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What was already a busy week turned into an even busier weekend for the Havre High boys and girls tennis teams as the Ponies played five duals in two days at the annual Cut Bank Class A Duals.
HHS teams were in Cut Bank Friday and Saturday for the annual dual event, which features some of the top Class A teams. On Friday, the Havre High girls went 2-1, losing to powerhouse Polson 7-0 and Hardin 6-1. HHS beat Libby 7-0. On the boys side Friday, the Ponies lost a pair of close battles to Polson and Hardin by scores of 4-3, while they took care of the Loggers 6-1.
Havre returned to Cut Bank on Saturday for two more duals. The Pony girls fell to Lewistown 4-3, then lost to Cut bank by the same score. The HHS boys dominated Saturday's matches, losing just one time. Havre beat Lewistown 6-1 and Cut Bank 7-0. Saturday's dual against the Wolves had to be moved indoors and shortened because of a thunderstorm and snow which blew into the area in the evening.
"There were a lot of different results over the course of five matches in two days," HHS head coach George Ferguson said. "Collectively, I thought we played very well at times. I also thought we didn't at others. The weather conditions were a little difficult and the competition was very good. The Polson girls and Hardin boys are two of the best teams we'll see in Class A all season. So the fact that we stepped it up in competition was a really good thing for us.
"Overall, I was happy with our effort and what we accomplished on the court," Ferguson added. "I thought all of our kids gave it there all and really put their best foot forward. However, I also saw a lot of areas where we can improve and that's what we'll do now. We'll learn from this weekend and work on getting better."
The HHS boys got a strong effort in singles throughout the weekend. Playing in the No. 3 spot, sophomore Ned Malone went a perfect 5-0, while senior Bill Wagner and freshman Noah Landgraf combined to go 5-0 at the No. 4 spot. Justin Jensen went 3-2, losing two close matches to top singles players from Polson and Hardin, while senior Brayden Grimson was also sharp, going 4-1 at No. 2.
In doubles, the team of J.J. Hovet and Brian Smith went 2-1 on Friday to lead the way. Havre lost just once in doubles on Saturday with Blaine Grisak and Simon McCann going unbeaten at No. 1 and Zach Hellegaard and Nick Rhines doing the same at No. 2.
"I thought it was a good weekend for our boys team," Ferguson said. "Last year, with a lot of the same kids on both sides, we struggled at this meet. We played much better this time around, and I also thought a lot of our boys played a lot better this weekend than they did on Monday at the Havre Invite.
"Ned Malone had a great weekend, as did all of our singles players," he added. "We also played well in doubles, but that's a part of our team we are still experimenting with and we just need to keep working on things. But overall, I thought it was a good five matches for our boys team."
Friday was a struggle for the HHS girls. The Ponies won a total of just seven matches. Havre did better on Saturday however, coming within a point of beating Lewistown and Cut Bank.
"It isn't about the losses," Ferguson said. "I continue to tell our girls all the time, records just don't matter right now. I want to see them play well and keep moving forward. I thought we did that on Monday at home, but it didn't carry over to this weekend. I don't think our girls team quite played up to their capablilties this weekend. Even in some of our wins, we didn't play as well as we should, or could have and that's what I look at right now. It's not the end of the world either. We did play some really tough teams. Polson is loaded and Hardin is very good as well. Cut Bank and Lewistown have strong girl's teams too. So we got a lot of valuable experience this weekend. But there's no doubt our girls team really needs to focus and work very hard as we head towards May."
In singles, Brandy Lambourne went 3-2 for the Ponies at the No. 1 spot, while Lainey Chagnon went 1-4 at No. 1. Shannon Herring also won three times at No. 3 for the Ponies, while freshman Tatianna Ralph did as well at No. 4.
The No. 2 team of Breck Don and Ellery Bresler won twice in doubles, while Morgan Jappe and Haley Graham continued to impress, winning three times at No. 3. It was a tough weekend for Havre's No. 1 team of Jenn Cichosz and Jade McCormick, as they went 0-5 against top-notch competition.
"We are a really young girls team," Ferguson said. "And we have a ton of potential. That's exciting to me. So I'm disappointed in the results or the records right now. I like the girls lineup we have. There is a lot of room for this team to grow. And they will do that, I have no doubt. In some ways, it was a tough weekend for them, but it was also a very valuable one too. So we'll learn from this weekend and keep pushing forward.
"Overall, I'm pleased though with both teams," he added. "We played a ton of tennis this week, with the Havre Invite being moved to Monday. That's what we needed. We accomplished a lot. Hopefully we learned a lot, and we'll continue to improve from here."
Havre High has this coming weekend off from regular season competition tough the Ponies will hold an important and mandatory intra-squad dual on Saturday afternoon. The Ponies return to action on April 24 with three dual matches in Great Falls.
Class A Duals
Friday
GIRLS
Polson 7, Havre 0
Singles
Whitney Zimmerman, POL def. Lainey Chagnon, HAV, 8-1; Sara Robinson, POL def. Brandy Lambourne, HAV, 8-6; Tiegan Bauer, POL def. Shannon Herring, HAV, 8-4; Kylee Wegner, POL def. Shannon Herring, HAV, 8-2
Doubles
Kenzie Clay/MollyBeth Hendrix, POL def. Jade McCormick/Jenn Cichosz, HAV, 8-3; Audra Engebretson/Karmen Borchers, POL def. Ellery Bresler/Breck Don, HAV, 8-1; Jordan Quinn/Karly Rochin, HAV def. Haley Graham/Morgan Jappe, HAV, 8-2.
Havre 7, Libby 0
Singles
Lainey Chagnon, HAV def. Hannah Sullivan, LIB, 8-2; Brandy Lambourne, HAV def. Tanna Wilson, LIB, 8-6; Sjannon Herring, HAV def. Mariah Briskin, LIB, 8-3; Tatianna Ralph, HAV won by FFT.
Doubles
Jenn Cichosz/Jade McCormick, HAV def. Kyla O'Brien/Kira Rose, LIB, 8-4; Ellery Bresler/Breck Don, HAV def. Patricia Manikova/Beck Boulware, LIB, 8-0; Haley Graham/Morgan Jappe, HAV def. Harely Nystrom/Shaelin Jensen, LIB, 8-1.
Hardin 6, Havre 1
Singles
Carrie Old Coyote, HAR def. Lainey Chagnon, HAV, 8-2; Alice Cait, HAR def. Brandy Lambourne, HAV, 8-6; Chrissie Weibert, HAR def. Shannon Herring, HAV, 8-3; Cici Three Irons, HAR def. Tatianna Ralph, HAV, 8-6.
Doubles
Snowy Johnson/Danelle Anderson, HAR def. Jenn Cichosz/Jade McCormick, HAV, 8-4; Hannah Ware/Katie McCleary, HAR def. Ellery Bresler/Breck Don, HAV, 8-4; Haley Graham/Morgan Japee, HAV def. Savannah Green/Cardelia Falls, HAR, 8-1.
BOYS
Polson 4, Havre 3
Singles
Brady Hislop, POL def. Justin Jensen, HAV, 8-7 (7-2); Dylan McCrumb, POL def. Brayden Grimson, HAV, 8-4; Ned Malone, HAV def. Reed Hovenketter, POL, 8-4; Bill Wagner, HAV def. Jared Galletin, POL, 8-1.
Doubles
Will Davey/Ian Laimbeer, POL def. Blaine Grisak/Simon McCann, HAV, 8-2; Hayden Condon/Sam Peel, POL def. Nick Rhines/Zach Hellegaard, HAV, 8-2; J.J. Hovet/Brian Smith, HAV def. Sher Tehmasup/Isak Peterson, POL, 8-3.
Havre 6, Libby 1
Singles
Justin Jensen, HAV def. Nick Alspan, LIB, 8-2; Brayden Grimson, HAV def. Andrew Smith, LIB, 8-6; Ned Malone, HAV def. Pat Valentine, LIB, 8-3; Bill Wagner, HAV won by FFT.
Doubles
Ian Myslicki/Lane Luscher, LIB def. Blaine Grisak/Simon McCann, HAV, 8-5; Nick Rhines/Zach Hellegaard, HAV def. Rob Hamilton/Adam Kerschenmann, LIB, 8-2; J.J. Hovet/Brian Smith, HAV def. Jake Raeny/Austin Nagle, LIB, 8-2.
Hardin 4, Havre 3
Singles
Rusty Brushia, HAR def. Justin Jensen, HAV, 8-5; Brayden Grimson, HAV def. Hans Hill, HAR, 8-5; Ned Malone, HAV def. Chandler Metcalf, HAR, 8-7 (7-4); Bill Wagner, HAV def. Jon Lemon, HAR, 8-2.
Doubles
Ty Albert/Lane Baumann, HAR def. Blaine Grisak/Simon McCann, HAV, 8-3; Ivan Mendoza/Nyles Greer, HAR def. Nick Rhines/Zach Hellegaard, HAV, 8-3; Tanner Robertson/Nate Lyman, HAR def. J.J. Hovet/Brian Smith, HAV, 8-1.
Saturday
GIRLS
Lewistown 4, Havre 3
Singles
Ellen Harmon, LEW def. Lainey Chagnon, HAV, 8-3; Brandy Lambourne, HAV def. Hannah Thomas, LEW, 8-6; Carlee Ward, LEW def. Shannon Herring, HAV, 8-4; Tatianna Ralph, HAV def. Rota Campano, LEW, 8-2.
Doubles
Jenn Monger/Andrea Nielsen, LEW def. Jenn Cichosz/Jade McCormick, HAV, 8-2; Ellery Bresler/Breck Don, HAV def. Kaitlyn Kinderski/Marlee Thomas, LEW, 8-4; Brianna Peterseon/Beth Olson, LEW def. Haley Graham/Morgan Jappe, HAV, 8-6.
Cut Bank 4, Havre 3
Singles
Paige Larson, CB def. Lainey Chagnon, HAV, 6-4; Brandy Lambourne, CB def. Kodi Hoffman, CB, 6-4; Allie Anderson, CB def. Shannon Herring, HAV, 6-5 (7-5); Tatianna Ralph, HAV def. Donelle Novak, CB, 6-2.
Doubles
Jillian Altenberg/Kayla Kraft, CB def. Jenn Cichosz/Jade McCormick, HAV, 6-2; Alex Kraft/Duana Gobert, CB def. Ellery Bresler/Breck Don, HAV, 6-3; Haley Graham/Morgan Jappe, HAV def. Breanna Barsness/Paige Johnston, CB, 6-3.
BOYS
Havre 6, Lewistown 1
Singles
Justin Jensen, HAV def. Jordan Snapp, LEW, 8-3; Brayden Grimson, HAV def. Andrew Bruno, LEW, 6-2; Ned Malone, HAV def. Zach Hould, LEW, 8-2; Noah Landgraf, HAV def. Kyle Myhre, LEW, 8-3.
Doubles
Blaine Grisak/Simon McCann, HAV def. Hooper Armour/Bryce Peterson, LEW, 8-6; Nick Rhines/Zach Hellegaard, HAV def. Andy Butcher/Austin Songer, LEW, 6-4; Preston Kynett/Alex Irish, LEW def. John Gardipee/Jacob Holden, HAV, 6-4.
Havre 7, Cut Bank 0
Singles
Justin Jensen, HAV def., Isaac Matt, CB, 6-3; Brayden Grimson, HAV def. Jerry Pittman, CB, 6-2; Ned Malone, HAV def. Robert Jennings, CB, 6-2; Noah Landgraf, HAV def. Cody Wandler, CB, 6-2.
Doubles
Blaine Grisak/Simon McCann, HAV def. Spencer Czech/Che' Little Dog, CB, 6-2; Nick Rhines/Zach Hellegaard, CB def. Kylan Allison/Dallin Bunting, CB, 6-2; John Gardipee/Jacob Holden, HAV def. Michael Kraft/Chris Smock, CB, 6-2.
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