The Havre High boys and girls tennis teams got what they were looking for this past weekend.
On Saturday, the Blue Ponies finally kicked off the 2012 season with three duals at the Conrad Invitational. The Pony boys swept all three matches, defeating Cut Bank 5-2, Lewistown 6-1 and Conrad 5-2. The HHS girls beat Cut Bank 4-3, Lewistown 5-2 and Conrad 5-2 on a day that was warm and sunny.
“Saturday was a very good day for us,” Havre head coach George Ferguson said. “The weather was awesome and we got a lot of matches in. That was the single most important thing, we just needed those matches against other teams. We had been practicing against each other for three weeks, so it was time to get out and play unfamiliar opponents and all of our kids did very well.”
As is always the case this time of year, teams do a lot of shuffling and the Ponies did that Saturday, especially with their boys lineup. In singles, senior Justin Jensen went 2-1 on the day at the No. 1 spot for the Ponies, while senior Bill Wagner was a perfect 3-0. Ned Malone also won twice. Havre was dominant in doubles, losing just twice all day. Senior Blaine Grisak teamed up with Brayden Grimson to beat Cut Bank, then teamed up with Nick Rhines to best Lewistown. Rhines and Zach Hellegaard also won a match together, as did Hellegaard and Jacob Holden. J.J. Hovet and Brian Smith were also a perfect 3-0.
On the girls side, Havre sophomore Brandy Lambourne went 2-1 in singles, as did fellow sophomore Shannon Herring. The sophomore doubles teams of Ellery Bresler and Breck Don and Haley Graham and Morgan Jappe also had a big day for the Ponies, going a combined 6-0.
“It isn’t the wins that has me excited as much as just how the kids played and how they competed,” Ferguson said. “I was really pleased overall. We did a lot of positive things on Saturday and at one point or another, every player who made the trip had a good match.
“We also realize that this was just the first step,” he added. “We learned a lot, but with every week our schedule gets more difficult, and one of the things we learned is, we have a lot of work to do. Both our boys and girls teams have a lot of room for improvement. But overall, it was a great day of tennis for us.”
The HHS girls will host Chinook in a dual on Tuesday afternoon. And both HHS teams are back in action on Saturday when the Ponies host the annual Havre Invitational.
2012 Conrad Invitational
BOYS
Havre 5, Cut Bank 2
Singles
Isaac Matt, CB def. Justin Jensen, HAV, 6-4; Ned Malone, HAV def. Che’ Little Dog, CB, 6-3; Bill Wagner, HAV def. Spencer Czech, CB, 6-3; Cody Wandler, CB def. Jacob Holden, HAV, 6-4.
Doubles
Brayden Grimson/Blaine Grisak, HAV def. Michael Kraft/Isaac Matt, CB, 6-4; Nick Rhines/Zach Hellegaard, HAV def. Shane Beurman/Trenton Francon, CB, 6-2; J.J. Hovet/Brian Smith, HAV def. Robert Jennings/Josh Kloos, CB, 6-4.
Havre 6, Lewistown 1
Singles
Justin Jensen, HAV def. Andrew Bruno, LEW, 6-3; Hooper Armour, LEW def. Brayden Grimson, HAV, 6-4; Ned Malone, HAV def. Zach Hould, LEW, 6-2; Bill Wagner, HAV def. Kyle Myhre, LEW, 6-0.
Doubles
Blaine Grisak/Nick Rhines, HAV def. Andy Butcher/Austin Songer, LEW, 6-3; Zach Hellegaard/Jacob Holden, HAV def. Andrew Olson/Daq Wright, LEW, 6-1; J.J. Hovet/Brian Smith, HAV def. Parker Phillips/Bryson Behl, LEW, 6-2.
Havre 5, Conrad 2
Singles
Justin Jensen, HAV def. Austin Zomer, CON, 7-6 (8-6); Steven Peters, CON def. Brayden Grimson, HAV, 6-4; Ned Malone, HAV won by FFT, lost to Austin Zomer, CON, 6-1 in exhibition; Bill Wagner, HAV def. Blaine Berg, CON, 6-0.
Doubles
Luke Schlosser/Cam Janzen, CON def. Blaine Grisak/Nick Rhines, HAV, 7-6 (7-3); Zach Hellegaard/Jacob Holden, HAV won by FFT, lost to Brett Peters/Tyler Padilla, CON, 6-1 in exhibition; J.J. Hovet/Brian Smith won by FFT, def. Peters/Padilla, 6-0 in exhibition.
GIRLS
Havre 4, Cut Bank 3
Singles
Paige Larson, CB def. Lainey Chagnon, HAV, 6-0; Brandy Lambourne, HAV def. Kodi Hoffman, CB, 6-4; Shannon Herring, HAV def. Donelle Novak, CB, 6-1; Allie Anderson, CB def. Tatianna Ralph, HAV, 6-4.
Doubles
Jillian Altenburg/Kayla Kraft, CB def. Jade McCormick/Jennifer Cichosz, HAV, 6-2; Ellery Bresler/Breck Don, HAV def. Duana Gobert/Alex Kraft, CB, 7-6 (7-2); Morgan Jappe/Haley Graham, HAV def. Chante Fitzgerald/Alex Schilling, CB, 6-1.
Havre 5, Lewistown 2
Singles
Jen Monger, LEW def. Lainey Chagnon, HAV, 6-1; Ellen Harmon, LEW def. Brandy Lambourne, HAV, 6-1; Shannon Herring, HAV def. Beth Olson, LEW, 6-1; Tatianna Ralph, HAV won by fft, def. Olson, LEW, 6-4.
Doubles
Jade McCormick/Jennifer Cichosz, HAV won by FFT, lost to Monger/Harmon, 6-3 in exhibition; Ellery Bresler/Breck Don, HAV def. Josey Allen/Cira Backer, LEW, 6-0; Morgan Jappe/Haley Graham, HAV def. Ashley Wickens/Rita Campano, LEW, 6-1.
Havre 5, Conrad 2
Singles
Kristie Warlick, CON def. Lainey Chagnon, HAV, 6-2; Brandy Lambourne won by FFT, def. Megan Fetters, CON, 6-4; Morgan Van Dyke, CON def. Shannon Herring, HAV, 7-6 (7-3); Tatianna Ralph, HAV def. Amy Bailey, CON, 6-2.
Doubles
Fetters/Van Dyke, CON def. Jade McCormick/Jennifer Cichosz, HAV, 6-3; Ellery Bresler/Breck Don won by FFT def. Bailey/Trinity Cox, CON, 7-6 (7-5) in exhibition; Morgan Jappe/Haley Graham, HAV won by FFT, def. Cox/Fetters, CON, 6-4.
