassidy Acor was also victorious in singles, as was the team of Marcee Murphy and Kadyn Acor in doubles.

“This was by far some of the best tennis our girls have played this season,” Ferguson said. “Again, we were up against the best competition we’ve seen all year, and our girls were not only up to the challenges, but they thrived on it. They played so good, in wins and in defeats.

“I have kept telling these girls, we’re young, we’re a new team this year,” he continued. “But we’re growing, we’re getting better. We’re so close to turning a major corner, and they’ve really bought into it. And they started to see some of those results in Helena this weekend. I just thought the girls played awesome, and like the boys, they’re peaking at the perfect time, and they’re going to keep peaking.”

And peaking is the goal. Havre is just one regular season meet, this Saturday’s Lewistown Invitational, away from divisional week, and Ferguson said, the play by his teams in Helena showed that the Blue Ponies are closing in on being right where they hope to be at postseason time.

“Helena was such a great two days for our kids,” Ferguson said. “You can just see, against competition like that, how much improving they’ve all done, how much better they’re getting. That has been the goal from day one, to just get better, no matter the results, and Helena really showed them how far they’ve come. So we got everything we could have asked for out of the trip, and I’m just so proud of our kids for the way they played and how they competed. And with all that happened in Helena, it just has me so excited for this last three weeks. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Helena Invitational

Havre Results

Boys Singles 1

1st rd - Dustin Haas, HAV def. by Aidan Binau, BSV, 6-3, 2-6, 10-4; 1st rd LO – Haas, HAV def. by Roy Munns, CMR, 7-5, 6-2.

Boys Singles 2

1st rd – Trey Hanson, HAV def. by Ethan Hanley, BOZ, 6-2, 6-4; 1st rd LO – Hanson, HAV def. Rydell Welk, FH, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 12-10; 2nd rd LO – Hanson, HAV def. Aaron Young, MH, 6-3, 6-4; 3rd rd LO – Hanson, HAV def. by Andrew Davidson, GFH, 6-4, 7-5.

Boys Singles 3

Bobby Personett, HAV def. by Austin Mosley, MH, 6-3, 7-6 (4); 1st rd LO – Personett, HAV def. Hayden Tillenger, CAP, 7-6 (5), 6-2; 2nd rd LO – Personett, HAV def. Jeremiah Ormseth, CMR, 6-2, 6-2; 3rd rd LO – Personett, HAV def. by Mosley, MH, 6-3, 4-6, 10-6.

Boys Doubles 1

1st rd – Jake Sedahl/Nate Korb, HAV def. Pulis/Burton, BW, 6-7 (8-10), 7-6 (7-4), 10-5; QF – Sedahl/Korb, HAV def. Brown/Tolleson-Knee, MH, 6-2, 6-2; SF – Sedahl/Korb, HAV def. Williams/Anderson, HHS, 6-4, 7-5(7-1); Championship – Sedahl/Korb, HAV def. by Derby/Peterson, BOZ, 6-2, 6-1.

Boys Doubles 2

1st rd – Trey Murphy/Kennedy McKay, HAV def. Regoli/Harms, FH, 6-2, 6-2; QF – Muprhy/McKay, HAV def. by Ostler/Gibbs, BW, 6-4, 7-6 (9-7); 2nd rd LO – Murphy/McKay, HAV def. Smith/Kujala, CMR, 6-2, 6-3; 3rd rd LO – Murphy/McKay, HAV def. by Ellis/Dillon, BSV, 6-3, 2-6, 10-8.

Boys Doubles 3

1st rd – Tommy Brown/Brady Ophus, HAV def. Olsen/Olsen, MS, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5; QF – Brown/Ophus, HAV def. Peterson/Maco-ampoa, MBS, 6-4, 6-3; SF – Brown/Ophus, HAV def. Keller/Wyman, GFH, 6-3, 6-2; Championship – Brown/Ophus, HAV def. by Sayler/Leatherberry, BS, 7-5, 6-1.

Girls Singles 1

1st rd – Paige Nelson, HAV def. by Luice Marques, HHS, 6-2, 3-6, 10-3; 1st rd LO – Nelson, HAV def. McKenna Tinseth, GLA, 6-2, 6-4.

Girls Singles 2

1st rd – McKenzie Tommerup, HAV def. by Maya Nguyen-Haberneski, MH, 6-2, 6-3; 1st rd LO – Tommerup, HAV def. by Magiie Rudbach, GLA, 6-3, 6-4.

Girls Singles 3

1st rd – Cassidy Acor, HAV def. by Kielar Jones, CAP, 2-6, 6-3, 10-5; 1st rd LO – Acor, HAV def. Cameron Cassidy, BUT, 7-6 (7-1), 5-7, 10-5.

Girls Doubles 1

1st rd – Alex Donaldson/Katie Donaldson, HAV def. by George/Burkett, HHS, 6-3, 6-4; 1st rd LO – Donaldson/Donaldson, HAV def. Naughton/Guzman, BSV, 6-3, 4-6, 12-10.

Girls Doubles 2

1st rd – Marcee Murphy/Kadyn Acor, HAV def. by Ward/Newhouse, BOZ, 6-2, 6-2; 1st rd LO – Murphy/Acor, HAV def. Long/Hanson, FH, 6-4, 7-6 (13-11).

Girls Doubles 3

1st rd – Megan Lindbloom/Devyn Solomon, HAV def. FH, 6-3, 6-4; QF – Lindbloom/Solomon, HAV def. Badger/Badger, MS, 5-7, 6-2, 10-8.