Time for the Ponies to hit the court

One would never know it by looking, but high school tennis season is here, and for the Havre Blue Ponies, it's really here.

Even with piles of snow still resting on the ground all over most of Montana, the Blue Ponies, of 17-year veteran head coach George Ferguson, will begin their regular season Saturday on indoor courts in Cut Bank.

Yes, even though Havre has spent just as much time shoveling the Bill Vaughey Memorial Tennis Courts, as it has practicing, the Blue Ponies are excited to finally play some real tennis matches.

"Obviously, we're behind," Ferguson, who has led HHS to five Class A state championships, and three times that many Central A titles, said. "But we're excited. We're fired up. We're going to play real tennis matches Saturday, and there's nothing more exciting than that.

"It's been a grind to get to this point," he continued. "The kids have shoveled, and practiced on the gym floor, and shoveled some more. They haven't got the start to the season they would in a normal spring. And yet, their attitudes have been so great. They've stayed positive, they've worked really hard, and they're ready to go."

And where Havre hopes to go is, bringing more trophies home from divisionals and state. Those tournaments, though, are a ways off still so right now, Ferguson said, his teams are focused on fundamentals, on improving, and just getting back into form.

"Even in a normal year, I would say the same thing," Ferguson said. "The beginning of the season is all about getting the rust off, finding our form, and then advancing that form. That's what the first few meets will be about, and that's what every day in practice is about. We're building towards something, and every single day, whether it's practice or a competition, that's another step in that process. So we don't look ahead. We focus on what we're doing that day and that day only."

Havre's early schedule includes the trip to Cut Bank, the Havre Invitational April 6-7, and a return to Cut Bank for the Class A Duals April 13-14. Ferguson said that's always the first step in what is a long season, and the first turning point will come with the Central A Invite April 21 in Lewistown. From there, Havre has trips to Great Falls, Glendive and Helena, before returning to Lewistown for the Lewistown Invitational.

"I break the season into three parts," Ferguson said. "Right now, we're barely into part one. But by the time we go back to Cut Bank for the Class A Duals, that's when I want to see that major step forward, the progression that we are working towards every day. And then, the Lewistown Invitational, that's another big step, because that is the final meet before divisionals. So, we have these goals we're working towards, and again, we're just getting started. But at the same time, it's an exciting process. As a coach, it's so much fun to see where you start, and then where you end up."

And Ferguson has teams that could end up doing big things come the end of May.

He returns a veteran girls team, with all three of his 2017 doubles teams intact. Seniors Katie and Alex Donaldson, and Megan Lindbloom and Baylee Miller will team up once again, along with juniors Marcee Murphy and Devyn Solomon who played No. 1 for Havre last season. But it isn't just the doubles teams that are returning. The Ponies didn't have a single senior on their roster last season, when they finished third in the Central A. Senior Paige Nelson, a two-time state qualifier is back, as are juniors Kadyn Acor and McKenzie Tommerup, and sophomore Cassidy Acor.

But, Havre's depth doesn't end with the 10 players who made up the HHS varsity last season. Senior Marca Herron returns after missing last spring with an illness, while juniors Teagan Fee, Brynn Nault and Tiffany Ralph are all accomplished players and will certainly push for varsity time.

"We are pretty loaded with our girls team right now," Ferguson said. "We're in a situation where we'll have multiple players who would be on just about anyone else's varsity but will have to really fight for spots in our lineup. That's hard because all of those girls are very good tennis players, but at the same time, depth is not ever a bad problem to have either. We have a ton of experience, a ton of players who are very skilled and very talented, and they are going to keep getting better.

"So I'm really excited about that group," he continued. "The thing I really love about all of them is, they love to play tennis. It's something they're very passionate about. They work hard at it, they ask questions, they put in extra time, they want to be good at it. As a coach, you can't ask for anything more than that. So, it's going to be a big year for our girls team."

In the Central A, Ferguson said his team will certainly contend for a divisional title, though he expects every team, especially Livingston to be tough again. In all of Class A, Ferguson said Corvallis, Polson, Billings Central and Hardin will be tough teams to beat. But Havre should be in that mix, too, and not just this season.

Thanks to a host of newcomers, however, Ferguson isn't just building his team for a run this season, but well beyond, with the likes of Sylvia Wilting, Sydney Marchion, Carsyn Vogel, who played last season, Kadia Miller, Tamera O'Leary, Kobi Burchard, Kate Morehouse and exchange student Auturgan Ainakulova.

"I couldn't be more more excited about all the freshman and sophomore girls that came out for tennis this season," Ferguson said. "All of them have so much potential. They're picking it up really quickly, and just like our veterans, they are really enthusiastic about learning this sport and getting good at it. So thanks to all of those kids, and hopefully more in the future, I really like where our girls program is at right now."

While Ferguson is pumped about the direction of his girls team, he also has yet another stellar boys team on the courts. Havre is coming off its umpteenth straight Central A championship in 2017, and while the Ponies lost four senior stalwarts in Jake Sedahl and Nate Korb, who were Class A runners up in doubles last spring, as well as singles players Dustin Haas and Trey Hansen, the Ponies appear ready to make another deep run in the postseason.

"We lost some very good players," Ferguson said. "But the thing I've always been so proud of is, our boys program has just remained very consistent. We're always strong, and I expect us to be again this year. We'll have some new faces, and guys in different spots in the lineup. But come May, our boys team is going to be very tough. I know that."

Tough would describe Havre's top doubles duo in seniors Trey Murphy and Kennedy McKay. The tandem, which has played together since their freshman year, reached the state tournament a season ago, and Ferguson noted that they plan on going much farther this spring. Also back from last year's divisional championship team are senior Brady Ophus and junior Tommy Brown. The duo played doubles together a year ago, but, they will likely land in singles, or in Ophus' case, possibly be paired with a new doubles partner.

"Those are some things we have to figure out with our boys team," Ferguson said, "where everybody fits best. We know exactly what we have with Trey and Kennedy, and I think Tommy is going to do really well in singles. Brady is a good player we can really put anywhere. But overall, we're going to have to try some different things with our lineup, and see what works."

Fortunately, the Ponies have some firepower in reloading their lineup. Ferguson said that seniors Vander Swensen and Kendall Holden will play key roles this year, while a group of sophomores is ready to emerge as well. Tyrel Kjersem made the varsity lineup at the end of last season, while Jake Huston and Reese Bulkley played No. 4 doubles as freshmen. Joey Bender is another sophomore who could have an impact, as could John South and Troy Powell. Junior Jack Johnsrud is another player Ferguson said will be fighting for varsity time.

Varsity time is also something that several newcomers will be competing for as well. Given the shakeups in Havre's lineup this season, Ethan Roberts, Mick Chagnon, Josh Warp, Austin Ratliff and Riley Kilgore could all compete for varsity spots.

"We have some veteran older guys that we know what they can do," Ferguson said. "But really, our boys team is kind of wide open. We could see a lot of rotating throughout the season, and that's a good thing. That means we have a lot of young talent, and those kids are all doing really well. They're eager to learn, and they're working hard. It's going to be fun to watch our challenge matches unfold all year and see where we end up because literally everybody on our roster has a chance to have an impact."

And no matter how Havre's lineup looks come May, Ferguson said he expects his boys team to once again be the favorite in the Central A and be strong once it reaches the state tournament. He lists Lewistown as the main contender in the Central A, while Billings Central, Glendive, Hamilton and Whitefish should be very strong at state.

"Our boys team overall might be kind of an unknown right now," Ferguson said. "But they are a really good group, they work hard, and we have really good leadership. We have some talented young kids nobody's seen yet, so as we go through this process, our boys are going to get better and better. It's going to be a lot of fun to watch their progress."

And fun is something Ferguson preaches the most. Havre loves to compete, and the Pony tennis teams have won, and won a lot, over the years. But Ferguson, and longtime assistant coach Kendall Griggs, also make certain that playing tennis for the Blue Ponies is fun, and while the weather thus far has been anything but fun, Ferguson said, he's going to make sure, this season is.

"This is my world, my life," Ferguson said. "I love coaching these kids. I love coaching tennis at Havre High. I was telling my wife the other day, I can't remember what I even used to do in the spring before I started coaching. I can't imagine doing anything else. So I'm super excited for another season, and the great kids we have in our program, they make it that way. They are great to work with, great to coach, and it's going to be a blast again this year.

"We're going to work extremely hard, we're going to challenge and push these kids," he continued. "And we're going to compete. And at the end of it all, it's going to be a great experience for them, and as long as it is a fun, great experience, as long as they work hard and compete to the best of their abilities, then that's all a coach can ask for. And I know they'll do that, and this season is going to be a ton of fun, and a successful one too. I just can't wait to get started."

The Havre tennis teams open their season Saturday at the Cut Bank Invitational. The Blue Pony junior varsity teams will then head to Conrad for the Conrad Invite next Saturday, before the Ponies, weather permitting, host their only home meet of the season, April 6-7.