Havre tennis succeeds at Northeast A

Weather has been pretty much a major part of the Havre High tennis team's story this season. And, in the biggest meet of the 2022 season, weather was front and center yet again.

However, despite cold, high winds, several rain delays, snow and sleet, and having to play an extra day, the Blue Ponies persevered at last weekend's Northeast A Divisonal Tennis Tournament in Glendive, advancing seven competitors to this week's state tournament.

"For so many reasons, I'm just proud of our kids," HHS head coach George Ferguson said. "That tournament was so difficult. It was cold and windy pretty much from beginning to end. Never got a break from the weather. Mentally, that's really tough. It was also tough on the court. It was a very competitive tournament, and our kids just battled it out. They left it all on the courts … and they represented our program, our school, and themselves with great class and sportsmanship. I'm just so proud."

As expected, the Blue Pony boys had a tough fight on their hands with Miles City, and with the Cowboys edging the Ponies 49-45, Havre didn't bring home the divisional championship for the first time since 2009. Yet, the Ponies still won the doubles championship with Caleb Spangler and Trenton Maloughney, as well as pushing five competitors to the state tournament as the defending champions.

"Our boys have nothing to hang their heads about," Ferguson said. "Some things in the draws didn't go our way, and some matches didn't go our away. It happens. It's part of tennis. Part of sports. Miles City has a really good team this season. They were very deep. Hats off to them. They did great. But I wouldn't trade our boys team for anyone else. I love those guys. They played their guts out in every match."

Spangler and Maloughney won three times to capture the doubles championship for Havre for the ninth year in a row, while Theron Peterson and Carter Spangler also took All-Conference honors by placing third, knocking off the top seed from Glendive twice over three days.

Meanwhile, in singles, Josh Currie reached the championship match for the second year in a row, falling to Dalton Polesky of Miles City in a rematch from last season. The two rivals battled through three tough sets, so now Currie will now set his sights on the state tournament, where he was also runner-up last season. Also in singles, Havre got two wins from senior Kendall Pleninger, and a win each from Jared Rosgaard and Reid Kato, while the duo of Collin Miller and Conner McKay lost two tough matches to No. 1 seeds in doubles.

"Our boys did everything we asked of them," Ferguson said. "We were a little more on the inexperienced side this year. We only had one doubles team that was the same as a year ago, and two first-year players in singles. And yet we were right there to the very end. I'm really proud of the 10 guys we took down to Glendive. It was the first time in a long time the Havre boys were the underdogs at divisonals and our guys took that to heart, they fought hard and they played great."

The Pony girls were also underdogs to a Miles City team that rolled to the girls team title. But, Havre scored 20 points to finish third, and according to Ferguson, made a big leap forward this year.

"What an awesome job by our girls," Ferguson said. "Just with how many matches we won and how far they went at this tournament compared to last year, you see how much they improved. I'm so proud of them for that. They worked really hard to get better. They really took the challenge of improving head on and it showed at divisonals by how well they did."

The doubles tandem of Grace Crantz and Courtney Burchard finished fourth and punched their ticket to state. In the process, Crantz became a two-time All-Conference standout, while the Ponies also got a fifth-place finish from the senior tandem of Claudia Ucin and Lacy Preeshl. Cat Kaftan and Mylee Shennum also scored points for the Ponies in doubles.

"Grace and Courtney played great," Ferguson said. "All our girls did. Doubles is really tough this year. It was a tough bracket. And we did really well."

Junior Rayna Johnson also came within one match of making it to state, finishing in a tie for fifth after reaching the semifinals. Juniors Emerald Tinsley and Kate Hemmer also scored wins in singles, while Chloe Bricker lost a pair of tough battles.

"Singles was a really tough draw this year," Ferguson said. "And Rayna was so close. She played at such a high level. Rayna is certainly a good enough player to go to state. The draw just didn't work out that way, and it hurts because she played so good. All our girls played awesome. They have come so far. And I'm just so proud of them."

At the end of the day, pride is what really came to Ferguson's mind, following what he called the most difficult divisional tournament he's seen in his 19 years.

"I can't say enough about our kids," Ferguson said. "They were so awesome, they played great, they supported each other, they stuck together, they battled the weather, they just did everything we ask out of them in our program. This was a special group of kids, and they made it a special weekend. I'm just really proud to be the head coach of these kids. They mean a lot to me. We're going to miss all the seniors who saw their season end last weekend, but I'm excited to go to state. We have a great group going, and we have so many great players coming back next year. Divisionals proved once again that our program is in a great place right now, and it's going to be strong for a long time to come."

The seven Blue Ponies headed to the Class A state tournament will compete Thursday and Friday in Bozeman.

Girls Team Scores

Miles City 40, Glendive 30, Havre 20, Lewistown 15

Girls Singles

1st rd - Coffin, MC def. Tinsley, HAV, 6-0, 6-0; Lucido, G def. Stephens, L, , 6-2, 6-1; Behl, L def. Coon,. G, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Johnson, HAV def. Watts, MC, 6-1, 3-6, 6-2; Rutten, L def. Zanders, G, 6-3, 1-6, 6-1; Ponessa, MC def. Bricker, HAV, 6-0, 6-0; Rapson, MC def. Hemmer, HAV, 6-3, 7-5; Prioli,m G def. Fullbright, L, 6-1, 6-4; Quarterfinals - Coffin, MC def. Lucido, G, 6-1, 6-1; Johnsonn, HAV def. Behl, L, 6-1, 6-2; Ponessa, MC def. Rutten, L, 6-3, 1-6, 6-1; Prioli, G def. Rapson, MC, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3; Semifinals - Coffin, MC def. Johnson, HAV, 6-4, 6-2; Ponessa, MC def. Prioloi, G, 6-3, 6-4; Championship - Coffin MC, def. Ponessa, MC, 6-3, 6-4.

Consolation 1st rd - Tinsley, HAV def. Stephens, L, 6-0, 1-6, 6-3; Watts, MC def. Coon, G, 7-5, 6-2, 2-6, 6-1; Zanders, G def. Bricker, HAV, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5; Hemmer, HAV, def. Fullbright, L, 6-0, 6-3; Consolation 2nd rd - Tinsley, HAV def. Behl, L, 6-2, 6-3; Lucido, G def. Watts, MC, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5; Rapson, MC def. Zanders, G, 6-0, 6-0, Rutten, L def. Hemmer, HAV, 6-4, 7-5; Consolation 3rd rd - Lucido, G def. Tinsley, HAV, 6-0, 6-3; Rutten, L def. Rapson, MC, 6-2, 6-2; Consolation Semifinals - Prioli, G def. Lucido, G, 6-1, 6-1; Rutten, L def. Johnson, HAV, 6-4, 6-4; Consolation Final - Rutten, L def. Prioli, G, 6-4, 6-1.

Girls Doubles

1st rd - Smith/Borlaug, MC, Bye; Preeshl/Ucin, HAV def. Price/Nissley, G, 7-6, 2-6, 6-4; Kaftann/Shennum, HAV def. Knoll/Yarde, G, 6-4, 7-5; McKelenburg/Nason, L Bye; Crantz/Burchard, HAV, Bye; Dickman/Williams, MC def. Carr/Kanau, L, 6-0, 6-1; Doran/Brimmer, MC def. Breidenbach/Piccolo, L, 6-4, 7-5; Tipton/Steinbron, G, Bye. Quarterfinals - Smith/Borlaug, MC def. Preeshl/Ucin, HAV, 6-1, 6-2; McKlenburg/Nason, L def. Kaftan/Shennum, L, 6-3, 7-5; Crantz/Burchard, HAV, def. Dickman/Williams, MC, 6-0, 6-1; Tipton/Steinbron, G def. Doran/Brimmer, MC, 6-4,. 7-5; Semifinals - Smith/Borlaug, MC def. McKlenburg/Nason, L, 6-1, 6-4; Tipton/Steinbron, G def. Crantz/Burchard, HAV, 6-2, 6-4; Championship - Tipton/Steinbron, G def. Smith/Borlaug, MC, 7-6, 7-5.

Consolation 1st rd - Price/Nissley, G, Bye; Knoll/Yarde, Bye; Carr/Kanau, Bye; Breidenbach/Plaganz, Bye; Consolation 2nd rd - Price/Nissley, G def. Kaftan/Shennum, HAV, 6-4, 7-6; Preeshl/Ucin, HAV def. Knoll/Yarde, G, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4; Doran/Brimmer, MC def Carr/Kanau, L, 6-1, 6-0; Diockman/Williams, MC def. Breidenbach/Plaganz, L, 6-43, 6-4; Consolation 3rd rd - Preeshl/Ucin, HAV def. Price/Nissley, G, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4; Doran/Brimmer, MC def. McKlenburg/Nason, L, 7-6, 6-2; Consolation Semifinals - Crantz/Burchard, HAV def. Preweshl/Ucin, HAV, 7-5, 6-0; Doran/Brimmer, MC def./ McKlenburg/Nason, L, 7-6, 6-4; Consolation Finals - Doran/Brimmer, MC def. Crantz/Burchard, HAV, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Boys Team Scores

Miles City 49, Havre 45, Glendive 26, Lewistown 3

Boys Singles

1st rd - Polseky, MC def. Hoots, L, 6-0, 6-0; Rosgaard, HAV def. Wade, G, 7-5, 6-4; Li, G def. Pleninger, HAV, 6-0, 6-2; Holmen, MC def. LePage, L, 6-2, 6-1; Staiger, G def. Kato, HAV, 6-0, 6-0; Lang, MC def. Day, 6-1, 6-0; CJ Lang, MC def. Ricks, L, 6-3, 6-0; Currie, HAV def. Bogar, G, 6-0, 6-0; Quarterfinals - Polesky, MC def. Rosgaard, HAV, 6-1, 6-0; Li, G def. Holmen, MC, 6-0, 6-1; Staiger, G def. Lang,. MC, 6-2, 6-2; Currie, HAV def. CJ Lang, MC, 6-0, 6-0; Semifinals - Polesky, MC def. Li, G, 6-1, 6-2; Currie, HAV def. Staiger, G, 6-1, 6-1; Championship - Polseky, MC def. Currie, HAV, 7-6, 5-7, 6-3.

Consolation 1st rd - Wade, G def. Hoots, L, 6-2, 6-4; Pleninger, HAV def. LePage, L, 6-0, -60; Kato, HAV def. Day, L, 6-1, 6-2; Ricks, L def. Bogar, G, 6-4, 6-3; Holmen, MC, def. Wade, G, 6-1, 6-3; Pleninger, HAV def. Rosgaard, HAV, 6-4, 7-6; CJ Lang, MC def. Kato, HAV, 6-1, 7-5; Lang, MC def. Ricks, L, 6-2, 6-0; Consolation 3rd rd - Holmen, MC def. Pleninger, HAV, 6-4, 7-6; Lang, MC def. Lang, MC, 6-2, 6-2; Consolation Semifinals - Staiger, G def. Holmen, MC, 6-o, 6-2; Lang, MC def. Li, G, 6-3, 7-6; Consolation Final - Staiger, G def. Lang, MC, 6-3, 6-4.

Boys Doubles

1st rd - Maloughney/Spangler, Bye; Amsler/DeSaye, G def. Scheiffert/Pilseski, MC, 6-1, 6-2; Lee/Munoz, MC def. Ryan/Joliffe, G, 6-1, 6-0; Honeycutt/Ptezak, L, Bye; Jacobsen/Jarvcis, G Bye; Peterson/Spangler, Bye; Miller/McKay, HAV, Bye; Larson/Hostman, MC, Bye; Quarterfinals - Maloughney/Spangler, HAV def. Amsler/DeSaye, G, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0; Lee/Munoz, MC def. Honeycutt/Petzak, L, 6-0, 6-0; Peterson/Spangler, HAV def. Jacobsen/Jarvis, G, 6-1, 6-0; Larson/Holmen, MC def. Miller/McKay, HAV, 6-2, 6-3; Semifinals - Maloughn ey/Spangler, HAV def. Lee, Munoz, MC, 6-4, 6-1; Larson/Hostman, MC def. Peterson/Spangler, HAV, 6-2, 6-0; Championship - Maloughney/Spangler, HAV def. Larson/Hostman, MC, 6-7, 6-4, 6-1.

Consolation 1st rd - Pilseki/Sheiffert/ MC, Bye; Ryan/Joliffe, G, Bye; Consolation 2nd rd - Pilseki/Scheiffert, MC def. Honeycutt, Petzak, L, 6-1, 6-0; Amsler/DeSaye, G def. Ryan/Joliffe, G, 6-3, 7-5; Miller/McKay, HAV, Bye; Jacobsen/Jarvis, G, Bye; Consolation 3rd rd - Amsler/DeSaye, G def. Pilseki/Scheiffert, MC, 6-1, 6-4; Jacobsen/Jarvis, G def. Miller/McKay, HAV, 7-1, 6-7, 6-2; Consolation Semifinals - Peterson/Spangler, HAV def. Amsler/DeSaye, G, 6-1, 6-2; Jacobsen/Jarvis, G def. Lee/Munoz, MC, 6-1, 6-7, 7-5; Consolation Final - Peterson/Spangler, HAV def. Jacobsen/Jarvis, G, 6-3, 6-4.