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Boys tennis roundup: Willmar opens with a win and a loss

tom elliott, joe brown and michael lyne, west central tribune, willmar, minn.
·6 min read

Apr. 18—WILLMAR — The Willmar boys tennis team finally got its first two matches in for the season Tuesday, beating Sauk Rapids 5-2 and losing to Moorhead 6-1.

"We're 1-1 and this should have been matches seven and eight," Willmar head coach Forrest Rice said. "I would say our kids were excited to play their first match.

"Then they kind of calmed down in the second half and played better. All of our kids were really positive, which was great. I think that's what helped in the second round."

The Cardinals' No. 2 doubles team of Nehemiah Van Horne and Miguel Garcia won both their matches Tuesday.

Rice pointed out that if Willmar had won all its tiebreakers in the Moorhead match, the Cardinals would have lost 4-3.

In the Sauk Rapids match, which counts in the Central Lakes Conference standings, Willmar earned victories at Nos. 2 and 3 singles from Gabe LaRue and Sam Loerzel and from all three of its doubles teams, including No. 1's Brandon Valladares/Aaron Marthaler and No. 3's Jared Barerra and Josh Jensen.

Willmar is scheduled to host Fergus Falls at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

Singles

(1) Cole Sowada, SR, def. Ryan Newberg 6-2, 3-6, (14-12) ... (2) Gabe LaRue, W, def. John Knoblauch 3-6, 6-1, (10-5) ... (3) Sam Loerzel, W, def. Zack Euteneuer 6-4, 6-1 ... (4) Patrick Eischens, SR, def. Mateo Engan 6-4, 6-2

Doubles

(1) Brandon Valladares/Aaron Marthaler, W, def. Hunter Rood/J.D. Fuentes 1-6, 7-5, (10-7) ... (2) Nehemiah Van Horne/Miguel Garcia, W, def. Kaden Koll/Braxton Schmidt 6-1, 6-2 ... (3) Jared Barerra/Josh Jensen, W, def. Aaron Bieniek/James Brenhoffer 6-2, 6-0.

Singles

(1) Oscar Bergeson, M, def. Ryan Newberg 6-1, 6-4 ... (2) Brody Hansen, M, def. Gabe LaRue 6-1, 6-4 ... (3) Ginu Lee, M, def. Sam Loerzel 6-3, 2-6, (11-9) ... (4) Ben Voxland, M, def. Josh Jensen 6-4, 6-1

Doubles

(1) Si Kjos/Elliot Lien, M, def. Brandon Valladares/Aaron Marthaler 6-1, 6-2 ... (2) Nehemiah Van Horne/Miguel Garcia, W, def. Ben Hazeldine/Will Hazeldine 7-5, 6-3 ... (3) Drew Hancock/Noah Meyer, M, def. Mateo Engan/Jared Barerra 6-3, 4-6, (17-15)

Tied 3-3 and needing a third set to determine a winner, New London-Spicer's Jack Barney and Ethan Spors came through to seal the win for the Wildcats over Benson/Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg at Benson.

Barney and Spors beat the Braves' Harold Habben and Isaac Carlson, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.

"Jack's forehand return and Ethan's serving was the difference," said NLS head coach Chad Schmiesing.

The Wildcats swept doubles play. The No. 2 pairing of Josh Soto and Joe Brouwer also picked up a three-set win over Jonathan Ilstrup and Logan Schauer, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1.

Singles

(1) Hunter LeClair, B/KMS, def. Kenneth Schmiesing 4-6 6-4 6-2 ... (2) Jowell Gamez, NLS, def. Blake Brehmer 7-5 7-5 ... (3) Max Young, B/KMS, def. Austin Okuly 6-2 6-4 ... (4) Alex Carlson, B/KMS, def. Henry Vetsch 6-2 3-6 6-4

Doubles

(1) Jack Barney/Ethan Spors, NLS, def. Harold Habben/Isaac Carlson 3-6 7-5 6-4 ... (2) Josh Soto/Joe Brouwer, NLS, def. Jonathan Ilstrup/Logan Schauer 2-6 7-5 6-1 ... (3) Sam Gamez/Owen Lee, NLS, def. Joey Wilcox/Brandon Sondag 6-2 6-2

Litchfield's Alex Draeger won a top-10 matchup at No. 1 singles in the Dragons' sweep of Wright County Conference foe Holy Family at Victoria.

Draeger beat the Fire's Michael Frost in three sets, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6. Draeger is ranked fifth in Class A while Frost is eighth.

Singles

(1) Alex Draeger, L, def. Michael Frost 6-4 2-6 7-5 ... (2) Braden Olson, L, def. Owen Collins 6-0 6-3 ... (3) Lincoln Dille, L, def. Hayden Holcomb 7-6 (6) 6-4 ... (4) Nathan Wuotila, L, def. Michael Lizak 6-1 6-0

Doubles

(1) Tyler Pennertz/Josh Blomberg, L, def. Tommy Agerland/Joe Charpentier 3-6 6-3 6-0 ... (2) Gray Nelson/Dawson Richardson, L, def. Brady Nelson/Cooper Strezo 7-5 6-1 ... (3) Alex Nelson/Mathias Bruning, L, def. Henry Lisko/Philip Olson 6-3 0-6 6-4

Minnewaska/Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa swept doubles play in a win over Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd at Glenwood.

At No. 1 doubles, the Lakers' Drew Bleick and Carter LeClair knocked off LQPV/D-B's Gunnar Olson and Brody Bothun, 6-1, 6-0. Marshall Kopp and Landon Schiffler got the victory at No. 2 doubles for Minnewaska.

Singles

(1) Connor Quelle, M, def Jackson Buer 6-1 6-0 ... (2) Tenzin Dahl, M, def Gavin Stulz 6-1 6-2 ... (3) Noah Palmer, M, def Matt Martinson 6-1 6-0 ... (4) Luke Stock, L, def Tayte Wasilowski 6-1 2-6 11-9

Doubles

(1) Drew Bleick/Carter LeClair, M, def Gunnar Olson/Brody Bothun 6-1 6-0 ... (2) Marshall Kopp/Landon Schiffler, M, def Tony Reep/Mitchell Myers 6-2 6-3 ... (3) Tate Hanson/James Nichtern, M won by forfeit

Montevideo won in two sets in six of seven matches to get a win over host MACCRAY at Clara City.

The tightest match came at No. 3 singles. The Thunder Hawks' Gabe Lindemann overcame a tight second-set loss to beat the Wolverines' Austin Sweep, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2.

Singles

(1) Tyson Quigley, Mon, def Josiah Seehusen 6-2 6-2 ... (2) Simon Fitzkappes, Mon, def Daniel Seehusen 6-1 6-3 ... (3) Gabe Lindemann, Mon, def Austin Sweep 6-3 6-7 6-2 ... (4) Talan Brock, Mon, def Andre Gates 6-3 6-1

Doubles

(1) Andrew Soden/Hunter Anspach, Mon, def Matt Wadsworth/Willie Miller 6-1 7-5 ... (2) Connor Hagen/Kyle Canatsey, Mon, def Josh Castaneda/Dylan Hardebeck 6-0 6-1 ... (3) Sam Ostendorf/Nick Kluver, Mon, def Juan Del Bosque/Hugo Vargas 7-6 6-3

Osakis, led by No. 1 singles player Isaac Maddock, beat Yellow Medicine East at Granite Falls.

Maddock is ranked second in the state in Class A. He beat the Sting's Ryan Syring 6-0, 6-0. The closest match came at No. 2 singles, where the Silverstreaks' Tyler Stier defeated Karter Canatsey 6-4, 6-4.

YME is scheduled to host Benson/Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Granite Falls.

Singles

(1) Isaac Maddock, O, def. Ryan Syring 6-0, 6-0 ... (2) Tyler Stier, O, def. Karter Canatsey 6-4, 6-4 ... (3) Bryce Moen, O, def. Liam Hadfield 6-0, 6-0 ... (4) Micah Moore, O, def. Evan Christianson 6-0, 6-1

Doubles

(1) Connor Gulbranson/Marcus Wolf, O, def. Gage Corner/Ryan Brouwer 6-4, 6-1 ... (2) Fisher Torgerson/Preston Stienert, O, def. Devin Ladwig/Mathias Vonderharr 6-0, 6-0 ... (3) Kellen George/Trent Redetezke, O, def. Hlaing Aung/Jayden Yackley 6-0, 6-2.