Blue Pony netters hit the courts

Spring is, kind of in the air, and that means the highly successful Havre High boys and girls tennis teams are primed and ready for a new season, a season that should finally start Saturday in Conrad.

And, it's a season that, longtime head coach George Ferguson said he's very excited for.

"So excited," Ferguson, who has coached 18 seasons and led the Blue Ponies to five team state titles, said. "We have great kids, we have great numbers again this year, and we've already been working really hard. I think we have a group of boys and girls who have all the makings of being very successful this season, and, they're just a really fun group to coach."

With 40 kids in the program, Ferguson is excited by the mix of experience and youth he has on his teams.

The Blue Pony girls are certainly experienced this season with eight seniors returning, including the longtime doubles tandems of Marcee Murphy and Devyn Solomon, who went to state a year ago, as well as Teagan Fee and Tiffany Ralph. Also back is senior Kadyn Acor, and after three years in singles, Acor will switch to doubles, playing with her sister Cassidy, a junior, who has also been a standout singles player the last two seasons. McKenzie Tommerup is also back, as is Brynn Nault, and both are expected to lead the Ponies in singles, after Havre graduated three-year No. 1 singles player Paige Nelson, while Kassidy Compton returns to the program after missing last year with a knee injury.

"That group of seniors, they've been playing tennis for a really long time," Ferguson said. "And with those girls, and Cassidy Acor, we have a ton of experience, and it gives us experience in both doubles and singles. That group has been really dedicated over the years, and they'll certainly lead what should be a really strong girls team this year."

Havre also has plenty of younger prospects in the mix, too. Sophomores Sylvia Wilting, Tamera O'Leary, Sydney Marchion and Kate Morehouse return for a second season, and will be impactful players this season, while junior Angela Rhines is also back and has experience, too. Newcomers Talia Ralph, Grace Krantz, McKenzie Mangold, Destiny Hernandez and Sierra Hofland will give Havre depth, and a look toward the future.

"It's a great group of girls," Ferguson said. "It's a great mix across the board, and we have a ton of talent, and a ton of potential on our girls team, and I think the sky's the limit for them this year. I'm really excited to see what they can do this season."

Ferguson also noted that his Pony girls team should be a top contender for the Central A title this season - something the Ponies haven't won since 2014.

Meanwhile, the HHS boys will be chasing a Central A trophy, too, but the Ponies are familiar in that role, having won divisional titles in 22 of the last 23 seasons, including last year. The Havre boys also came within two points of winning a Class A team title a year ago, with the state champion doubles team of Trey Murphy and Kennedy McKay leading the way.

But even though Havre graduated Murphy, McKay and several other key seniors, Ferguson said his boys team is primed for another trophy hunt this spring.

"We're going to be a younger team," Ferguson said. "We only return one senior from last year's divisional team. But we have talent, we have plenty of kids ready to step up and take their turn in this program. If they put in the work every day, there's no reason why they can't continue all of the traditions our boys program has built over the last two decades."

Tommy Brown, a four-year varsity standout for the Ponies, is the lone senior back from last year's divisional roster, and after reaching the state tournament in singles, he'll switch to doubles and likely pair with junior Tyrel Kjersem, who also reached the state tourney a year ago. Havre's junior class also returns the doubles team of Jake Huston and Reese Bulkley, who came within a tiebreaker of reaching state themselves last year. Juniors John South and Troy Powell also return and should vie for varsity spots, as should seniors Jack Johnsrud and Josiah Harrison.

The Ponies also return sophomore Josh Warp, who, as a freshman, not only earned his way onto Havre's varsity a year ago, but came within one win of reaching the state tournament. Warp will likely lead a young singles contingent that also includes sophomore Mick Chagnon, fresh off a state championship in wrestling this spring.

"Our seniors through sophomores, they all actually have a ton of experience," Ferguson said. "Some of them may not have the varsity-level experience, but whether you're on varsity or JV, we practice the same way every day. So all of those guys have been through it, they know what our program is going to be about, and especially the younger guys, they've already taken huge steps forward from where they were when the season ended last year."

The Havre boys will also be youthful this spring because the Blue Ponies have a wealth of freshmen talent, many of whom will push for varsity time. Trenton Maloughney and Randy Tommerup come to the program with prior tennis experience, while Theron Peterson, Collin Miller, Josh Currie, Carter Leeds, Riley Long Knife, Kya Lodge Pole and Marion Bell are all showing a ton of promise in their first year in the program.

"Same as with the girls, I'm really excited about our newcomers on the boys team," Ferguson said. "There's a lot of talent, a lot of athleticism, a lot of potential there, and they're really embracing tennis quickly, and that's what we want to see. We want them to get out there, get the bug early and take it from there, and that's happening with this group of freshmen we have this season. It's really exciting."

And exciting is the word Ferguson chooses to describe not only his team, but the next two months. Havre's schedule includes the two-day Havre Invitational April 5-6, as well as tough trips to Lewistown (twice), the Cut Bank Class A Duals, the Glendive Invitational and the prestigious Helena Invitational, among others. Of course, everything Havre does over the next two months is in preparation for the Central A Divisional, which will be held in Lewistown May 16-17 and the Class A state tournament May 23-24.

"It's going to be a really fun year, mainly because these kids are awesome and so much fun to coach," Ferguson said. "They're all working hard, and we're going to push them hard, we're going to do the things that have made this program very succussful and so much fun to be a part of over the years.

"As far as trophies and medals and things like that, I think these teams can achieve all of those things," he continued. "I think the sky is the limit for these kids this season. We have a lot of really good tennis players in our program, and a lot of kids who are going to become really good tennis players in the future, and I think they all can do anything they set their mind too. But I know for sure, these kids will work hard, they'll give us their very best every single day. They'll compete, and they'll represent Havre High tennis and Havre High the right way, because they are great kids, and so much fun to work with. So, no matter what happens this season on the court, it's going to be a blast for me, a blast for them, and at the end of it all, they're going to be able to look back on it all and know they had a great season."

The Blue Pony tennis teams were set to open their season March 23 in Cut Bank, but, that meet was cancelled, so Havre will attempt to open the season at this Saturday's Conrad Invitational.