Harrison, Brann lead FHS netters
The afternoon didn't end as they had hoped, but Cody Harrison and Josh Brann had no complaints.
The Flathead duo rolled into the Nos. 1 and 2 doubles finals at Saturday's Flathead Invitational before falling to Missoula Sentinel's Ben DeMarois and John Halligan in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0.
Brann and Harrison - both juniors - weren't shaken following their last match before Thursday's Northern AA divisionals in Great Falls. They knew they played well earlier in the day before running out of steam - and into the top tandem they've faced all year.
"They've got bigger serves, bigger ground strokes, better volleys, just everything all around," Harrison said of DeMarois and Halligan. "I would say they're the top team in the state, pretty easily."
Harrison and Brann (7-3) made the deepest run of all local Nos. 1 and 2 athletes, playing on a warm, cloudy day at Flathead Valley Community College as Flathead hosted six schools, including Whitefish and divisional rivals Great Falls High and CMR.
"All-in-all it was a great day," Flathead coach Buck Measure said. "The weather cooperated, the competition wasgreat between seven different schools.
"Performance-wise we accomplished what my goal for the weekend was, and that goal was to get all kids - 1s, 2s and 3s - to win a couple of matches. Not necessarily to make the finals, but to go out and compete with the Great Falls schools, therefore setting us up for the divisional match next week."
Brann said he and Harrison will likely draw a No. 1 seed in Great Falls based on Saturday's performance. He added that he and Harrison should contend for a divisional title as long as they improve their communication and play their top game.
Harrison agreed.
"We beat what I think is the top team from Great Falls today in our first match," Harrison said.
Harrison and Brann faced Sentinel's top duo earlier this year, falling 8-2 in a pro set at the Missoula Invitational. Saturday's meeting wasn't much different as Halligan guarded the baseline with a deft ground stroke while the 6-foot-4 DeMarois used his long arms to reach and smash volleys.
The tournament began at 9 a.m., leaving Brann and Harrison exhausted by their 4 p.m. final. But neither athlete blamed fatigue for their loss.
"I think it's mainly that they're just a really, really good team, and it just wasn't our day, I guess," Brann said. "We've played better than we did in that match."
DeMarois and Halligan are undefeated (15-0) in their first year as partners. DeMarois was surprised with how quickly they dispatched Flathead's formidable pair.
"We played really good today," DeMarois said. "Probably our most complete match of the year was the final today."
Whitefish made an impressive showing as the invitational's lone Class A school. The Bulldogs' Zach Deister and Matt Whitehead claimed the boys' No. 3 doubles title.
Sentinel's Philip Ehrlich beat Missoula Big Sky's Yan Mueller to capture the Nos. 1 and 2 boys' singles championship. Flathead's Travis Cattron and Whitefish's Matt Harris reached the consolation final, but decided not to play the match until, perhaps, later this week.
Flathead's Jon Hammett took the No. 3 singles championship in straight sets, while Whitefish's Chase Pierce fell to Big Sky's Barett Snider in the consolation final.
Flathead's Izzy Makman made it all the way to the girls' Nos. 1 and 2 singles semifinals before falling to eventual runner-up Sam Selstad of Great Falls. Selstad lost to teammate Ellie Crum in the championship match.
Whitefish's Ellie Opel took second in girls' No. 3 singles action to Missoula Hellgate's Michelle Carey.
CMR's Katie Russell and Mary Anderon won the girls' Nos. 1 and 2 doubles crown, downing Whitefish's Kimberly McIntyre and Kate Whittaker in the semifinals before beating Sentinel's Kendra Donovan and Brette Rubie in a pro set, 8-3.
Saturday's early girls' matches were played in Whitefish with later rounds settled at FVCC.
Though team results were irrelevant Saturday, Measure saw enough in Flathead's well-rounded boys' and girls' performances to feel confident heading into divisionals, and ultimately state.
"I feel that we have a very competitive team," Measure said. "The kids saw today that they were capable of competing with six out of the 13 AA schools."
According to Measure, the Braves and Bravettes are both in position to earn quality points at divisionals against powerful Great Falls High.
"We know that there are kids from Great Falls that will certainly be difficult to beat," Measure said. "However, as a whole team, I feel we have the stronger team as a whole."
2007 Flathead Invitational
Boys
Nos. 1-2 singles
Semifinals - Yan Mueller, Big Sky, def. A. Bonilla, Sentinel, 8-3; Philip Ehrlich, Sentinel, def. Wesley Mathison, Flathead, 8-2.
Championship - Ehrlich def. Mueller, 5-7, 7-5 (1).
Consolation final - Travis Cattron, Flathead, vs. Matt Harris, Whitefish, (will play next week).
No. 3 singles
Semifinals - Jon Hammett, Flathead, def. Z. Winter, CMR, 8-2; G. Shaw, Hellgate, def. Chase Pierce, Whitefish, 8-2.
Championship - Hammett def. Shaw, 6-2, 6-1.
Consolation final - Barett Snider, Big Sky, def. Pierce, 11-10 (4).
Nos. 1-2 doubles
Semifinals - Ben DeMarois/John Halligan, Sentinel, def. J. Marra/R. Rohrer, Great Falls, 8-5; Josh Brann/Cody Harrison, Flathead, def. Felsch/Shull, Sentinel, 8-6.
Championship - DeMarois/Halligan def. Brann/Harrison, 6-0, 6-0.
Consolation final - NA.
No. 3 doubles
Semifinals - Zach Deister and Matt Whitehead, Whitefish, def. Max Lentz and Collin Snodgrass, Hellgate, 8-6; Jordan Vaughan and B. Harrison, Flathead, def. R. Hutto and T. Allison, Hellgate, 8-3.
Championship - Deister and Whitehead def. Vaughan and Harrison, 6-2, 6-3.
Consolation final - Lentz/Snodgrass def. Hutto/Allison, 11-10 (4).
Girls
Nos. 1-2 singles
Semifinals - Sam Selstad, Great Falls, def. Izzy Makman, Flathead, 8-2; Ellie Crum, Great Falls, def. Hanley Caras, Big Sky, 8-2.
Championship - Crum def. Selstad, 8-1.
Consolation final - NA.
No. 3 singles
Semifinals - Michelle Carey, Hellgate, def. Claire Nickless, Sentinel, 8-3; Ellie Opel, Whitefish, def. S. Grimes, Hellgate, 8-6.
Championship - Carey def. Opel, 2-6, 6-2 (10-7).
Consolation finals - NA.
Nos. 1-2 doubles
Semifinals - Kendra Donovan/Brette Rubie, Sentinel, def. Mikela Rigney/Riley Curran, Hellgate, 8-2; Katie Russell/Mary Anderson, CMR, def. Kimberly McIntyre/Kate Whittaker, Whitefish, 8-3.
Championship - Russell/Anderson def. Donovan/Rubie, 8-3.
Consolation final - NA.
No. 3 doubles
Semifinals - K. Weber/G. Boyer, Flathead, def. M. Toenyes/A. Reaves, Hellgate, 9-8 (7-1); Amber Finch/Katlyn Jones, Sentinel, def. H. Lyons/K. Huseby, CMR, 8-1.
Championship - Weber/Boyer def. Finch/Jones, 7-6 (7-2), 3-6 (10-5)
Consolation final - M. Morris/K. Degrandpree, Big Sky, vs. I. Huff/M. Thomas, Hellgate, (NA).