TENNIS: Glacier's Spencer Johnson reaches Class AA state semis

GREAT FALLS — Glacier’s Spencer Johnson weathered the rain and a pair of formidable opponents to reach the semifinals of the Class AA state tennis tournament at Hurd Courts and Meadow Lark Country Club Courts on Thursday night.

Play was expected to continue late Thursday night because of inclement weather, with a number of consolation matches still in progress at press time. Action is scheduled to begin Friday at 8 a.m.

Johnson, who won the Northern AA divisional championship last week, earned a pair of straight set wins on Thursday. The senior beat Andrew Morsey of Missoula Hellgate, 6-0, 6-1, in the first round and took down Bozeman’s Jackson Pedersen, 6-3, 6-0 in the quarterfinals.

Johnson will meet Billings West’s Fergus Pollard in Friday’s semifinal. With a win, Johnson would take on either Billings Senior’s Jay Montague or Bozeman’s Marcos Zelver in the championship match.

The all-time winningest boys tennis player in school history, Johnson dropped only one set in the divisional tournament. He is trying to give the Wolfpack their fifth boys singles state championship after Kellen Bates won four straight titles from 2010-13. Johnson himself is a past state champion, claiming a doubles title alongside Britt Walton in 2013.

Holland Blalack, who was ousted by his teammate, Johnson, in the divisional championship match, also earned a first round win, 6-4, 6-4 over Missoula Sentinel’s Cody Curtis. Blalack, however, lost his next two matches and was eliminated when he fell 6-1, 6-2 to Billings West’s Mick Mattie in the consolation bracket.

Johnson isn’t the only member of the Wolfpack in the state semifinals, with the girls doubles team of Maya Buckingham and Anna Cecil also winning their first two matches. The duo won their first round match 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 and advanced 6-4, 6-1 in the second round.

Like Johnson, Buckingham and Cecil won the divisional championship a week ago at Flathead Valley Community College. With the pair guaranteed to finish no worse than fourth, this will be the first state placement for each.

The Wolfpack’s other girls doubles team of McKenna Johnson and Cayli Mower did not fair as well on Thursday, losing in straight sets in the opening round.

Glacier’s boys doubles team of Ben Wright and Hunter Danz also lost in the first round, 6-3, 6-3.

Flathead’s girls enjoyed some success in day one, too, led by sophomore singles standout Ellie Berreth. She beat Katie Hooton of Billings Skyview, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in round one and, after a second round loss, won her consolation match against Senior’s Kirsten Kraske, 6-2, 6-2. Berreth will rematch with Hooton in the consolation draw Friday.

Rayna Darrow also won a first round match, besting Kraske, 6-4, 7-6, for the Bravettes. Darrow lost 6-0, 6-0 to Hellgate’s Sofia Panarella in the second round and was eliminated 6-0, 6-1 by Hooton.

The Flathead doubles team of Bailey Bladholm and Noel Senner lost in straight sets, 6-0, 6-3 in the first round.

Class AA state tournament

At Great Falls

Thursday

BOYS

Singles

First round

Jay Montague BSR def. Alex Hanson CAP, 6-1, 6-1

Holland Blalack GLA def. Cody Curtis MSN, 6-4, 6-4

Jacob Treece MSN def. Roy Munns CMR, 6-3, 6-2

Marcos Zelver BOZ def. Mick Mattie BWT, 6-0, 6-1

Jesse Howard MHG def. Andrew Davidson GFH, 6-0, 6-0

Fergus Pollard BWT def. Cory Bowlby HHS, 7-5 (6), 7-4

Jackson Pedersen BOZ def. Dylan Burton BWT, 6-2, 6-1

Spencer Johnson GLA def. Andrew Morsey MHG, 6-0, 6-1.

Second round

Jay Montague BSR def. Holland Blalack GLA, 6-2, 6-0

Marcos Zelver BOZ def. Jacob Treece MSN, 6-1, 6-2

Fergus Pollard BWT def. Jesse Howard MHG, 6-1, 6-2

Spencer Johnson GLA def. Jackson Pedersen BOZ, 6-3, 6-0.

Consolation

Alex Hanson CAP def. Cody Curtis MSN, 6-3, 6-2

Mick Mattie BWT def. Roy Munns CMR, 6-1, 7-5

Cory Bowlby HHS def. Andrew Davidson GFH, 6-0, 6-0

Dylan Burton BWT def. Andrew Morsey MHG, 6-4, 6-1

Jacob Treece MSN def. Alex Hanson CAP, 6-0, 6-4

Mick Mattie BWT def. Holland Blalack GLA, 6-1, 6-2

Jackson Pedersen BOZ def. Cory Bowlby HHS, 6-2, 7-6 (4)

Jesse Howard MHG def. Dylan Burton BWT, 6-0, 6-1.

Doubles

First round

Thomas-Discoll BSR def. Dabler-Perry GFH, 6-0, 6-0

Kuehn-Kuehn MHG def. Bittner-Fretwell BOZ, 6-4, 6-3

Ramsbacher-Violette MSN def. Stagg-Collins BOZ, 6-3, 6-3

Bakhuzien-Gibbs BWT def. Johnson-Lunn GFH, 6-2, 0-6, 7-6

Nord-Porter MHG def. Boyer-Jakovac HHS, 6-0, 7-6

Walker-Pulis BWT def. Wright-Danz GLA, 6-3, 6-3

Abarr-San Pedro GFH def. Moller-Dyre BSR, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4

Derby-Williams BOZ def. Noonan-Brown MHG, 6-2, 6-0.

Second round

Thomas-Discoll BSR def. Kuehn-Kuehn MHG, 6-1, 6-2

Ramsbacher-Violette MSN def. Bakhuzien-Gibbs BWT, 6-4, 7-5

Nord-Porter MHG def. Walker-Pulis BWT, 7-6, (10-8).

GIRLS

Singles

First round

Annie Woods BSR def. Anna Johnson GFH, 6-2, 6-2

Heather Sikoski BOZ def. Maddy Richardson MHG, 6-0, 6-1

Hannah Amtmann BTE def. Casey Nelson MBS, 6-3, 6-2

Mackenzie George CMR def. Leslie Pazmino BSR, 6-2, 6-0

Sofia Panarella MHG def. Abbie George HHS, 6-0, 6-0

Rayna Darrow FLT def. Kisten Kraske BSR, 6-4, 7-6

Ellie Berreth FLT def. Katie Hooton BSV, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3

Madison Shea BOZ def. Maya Nguyen-Haberneski MHG, 6-0, 6-0.

Second round

Heather Sikoski BOZ def. Annie Woods BSR, 6-0, 6-0

Mackenzie George CMR def. Hannah Amtmann BTE, 6-1, 6-4

Sofia Panarella MHG def. Rayna Darrow FLT, 6-0, 6-0

Madison Shea BOZ def. Ellie Berreth FLT, 6-0, 6-0.

Consolation

Anna Johnson GFH def. Maddy Richardson MHG, 6-4, 6-1

Casey Nelson MBS def. Leslie Pazmino BSR, 6-0, 6-0

Kisten Kraske BSR def. Abbie George HHS, 6-1, 6-3

Katie Hooton BSV def. Maya Nguyen-Haberneski MHG, 6-2, 2-6, 6-0

Hannah Amtmann BTE def. Anna Johnson GFH, 6-0, 6-2

Annie Woods BSR def. Casey Nelson MBS, 6-2, 6-1

Ellie Berreth FLT def. Kisten Kraske BSR, 6-2, 6-2

Katie Hooton BSV def. Rayna Darrow FLT, 6-0, 6-1.

Doubles

First round

Khan-Dutton BSV def. Powers-Powers CAP, 7-5, 6-4

Keiper-Koenig MHG def. Dart-Roady GFH, 7-5, 6-2

Panarella-Small MHG def. Mower-Johnson GLA, 6-2, 6-1

Hays-Mailey BOZ def. Johnson-Parker BWT, 6-1, 6-1

Veteto-Warden MSN def. Bladholm-Senner FLT, 6-0, 6-3

Dyre-Crawford BSR def. Mineau-Tu BOZ, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3

Gilsdorf-Kirkland BSR def. Ward-Linkenbach BOZ, 6-4, 7-6

Buckingham-Cecil GLA def. Finch-Murdoch MSN, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Second round

Khan-Dutton BSV def. Keiper-Koenig MHG, 7-5, 6-3

Panarella-Small MHG def. Hays-Mailey BOZ, 6-4, 6-0

Veteto-Warden MSN def. Dyre-Crawford BSR, 6-0, 6-3

Buckingham-Cecil GLA def. Gilsdorf-Kirkland BSR, 6-4, 6-1.