Libby slips by Pirate hitters

POLSON - After the Polson boys played at Libby on Thursday, Pirate head coach Bob Hislop didn’t sugar-coat the narrow 3-4 loss. 

He called it a “very rough day in singles and a good day in doubles.”

And that’s what it was. Polson took all three in two-man tennis and lost all four matches in solo competition.

Playing together for the first time, seniors Seth Hovenkotter and Kyle Cooper took a suspenseful one at the top of the doubles ladder.

Winning the tiebreaker 7-6 in the first game before putting up a 6-4 stand in the second, the two Pirates had to get in sync to put down Libby’s top pair.

“Both are solid doubles players and will be solid if they can cut down on errors,” Polson head coach Bob Hislop said of his players’ performance.

The doubles pair that has played most consistently has been the one combining junior Matt Roberts and senior Stefan McCrumb, Hislop said.

The two earned a 6-3, 6-2 win at the second position where they were placed because McCrumb was recovering from a bad ankle sprain, Hislop said.

Finishing up the doubles lineup were two high school tennis rookies - Tom Deanovic and Justin Everts. The two wrapped up a perfect day in Polson doubles with a 6-4, 6-2 win, continuing to display talent that Hislop said ranks them among the best at their level of experience.

“Tom and Justin are two of the best first year players in the conference,” Hislop said.

Polson senior Tyler Engebretson faced the toughest Logger in singles and was the only Pirate to win a set in singles that day.

He won the first set by two but lost the next two by four.

Polson junior Shad Giles fell 6-4, 6-0 to Hunter Sheffield who he beat the last time they met.

“This was a huge reversal from the results of the same two players the previous Saturday,” Hislop said.

On that Saturday, Giles  beat Sheffield soundly, 6-2, 6-4.

Polson’s Andrew Storro and Sam Peel were the other two Pirates to fall in singles matches.

Polson 2

Libby 5

Singles

Alex Cislo def Tyler Engebretson P 4-6 6-2 6-2

Hunter Sheffield def. Shad Giles 6-4 6-0

Cree Maloney def. Andrew Storro P 6-1 6-2

Levi Edwards Myslicki def. Sam Peel 6-0 6-2

Doubles

Seth Hovenkotter/Kyle Cooper def. Nate Broden/Cyrus Maloney  7-6(7-3) 6-4  

Matt Roberts/Stefan McCrumb def. Jesse Ramos/ Lewis Brossman 6-3 6-2

Tom Deanovic/Justin Evertz def. cody Ercanbrack/Zach Schikora 6-4 6-2