One last time on the tennis courts

There's no doubt the Havre Blue Ponies have had a successful run in tennis. In just the last 14 seasons, the Blue Pony boys and girls have combined to win state 15 trophies and five Class A state championships.

Now, the Ponies will try for more hardware when the 2016 Class A state tournament starts Thursday morning in Bozeman, and concludes Friday afternoon in Livingston.

Havre qualified four boys and three girls through last week's Central A Divisional, and while that might not seem like a lot, HHS head coach George Ferguson always believes quality is every bit as important as quantity at the state level.

"Sure, we would have loved to be taking an entire bus full of kids to the state tournament, and we had a lot more kids who are certainly good enough to be there," Ferguson said. "But, the divisional tournament doesn't always work like that, and on the flip side, I've had teams of just four girls, and teams of just three boys either win, or come close to winning state championships in past years. And this year, we are taking seven very good tennis players to state players who can do a lot of damage individually. And when you do damage individually, the team points rack up, and that's always been our approach at state."

In the case of the Pony boys, quality is certainly on Havre's side. While defending champion Billings Central, along with Glendive have strong teams, too, the Ponies' lineup, of Jeff Miller and Dustin Haas in singles and Jerod Boles and Jake Sedahl in doubles, has to be considered a favorite to hoist the big trophy this weekend.

"Are we the favorite?" Ferguson said. "I don't know. There's plenty of good players and good teams at the state tournament. But, I will say, we have some big guns going to state, and if they play like I know they can, then we will be in the mix at the end, and that's all anyone can ask. I'll just say, I have a lot of confidence in those four guys, that's for sure."

When it comes to favorites, Miller is certainly one in singles. He was the 2014 state champion and a runner-up last year, so he knows what it takes at this level. He'll get stern tests from the likes of Central's Harrison Fagg and Hamilton's Alexander Raymond among others, but, Ferguson noted that when Miller is on top of his game, as he has been this year with his 34-2 record, he's very hard to beat.

"Jeff has seen and done it all in high school tennis," Ferguson said. "Nothing will be a surprise to him or catch him off guard this weekend. He knows what he has to do to achieve his goals. He's one of the best players in all of Montana, and he's going to play great in his last state tournament. I know that."

Boles and Sedahl have also been to the state tourney before, Boles playing last year with Noah Landgraf, while Sedahl played singles. Now, the duo is looking to bring a state doubles title back to Havre, and while Ferguson said there are strong teams from Glendive and Central standing in their way, the pair really shined last week in Lewistown, and he expects the same, just as he does from Haas, whose making his first trip to state.

"Jake and Jerod are playing so well right now," Ferguson said. "It has taken them a while to grow into a doubles team, just as it does with any new team. But, they're right where they want to be right now. It's going to be tough, the boys doubles draw is loaded with strong teams, and a few of them are right in our path. But those guys gained a lot of confidence winning last week in Lewistown, and I think that's going to carry right over into this week. I'm really excited for them, and for Dustin, because I think those three guys give us the depth and firepower we need to make a run at a trophy this week."

Making a run at a trophy may be a little more difficult for the Havre High girls. The senior doubles team of Rainey Stoner and Madison Huebsch, along with sophomore singles player Paige Nelson are all state tourney first-timers. And, none of them are a top seed in this week's draws. Still, just like the boys team, Ferguson has extreme confidence in his girls, too.

"I know those three will play really well," Ferguson said. "They all three wanted to get to state really bad this season, and they achieved that goal. But, I also know they're not going to be satisfied with just getting there either. They are going to go out and put forth a great effort and try and win matches. They are all very competitive and they want to advance and make some noise this week."

Stoner and Huebsch have been together for the past three seasons, and this weekend will be their last hurrah. After finishing second in the Central A last week, they are a No. 2 seed in the tournament, and drew a tough team from Dillon in the opening round. Still, Ferguson said that all teams in the draw shouldn't underestimate his Blue Ponies.

Meanwhile, Nelson, after finishing fourth in the Central A, has the tough task of playing defending state champion Barclay Fagg in the opening round. And while beating Fagg will be a tall order, Ferguson said that the experience Nelson will gain in that match, and the tournament, will be invaluable.

"I think Rainey and Madison are a team that other teams will not want to play," Ferguson said. "One thing they know, they know how to compete and play the game of doubles. They've been doing it for so long. So I expect them to play very well. They are going to be a very tough out for anybody who has to play them this weekend.

"And Paige is right where she should be right now," he continued. "She is our third straight number one player for us who played that spot as a sophomore, and made it this far. So, while she's got a tough bracket this week, she's going to come out of it a much better player, and it's exactly how you want a young player's career to progress. So this is going to be a great weekend for Paige, no matter what the results of her matches turn out to be."

A great weekend is all Ferguson is hoping for and asking of his seven players making the trip. Yes, the HHS boys have lofty goals, and have had lofty goals all season long, and yes, the draws will be tougher on an inexperienced girls team. But, at the end of the day, Ferguson said his goals for his players remain the same.

"I don't want them to feel any added pressure," Ferguson said. "I want them to go out and play for themselves first. They've earned that right at this point. Yes, it's still partially a team sport, and yes, team trophies are at stake. But I just want each player or each doubles team to just focus on themselves, have as much fun as possible and play the best tennis of their lives. They deserve that experience, and if they do that, the team points will add up anyway.

"This is an exciting time in these kids' lives," Ferguson added. "Whether it's our senior's last state tournament, and last matches of their careers, or it's the young kids who are here for the first time, this is something really special for them, and something they'll always remember. So, we're going to focus on one match at a time, and see how it all turns out in the end. But I'm really excited for these kids, they are all great players and great kids, and I can't wait to get this tournament started."

The 2016 Class A state tournament begins Thursday morning at the Bobcat Tennis Center in Bozeman. The tournament is slated to conclude Friday afternoon with the second day being played at Livingston.