Pony netters dominate Central A Preview Meet

In the busiest stretch of their season, the Havre High tennis teams are starting to gear everything toward next month’s Central A Divisional Tournament in Lewistown. That’s why last Friday was so big for the Ponies.

Havre was in Lewistown for the Central A Preview Meet where the Ponies went head-to-head with conference rivals Livingston and Lewistown. And while the Pony boys and girls were combined 4-0 in the duals, HHS head coach George Ferguson was even more excited by the quality of tennis his kids played.

“We won a lot of important matches in Lewistown, and that is always great,” Ferguson said. “But what I saw was how quickly our kids are getting better from one week to the next. For most of the day, I saw our kids playing much better tennis than they did last week in Cut Bank, and that is what was really exciting to me. It was a really good day for us, and one we can certainly build off of.”

Havre’s boys were very strong Friday, beating Livingston 7-0 and Lewistown 4-3. Senior Tommy Brown was dominant at No. 1 singles, failing to drop a single game in a pair of 6-0, 6-0 wins. Sophomore Josh Warp was also a perfect 3-0 in singles, while Mick Chagnon and Trenton Maloughney want a combined 3-1 at the No. 3 and No. 4 spots, respectively. In doubles, juniors Jake Huston and Reese Bulkley were dominant in wins over both the Rangers and Eagles, while Jack Johnsrud and Josiah Harrison went 1-1, and John South and Troy Powell captured a win, as did Powell in singles.

“Our boys played really well,” Ferguson said. “Tommy is playing at a really high level right now. He is a real force. And I thought it was a really big day for Josh Warp and Jake and Reese because all the matches they played were critical to seeding our divisional tournament, and they went to Lewistown and really performed. I was proud of those guys because they played probably the first matches of the year where there was significant pressure, and they really rose to the occasion.

“But overall, all of our boys did really well,” he continued. “We’re really a young and inexperienced boys team this year, and we’re pushing those guys to get better every day so that we can be a really strong team in May, and every one of the boys we took to Lewistown played better tennis than they have all season.”

Havre’s girls weren’t to be outdone. The Ponies blanked Lewistown 7-0, and upended defending Central A champion Livingston 5-2. In doubles, the tandems of Marcee Murphy and Devyn Solomon, Kadyn and Cassidy Acor and Teagan Fee and Tiffany Ralph went a combined 7-1 on the day, while McKenzie Tommerup scored a big singles win over Lewistown’s top player, and Kassidy Compton, Tamera O’Leary and Sylvia Wilting posted a combined perfect 6-0 record.

“I thought our girls made a ton of progress Friday,” Ferguson said. “Livingston has been the standard in our conference for a long time right now, and our girls played them really well. They played some outstanding tennis, both in singles and doubles. Teagan and Tiff are becoming a real force in doubles, and Kassidy Compton continues to make huge strides in singles, after not being able to play last season. Again though, it was all of our girls, from top to bottom they played really strong tennis Friday, and that’s exciting because those girls, as they continue to get better, have the chance to put something really special together this season.”

And the end of the season is what the Ponies are working toward. Havre has a hectic schedule this week with three duals in Great Falls Tuesday, followed by six matches in Glendive Friday and Saturday. And, Ferguson said, last Friday’s meet in Lewistown was the perfect springboard for this week.

“Our kids did such a great job in Lewistown,” Ferguson said. “We emphasized that this meet was really important for us, and they all went down there and answered the call. They were focused and determined and they played some of the best tennis I’ve seen this season. So I’m proud of them all. It was a fun day in Lewistown, and this week is going to be a lot of fun, too.”

Havre is set to battle Butte Central, Great Falls High and CMR Tuesday in Great Falls, followed by the Glendale Invitational Friday and Saturday.

Havre 7, Livingston 0

Singles

Tommy Brown, HAV def. Antonio Valenia, LIV, 6-0, 6-0; Josh Warp, HAV def. John Sarisky, LIV, 6-1, 6-0; Mick Chagnon, HAV def. Bob Durgan, LIV, Trenton Maloughney, HAV def. Jackson Boreham, LIV, 6-1, 6-0.

Doubles

Jake Huston/Reese Bulkley, HAV def. Payton Murphy/Scott Tatum, LIV, 6-4, 6-0; Jack Johnsrud/Josiah Harrison, HAV def. Jon Sarisky/Bob Durgan, LIV, 6-1, 6-1; John South/Troy Powell, HAV won by fft.

Havre 4, Lewistown 3

Singles

Tommy Brown, HAV def. Jayce Phillips, LEW, 6-0, 6-0; Josh Warp, HAV def. Ben Kolar, LEW, 6-3, 6-3; Logan Errecart, LEW def. Mick Chagnon, HAV, 6-2, 6-1; Trenton Maloughney, HAV def. Michal deGuzman, LEW, 6-1, 6-3.

Doubles

Jake Huston/Reese Bulkley, HAV def. Nate Kinderski/Logan McQuinn, LEW, 6-2, 6-1; Dylan Gatz/Jake Henderson, LEW def. Jack Johnsrud/Josiah Harrison, HAV, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 10-5; Gabe Arndt/Clayton Bmore, LEW def. John South/Theron Peterson, 6-4, 6-3

Havre 5, Livingston 2

Singles

Bobbi Lima, LIV def. McKenize Tommerup, HAV, 6-2, 6-0; Kassidy Compton, HAV def. Debbie Chambers, LIV, 6-4, 6-3; Tamera O’Leary, HAV def. Ashlan Mortenson, LIV, 6-2, 6-2; Sylvia Wilting, HAV def. Libby Kinsey, LIV, 6-1, 6-1.

Doubles

Sylvie Schoenen/Kodie Vondra, LIV def. Devyn Solomon/Marcee Murphy, HAV, 6-2, 6-3; Kadyn Acor/Kassidy Acor, HAV def. Teagan Kilorn/Kat Strobl, LIV, 6-2, 6-1; Teagan Fee/Tiffany Ralph, HAV def. Hailey Schammel/Dawn Kinnick, LIV, 6-1, 6-3.

Havre 7, Lewistown 0

Singles

McKenzie Tommerup, HAV def. Tessa Gatz, LEW, 7-5, 6-2; Kassidy Compton, HAV def. Dalice Church, LEW, 6-2, 6-1; Tamera O’Leary, HAV def. Elle Kuhlman, LEW, 6-2, 6-1; Sylvia Wilting, HAV def. Taylor Haugen, LEW, 6-1, 6-0.

Doubles

Devyn Solomon/Marcee Murphy, HAV def. Marla Villaruel/Kayla Arndt, LEW, 6-3, 2-6, 10-7; Kadyn Acor/Cassidy Acor, HAV def. Natalie Day/Elle Kuhlman, LEW, 6-2, 6-2; Teagan Fee/Tiffany Ralph, HSAV def. Jane Southworth/Izzy Mecklenburg, LEW, 6-2, 6-2.

Exhibition Matches

Troy Powell, HAV def. Wyatt Church, LEW, 8-4; Andrew Snyder, LEW def. Randy Tommerup, HAV, 8-1; Josh Warp, HAV def. Jayce Phillips, LEW, 6-3, 6-4; Ben Kolar, LEW def. Mick Chagnon, HAV, 6-3, 6-1; Rafe, LEW def. Theron Peterson, HAV, 8-5; Sean Kunau/Dan Peterson, LEW def. Carter Leeds, Josh Currie, HAV, 8-5; Trenton Maloughney/Josh Currie, HAV def. Kunau/Peterson, LEW, 8-3; Wyatt/Andrew, LEW def. Carter Leeds/Randy Tommerup, HAV, 8-7 (5); Villaruel, LEW def. Brynn Nault, HAV, 8-2; Grace Crantz, HAV def. Haugen, LEW, 8-0; Arndt, LEW def. Grace Crantz, HAV, 8-3; Southworth/Mecklenburg, LEW def. Kate Morehouse/Angela Rhines, HAV, 6-3, 6-3; Teagan Fee/Tiffany Ralph, HAV def. Natalie/Ellie, LEW, 8-6.