Boys tennis roundup: Benson/KMS Braves earn a state berth

May 23—REDWOOD FALLS — Benson/Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg went from the pit to the pinnacle.

The Braves started the 2023 season with an 0-5 record and struggled to gain traction in the snowy start to the year.

"After that," said junior Blake Brehmer, "we kept getting win after win after win. We were just feeling it at practice."

"We started our schedule tough to get ready for this situation here," said Benson/KMS head coach Cole Anderson. "It all pays off in the end."

Now, for the first time since 2009, Benson/KMS is going back to state.

In the Section 3A championship, the top-seeded Braves swept singles play for a 4-3 victory over No. 3 seed Montevideo at Redwood Valley High School.

"It was really tough at the beginning of the year," said senior Hunter LeClair. "But we ended up pulling 'er off. It's pretty exciting."

The Class A state team tournament goes from June 6-7 at the Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center in Minneapolis.

"It's like a dream; I never thought this would be a possibility," Brehmer said. "I never thought I'd get to where I am now. It's all about hard work and I have a team to rely on."

Benson/KMS' path to the finals involved some redemption. In the quarterfinals, it knocked off Luverne 7-0 in a rematch of last season's section final. Luverne had been to 12 straight state tournaments before being knocked out by the Braves.

"We were a little bitter from last year," Anderson admitted. "We had the opportunity to take it to them in the first round of sections."

They started Tuesday with a 7-0 win over fourth-seeded Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd.

In the other semifinal, Montevideo gutted out a 4-3 win over No. 2 Redwood Valley. The Thunder Hawks won both three-set matches to clinch a spot in the finals. In No. 1 doubles, Andrew Soden and Connor Hagen overcame a first-set loss to beat the Cardinals' Joe Davika and Evan Cooper, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4. Then in No. 2 singles, Simon Fitzkappes also came back for a 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Cole Johnson to clinch the decisive point.

"The mental toughness these kids showed to stay with it ... I couldn't be prouder of these kids today," said Montevideo head coach Scott Soden.

During the regular season, the Braves eked out a 4-3 win over the Thunder Hawks. In hopes of gaining an edge, Soden loaded the doubles teams and was hoping to sneak one singles win to claim the section title. After playing Nos. 1 and 2 singles against Redwood Valley, Tyson Quigley and Fitzkappes went to No. 1 doubles.

"We saw what they did against our standard lineup and we kind of thought we had a chance that way but saw we had a better path this way," Soden said of the lineup change that resulted in three doubles wins.

Benson/KMS used the same lineup throughout the entire year. Seeing Montevideo's lineup changes, the Braves' singles players were motivated to get the shutout.

"I was kind of surprised they switched their lineup after such a close matchup last time," said LeClair, who beat Andrew Soden 6-1, 6-2 at No. 1 singles. "I was telling my singles buddies that if the four of us win, we got this. It's up to us four. If we all win our matches, we all go to state.

"And we all won."

And the Braves did just that without surrendering a set.

"Our singles have played very well for us all year and that worked for us well," Anderson said. "There's no reason to change it now."

Brehmer was quick to show respect to his younger opponent from Montevideo.

"I felt amazing," Brehmer said after locking up a 6-4, 6-1 win over the Thunder Hawks' Gabe Lindeman. "He's a young kid that's got a lot going for him. He had a lot on his shoulders competing as a 10th-grader against an 11th-grader for state. I didn't show too much emotion. There's winners and there's losers and I just happened to come out on top today."

Now, the section turns its focus to the individual tournament. Day 1 begins at 11 a.m. Thursday, with Day 2 starting at noon on Tuesday, May 30. Both days will take place back at Redwood Valley High School.

Singles

(1) Hunter LeClair, B, def Andrew Soden 6-1, 6-2 ... (2) Blake Brehmer, B, def Gabe Lindeman 6-4, 6-1 ... (3) Max Young, B, def Talan Brock 6-1, 6-0 ... (4) Alex Carlson, B, def Nick Kluver 6-0, 6-0

Doubles

(1) Tyson Quigley/Simon Fitzkappes, M, def Isaac Carlson/Harold Habben 6-4, 6-3 ... (2) Connor Hagen/Kyle Canatsey, M, def Johnathan Ilstrup/Logan Scharer 7-6 (3), 6-2 ... (3) Sam Ostendorf/Jackson Viessman, M, def Brandon Sondag/Joey Wilcox 6-0, 6-1

Singles

(1) Hunter LeClair, B, def Jackson Buer 6-3, 6-2 ... (2) Blake Brehmer, B, def Gavin Stulz 6-2, 6-2 ... (3) Max Young, B, def Matthew Martinson 6-0, 3-6, 6-1 ... (4) Alex Carlson, B, def Broady Nelson 6-2, 6-2

Doubles

(1) Harold Habben/Isaac Carlson, B, def Gunnar Olson/Luke Stock 6-3, 6-1 ... (2) Johnathan Ilstrup/Logan Scharer, B, def Mitchell Myers/Brody Bothun, 6-2, 7-5 ... (3) Brandon Sondag/Carson Petrak, B, def Tony Reep/Thomas Felton 6-4, 6-2

Singles

(1) Andrew Muetzel, RV, def Tyson Quigley 6-3, 6-3 ... (2) Simon Fitzkappes, M, def Cole Johnson 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 ... (3) Gabe Lindeman, M, def Kanyon Hicks 6-1, 6-3 ... (4) Zack Lundeen, RV, def Talen Block 6-4, 6-0

Doubles

(1) Andrew Soden/Connor Hagen, M, def Joe Davika/Evan Cooper 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 ... (2) Sam Ostendorf/Kyle Canatsey, M, def Sam Klabunde/Ben Jorgenson 6-3, 6-3 ... (3) Brianna Tucker/Yzykiel Rendon, RV, dec Nick Kluver/Jackson Viessman 6-1, 6-1

Top-seeded Thief River Falls went 2-0 in three-set matches on the way to clinching a section championship over third-seeded New London-Spicer at Crookston.

At No. 1 singles, the Prowlers' Reece Janisch beat Kenneth Schmiesing 7-5, 4-6, 10-5. Then at No. 1 doubles, Thief River Falls' Rhett Janisch and JJ Cornelius held on to beat Jack Barney and Ethan Spors, 6-0, 4-6, 6-1.

The Wildcats' lone win came at No. 3 doubles. Austin Okuly and Jackson Barber knocked off Ike Olson and Kaleb Funk, 6-1, 6-0.

Singles

(1) Reece Janisch, TRF, def. Kenneth Schmiesing 7-5 4-6 10-5 ... (2) Jett Cornelius, TRF, def. Jowell Gamez 6-3 6-3 ... (3) Spencer Hempel, TRF, def. Joe Brouwer 6-0 6-1 ... (4) Andy Dagg, TRF, def. Owen Lee 6-4 7-5

Doubles

(1) Rhett Janisch/JJ Cornelius, TRF, def. Jack Barney/Ethan Spors 6-0 4-6 6-1 ... (2) Geran Gonsorowski/Lucas Rantanen, TRF, def. Josh Soto/Sam Gamez 6-0 6-1 ... (3) Austin Okuly/Jackson Barber, NLS, def. Ike Olson/Kaleb Funk 6-1 6-0

New London-Spicer's Kenneth Schmiesing and Minnewaska's pair of Drew Bleick and Carter LeClair advanced to the semifinals in the Section 8A individual tournament at Crookston.

The No. 4 seed in singles, Schmiesing beat Fergus Falls' Nick Flugstad 6-0, 6-0 and Perham's Jack Birkeland 6-2, 6-2. He'll play top-seeded Isaac Maddock of Osakis in the semifinals.

Bleick and LeClair are the fifth seed in the doubles bracket. They defeated Perham's Michael Anderson and Hudson Hackel, 6-3, 5-7, 6-0. In the next round, they beat NLS' Jack Barney and Ethan Spors, 6-4, 6-3.

The section individual tournament concludes Wednesday back in Crookston.

Singles

(4) Kenneth Schmiesing 2-0, advances to semifinals ... (6) Jowell Gamez 1-1

Doubles

(4) Jack Barney/Ethan Spors 1-1 ... (15) Sam Gamez/Josh Soto 0-1

Singles

(12) Riley Thorfinnson 0-1 ... (15) Landon Schiffler 0-1

Doubles

(5) Drew Bleick/Carter LeClair 2-0, advances to semifinals ... (3) Connor Quelle/Tenzin Dahl 1-1