They did it again: Blue Pony boys win 12th straight divisional tennis title

With his youngest boys and girls tennis teams in his 19 years of coaching, and on just two days rest, Havre High head tennis coach George Ferguson said just about anything could have happened at the first-ever Northeast A Divisional Tournament.

In the end though, what happened was, Ferguson’s Blue Ponies did what he thought they would — succeed. And that success included the HHS boys winning their 12th straight divisional championship and the 19th in the last 20 seasons. The young Havre High girls also had some strong moments, as the Ponies finished with 16 points in a season when all 10 divisional girls were playing varsity tennis for the first time.

“I’m so proud,” Ferguson said when asked how the Northeast A went after it was bumped up to Tuesday-Wednesday because of an approaching seven-day storm system. “I know that’s cliche. But it’s true. I’m really emotional about it because these kids are just awesome. They did everything we asked of them. All 20 of them played their guts out, they left it all on the court, and they represented themselves, our school and our program exactly how we would expect them to.”

The Havre boys certainly represented the program, as they knocked off Miles City with 44 points to the Cowboy’s 35. The first-year doubles team of Josh Warp and Trenton Maloughney took first, beating the top team from Glendive in the championship match in straight sets. Warp and Maloughney won Havre’s seventh straight divisional title in boys doubles, while junior Josh Currie added to the haul by finishing second in a loaded boys singles draw. Currie ousted Glendive star Carsen Staiger in the semifinals before falling to favorite Dalton Polesky in the championship match.

“Those three guys have led us all year and they did again at divisionals,” Ferguson said. “I can’t say enough about them. Josh and Trenton have worked really hard to get to where they are as a first-year doubles team. They’ve just been phenomenal all season. And Josh Currie, he’s so tough. He just goes out there, match after match, and battles. He’s never out of a match. I’m just so proud of those three guys.”

Of course, to beat the more veteran Cowboys, Havre needed more points, and the Ponies got them from juniors Caleb Spangler and Theron Peterson, who reached the semifinals, before finishing fourth, as well as Collin Miller and Conner McKay, who also reached the semifinals, before coming one match short of the state tourney. More newcomers, like junior Jared Rosgaard and freshman Carter Spangler also scored a key four points for the Ponies in singles, while senior Mick Chagnon also gave Havre a strong showing.

“This is such a special win for our guys,” Ferguson said. “Six of the 10 had never played varsity before, let alone gone to divisionals. And on top of that, to not have a season last year, wow, I just can’t put into words how amazing our boys team was. Miles City and Glendive are both very deep, and we really had to experiment and figure things out this season. But at the end of it all, our guys just kept moving forward, kept trusting the process, kept on getting better, and now they get to have their names on a trophy that’s going to go in an already pretty full trophy case, and I’m really happy for them all.”

The Havre girls didn’t bring home a trophy, but, that doesn’t mean the tournament wasn’t a success. While the Ponies did finish fourth, with Miles City running away with the team title, Havre had plenty to smile about at the end of the tourney, including a stellar second-place finish in doubles from Grace Crantzand Talia Ralph.

“Can’t say enough about Grace and Talia,” Ferguson said. “They have been really good all season, but what people don’t realize is, even though they’re upper classmen, they didn’t have any varsity experience coming in, and they hadn’t played doubles together. So to go on the run they did this weekend, it was so much fun to watch. They’re awesome, and I believe they’re going to do damage at the state tournament.”

In all, the HHS girls team was composed of eight first-year players, with Rayna Johnson and Kate Hemmer both winning matches in singles. So, for the Ponies to come as far as they did, Ferguson was duly impressed.

“This girls team has come so far,” he said. “It’s been such a fun season to see all these new players not only grow, not only get better and better, but also basically form the foundation of our girls team for years to come. It was a blast too coach those girls this year, and they played their very best tennis at the right time, at divisionals.”

And at the end two sunny, hot days in Lewistown, an emotional Ferguson said, his teams did just what he asked — they gave their very best, and win or lose, that made the 2021 Northeast A divisional a successful one for the Ponies.

“I think it’s probably even a little more special because we didn’t have a season last year,” Ferguson said. “And then, we were so young this year, so it really felt like we were underdogs going in. And I think our teams embraced that. They were bonded, they were together, and they poured their heart and soul into this tournament. It was just an incredible two days for our kids, and I’m just so proud of each and every one of them.”

That pride will now carry over to the Class A State Tournament, which runs Thursday-Friday in Billings.

“I’m excited for the seven kids we’re taking to state,” Ferguson said. “They all are going in there with a chance to do amazing things. It’s a great group, and again, with what happened last year, I just think this state tournament is going to be extra-special and I can’t wait until next week, I can’t wait to get down to Billings with this great group and see what they can do.”

INDIVIDUAL HAVRE RESULTS

BOYS SINGLES

Josh Currie, 2nd Place

1st rd - def. Charlie Lang, MC, 6-1, 6-3; QF - def. Michael DeGuzman, LEW, 6-0, 6-0; SF - def. Carsen Staiger, GLE, 6-1, 6-3; Championship - lost to Dalton Poleskly, MC, 6-3, 6-2.

Mick Chagnon

1st rd - lost to Samson Hostman, MC, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4; 1st rd consolation - lost to Jared Rosgaard, HAV, 6-1, 6-1.

Carter Spangler

1st rd - lost to Justin Morris, MC, 6-4, 6-1; Consolation 1st rd - def. Owen Day, LEW, 6-1, 6-1; consolation 2nd rd - def. DeGuzman, LEW, 6-2, 6-2, consolation 3rd rd - lost to Morris, MC, 6-1, 6-0.

Jared Rosgaard

1st rd - lost to Gabe Arndt, LEW, 6-2, 6-2; consolation 1st rd - def. Chagnon, HAV, 6-1, 6-1; consolation 2nd rd - def. Ryan DeDaye, GLE, 6-4, 6-3; consolation 3rd rd - lost to Hostman, MC, 6-1, 6-3.

BOYS DOUBLES

Josh Warp/Trenton Maloughney, 1st Place

1st rd - Bye; QF - def. Li/Jarvis, GLE, 6-1, 6-0; SF - def. Miller/McKay, HAV, 6-0, 6-1; Championship - def. Scarpholt/Jensen, GLE, 6-3, 6-2.

Caleb Spangler/Theron Peterson, 4th Place

1st rd - Bye; QF - def. Smith/Larson, MC, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (0); SF lost to Scarpholt/Jensen, GLE, 6-4, 6-4; consolation SF - def. Li/Jarvis, GLE, 6-1, 6-1; 3rd/4th - lost to Clancy/Larson, MC, 6-3, 6-1.

Collin Miller/Conner McKay

1st rd - Bye; QF def. Mannin/Ricks, LEW, 6-4, 6-2; SF - lost to Warp/Malughney, HAV, 6-1, 6-0; Consolation SF - lost to Clancy/Larson, MC, 6-0, 6-1.

GIRLS SINGLES

Rayna Johnson

1st rd - def. Rayna Ponessa, MC, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (2); QF - lost to Skylar Rutten, LEW, 6-1, 6-2; Consolation 2nd rd - lost to Natalie Day, LEW, 7-6 (3), 6-3.

Kaylee Torgerson

1st rd - lost to Grace Gundlach, MC, 6-0, 6-0; Consolation 1st rd - lost to Laurenb Plagenz, LEW, 2-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Kate Hemmer

1st rd - lost to Brynn Coffin, MC, 6-0, 6-0; Consolation 1st rd - def. Keisha Yarde, GLE, 6-1, 6-0; Consolation 2nd rd - lost to Sydnee Wise, GLE, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Kylie Greenwood

1st rd - lost to Emily Daughty, MC, 6-0, 6-0; Consolation 1st rd - lost to Natalie Day, LEW, 6-0, 6-0.

GIRLS DOUBLES

Talia Ralph/Grace Crantz, 2nd Place

1st rd - Bye; QF def. Breidenbach/Peterson, LEW, 6-2, 6-4; SF - def. Tipton/Sterbron, GLE, 6-0, 6-4; Championship - lost to Litwiller/Marx, GLE, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.

Chloe Bricker/Courtney Burchard

1st rd - lost to Rapson/Watts, MC, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1; Consolation 1st rd - Bye; Consolation 2nd rd - Brimmer/Doran, MC, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Kat Kaftan/Mylee Shennum

1st rd - lost to Brimmer/Doran, GLE, 6-0, 6-2; Consolation 1st rd - Bye; Consolation 2nd rd - lost to Rapson/Eatts, MC, 6-3, 6-4.