Panthers, Lady Panthers finish sixth

Three competitors crack top four

Posted Tuesday, September 25, 2018 8:05 am

By Don Cogger

It was a good weekend all around for the Powell High School tennis teams, as both the Panthers and Lady Panthers finished sixth overall, scoring 23.5 and 14 points, respectively. Cheyenne Central took the top spot in both boys (35 points) and girls (54 points).

Boys No. 2 singles player Dylan Preator — who won the state title in his division (see related story) — and No. 1 singles player Jesse Brown were both named to the All-State team following the tournament.

Meanwhile, on the girls’ side, No. 2 single player Sierra Sanders and No. 3 doubles players Hailee Paul and Sami Cole each battled their way to fourth-place finishes.

Lady Panthers

The Lady Panthers finished sixth as a team for the tournament, improving on last year’s 11th-place finish.

“The girls did just fantastic, coming off fantastic regional results,” PHS head coach Joe Asay said. “The girls were just coming together and peaking at the right time, great match-ups for all of our positions.”

At the No. 1 singles spot, Lady Panther Elise North went 1-2, winning in her opening match in the consolation bracket against Rawlins’ Selena Landa 7-5, 6-3.

“Elise worked hard in the off-season, and had a good, strong hold on that No.1 spot all season for us,” Asay said. “She was in good shape for the state tournament and played some good tennis — she just ultimately came up short.”

In No. 2 singles, Sanders capped a successful senior season with a fourth-place finish at state, compiling a 3-2 record. Sanders won her first two matches of the tournament against Laramie’s Grace Dorrell and Rawlins’ Mackenzie Thompson before losing to Cody’s Teagan Thompson in the semi-finals.

“Great results for Sierra Sanders, she just had a really great senior year,” Asay said. “She gave herself a couple of first-round wins to put herself right there in the semifinals in the two singles spot. Cody’s Teagan Thompson was just too strong, and Sierra couldn’t quite get that done. Another good result for our girls there.”

The No. 1 doubles team of Shayla Shoopman and Sloane Asay won their opening-round match against Cheyenne East’s Addison Turner and Lindsay Eldred 6-4, 7-5. The team dropped their next two matches, however, ending their tournament 1-2.

“Our one doubles team of Shayla Shoopman and Sloane Asay had kind of a slow start to the year as they tried to work out how they’d play together,” coach Asay said. “They competed well at state, but unfortunately came up short Friday.”

The No. 2 doubles team of Ashley Dunkerley and Sophe Morrow finished 3-2, winning their opening match against Cheyenne East (6-0, 6-3) before losing to Green River in the quarterfinals (6-2, 6-4). They beat opponents from Riverton (6-0, 6-0) and Thunder Basin (4-6, 6-3, 6-2) before falling to Cody (6-0, 6-3).

The No. 3 doubles team of Paul and Cole won their first two matches against teams from Rock Springs (7-6, 6-2) and Green River (6-4, 6-2). The duo lost in the semifinals against the team from Kelly Walsh in three sets, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, eventually finishing fourth.

“The No. 2 and No. 3 doubles teams really came together well those last few matches of the season,” coach Asay said. “It was so critical to see them compete so well down the stretch against Cody and Kelly Walsh, and they took that right into regionals. We knew they would be competitive at state, and they sure were.”

Panthers

The Panthers’ No. 1 singles player Jesse Brown finished 3-2 for the tournament, winning his opening-round match against Rawlins’ Ryan Pfeffer 6-1, 6-1 before losing in the quarterfinals against Laramie’s Kyle Moore in three sets. In the consolation bracket, Brown finished 1-1, with a win against Thunder Basin’s Jack Voigt (6-3, 6-3) and a loss to Jackson’s Nate Fairbanks (6-3, 6-0).

“We were excited for Jesse Brown to see how another year under his belt might look,” coach Asay said. “We knew there were going to be some tough kids at that No. 1 singles spot, so we knew it would be a challenge for Jesse. ... Hopefully he came away with some good positives for the season, recognizing he’s one of the top boys players in the state.”

In No. 1 doubles, the Panthers’ Aidan Jacobsen and Grant Dillivan finished 2-2 for the tournament, highlighted by an opening-round win against Cheyenne South in three sets, 6-1, 6-7, 6-2. After dropping to the consolation bracket, Jacobsen and Dillivan beat Cody in straight sets 6-3, 6-1.

“There is some pretty competitive tennis at the No. 1 doubles position,” coach Asay said. “It was good to see Grant and Aidan really playing well. They got as far as they could — not a bad showing at all.”

The No. 2 doubles team of Jay Cox and Aidan Hunt were 2-2 for the tournament with wins over the teams from Rock Springs (6-2, 6-2) and Green River (3-6, 6-3, 6-4) in the first two rounds of the consolation bracket.

“My two doubles, that was a tough spot to be,” coach Asay said. “Aidan Hunt is a senior and this was his first year at the varsity level, the same for Jay Cox. They really started to click together and see the ball well. They made a pretty good go of it this go-round. But not a bad run at all for those two.”

The freshmen duo of Logan Brown and Aiden Chandler did well in their first state tournament appearance, finishing 1-2 with a win over the team from Cheyenne East in the consolation bracket 6-2, 6-3.

“I’m super-excited about my freshmen boys there, playing some varsity tennis,” coach Asay said. “They’ll have some kids nipping at their heels come next season. It was a great opportunity for them.”

With Hunt the only senior on the boys’ side, “we’re looking at some really good kids coming back, as well as a few kids from the top of the JV rankings,” coach Asay said.

The girls team, meanwhile, will lose three players in North, Sanders and Shoopman.

“With the graduation of those three, there will be some big openings next season,” the coach said, adding that there are many talented girls on the JV team. “It should be exciting.”

PHS tennis teams close out regular season

Panthers sweep Kelly Walsh, Natrona; Lady Panthers split

Posted Thursday, September 13, 2018 8:00 am

By Don Cogger

The Powell High School tennis teams traveled to Casper over the weekend, squaring off against Kelly Walsh and Natrona County to finish out the regular season.

The Panthers, led by dominating performances in the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions, began the day with a clean sweep over Kelly Walsh 5-0. The afternoon’s matches against Natrona County proved to be a little more competitive, with the Powell boys holding on for a 3-2 win.

The Lady Panthers struggled against Kelly Walsh, losing 5-0, before rebounding with a 5-0 sweep over Natrona County to end the day on a positive note.

“It was a good weekend, really,” said PHS head coach Joe Asay. “I think we’re in pretty good shape heading into regionals.”

Panthers 5, Kelly Walsh 0

The Panthers swept all five matches against the Trojans.

Junior Jesse Brown had another dominating performance against Kelly Walsh’s Buck Harris, winning in straight sets 6-1, 6-0.

“Jesse is just kind of rolling right now,” Asay said. “A kid’s gotta come with a lot of game to be able to do much damage there.”

In the No. 2 singles spot, Panther Dylan Preator was also a victor in straight sets, beating Drew Rasmussen 6-2, 6-4.

“With Dylan, it’s kind of the same deal, he doesn’t have a lot of the tennis experience and a lot of time on the courts like Jesse does,” Asay said. “Sometimes that shows up a little bit, but for the most part, he’s just really dominant in his play.”

The duo of Aidan Jacobsen and Grant Dillivan continue to play well together, though they were pushed to three sets in the No. 1 doubles spot by Austin Putnam and Jackson Catchpole. After winning the first set 7-6, the Panther pair dropped the second 7-6. They rallied in the third set to cruise to a 6-1 win and the match.

In No. 2 doubles, the relatively new pairing of Aidan Hunt and Jay Cox broke into the win column with a three-set win over Colten Allaire and Hunter Spangler 4-6, 7-5, 7-5.

In the No. 3 spot, Powell’s freshmen combo of Logan Brown and Aiden Chandler downed Parker Phillips and Derek Robinson in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.

“The best thing I saw with those three doubles teams was the two freshmen boys [Brown and Chandler] to get out there and get a win,” Asay said. “That was a lot of fun to see.”

Kelly Walsh 5, Lady Panthers 0

The Powell girls found the going tougher against the Lady Trojans, who Asay believes may have just one loss. at the No. 1 doubles spot.

“They’re a really tough team,” coach Asay said.

Kelly Walsh freshman Finley Klinger made short work of Powell’s Elise North in the No. 1 singles spot, winning in straight sets 6-1, 6-0.

“[Klinger], unlike Elise [North] has had some tournament play and match experience,” Asay said. “But Elise got out there and played some points with her, and had a good experience against a freshman who can probably win this whole thing at the No. 1 spot.”

In No. 2 singles, Lady Panther Sierra Sanders fell to Lily Putnam 6-1, 6-4.

“I thought Sierra really competed well in spots,” Asay said. “She was in a position to try and take a set, but came up short.”

The Kelly Walsh duo of Josette Bowers and Kylie Spangler took down Powell’s Shayla Shoopman and Sloane Asay 6-3, 6-0 in No. 1 doubles, while in the No. 2 spot, Kailey Walker and Sage Dobby defeated Lady Panthers Ashley Dunkerley and Sophe Morrow 6-2, 5-7, 6-4. Powell’s No. 3 doubles team of Hailee Paul and Sami Cole lost in straight sets to Sarah Griner and Jada Collins 6-4, 6-2.

“Kelly Walsh’s one doubles team won it all last year, so that was a pretty tough matchup,” coach Asay said. “My two and three doubles teams, playing these Kelly Walsh girls who have had such great success, really played deep with them. That was really fun to see both sets of those girls play well.”

Lady Panthers 5, Natrona County 0

Unlike the earlier contest, the Lady Panthers were on the right side of a clean sweep against Natrona County, winning all five matches.

“That was a fun opportunity for the girls to finish out the day with a 5-0 win down there,” coach Asay said. “They were great wins across the board.”

In the No. 1 singles spot, North easily defeated Alexis Holscher 6-1, 6-0, while Sanders, in the No. 2 spot, didn’t give up a game against Kayla Stibley 6-0, 6-0.

The No. 1 doubles team of Shoopman and Sloane Asay survived dropping the first set to Mikayla Colling and Reece Potter 6-4 before rallying 6-3, 6-2 to win the match.

“They [Shoopman and Asay] got off to kind of a slow start there in that first set, but got things working and finished strong,” Asay said.

Dunkerley and Morrow rolled through Natrona’s Kelsie Dickerson and Dani Busch 6-3, 6-1 in the No. 2 doubles spot, while in the No. 3 match, Paul and Cole made short work of Taylin Smith and Airieona Horn 6-1, 6-1.

“It’s definitely nice to have those wins,” Asay said. “It’s been a fun trip. We have a lot of kids who are new to the varsity tennis experience, and it’s great to see them really competing well.”

Panthers 3, Natrona County 2

The Panthers had a little tougher time against their Natrona counterparts, but were able to win, 3-2.

“For the boys, it was a little different story there, a little more competitive in the matches,” Asay said.

Brown and Preator once again rolled through the competition at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots. Brown was a winner in straight sets over Ben Radosevich 6-2, 6-1.

Preator had a little tougher test against Natrona’s Brayden Busch, easily winning the first set 6-0, but dropping the second 7-5. Preator regained control of the match in the third set, winning 6-2.

“Dylan just kind of struggled a little bit, once again a lack of match experience,” Asay said. “He struggled to finish his kid off in the second set and had to go to the third, but it was a good experience for him. He certainly recognized some of the things he needs to do differently to be able to get through and finish those matches.”

In No. 1 doubles, Jacobsen and Dillivan were losers in three sets to Natrona’s Max Radosevich and Carter Boatright 4-6, 6-4, 2-6; the No. 3 doubles team of Brown and Chandler also lost in three sets to Ryan Swan and Henry True 6-4, 4-6, 4-6.

That meant it came down to the No. 2 doubles team of Aidan Hunt and Jay Cox in the deciding match of the contest, and the pair didn’t disappoint, winning in three sets 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.

“They [Hunt and Cox] gave us that third win, and finished the weekend 2-0,” Asay said. “They are really coming through well. It was good tennis, it really was.”

The PHS tennis teams are gearing up for the regional tournament this week, beginning Friday in Gillette. The results of regionals will determine seeding for the following week’s state tournament, also held in Gillette. Last year’s regional tournament was canceled due to weather, so Asay is keeping his fingers crossed that this week’s sunny conditions will hold.

“Lord willing, we’ll have some good weather. We haven’t had that for the last two years,” he said. “It’s important from an experience standpoint that the kids get these matches in.”

PHS tennis teams struggle against Sheridan

Posted Thursday, September 6, 2018 8:00 am

By Don Cogger

Dylan Preator and Sierra Sanders continued to impress in the No. 2 singles spots for the Powell High School tennis teams on Saturday, both coming away with wins against their visiting Sheridan opponents.

It was a rougher go for the rest of the teams, however, as the Broncs beat the Panthers 4-1 and the Lady Broncs outlasted the Lady Panthers 3-2.

“They’ve got some pretty talented kids over there,” PHS head coach Joe Asay said of Sheridan. “They definitely have a lot of experience.”

Sheridan 4, Panthers 1

Panthers’ No. 1 singles player Jesse Brown knew going into Saturday’s match that he’d have his hands full with Sheridan’s Ethan Kutz.

Like Brown, Kutz has made short work of all but one of his opponents this season, with both players coming up short against Jackson’s Nate Fairbanks. Against Brown, Kutz found a game opponent but came away with a 6-3, 6-2 win.

“He [Kutz] is definitely one of the better singles players in the state,” Asay said. “I saw some things there that would suggest that he’s beatable. But he’s been competitive and worked pretty hard against Jesse when they were both freshmen. He’ll be one of the tougher kids moving forward, to be sure.”

Against Sheridan’s Reed Rabon in the No. 2 singles spot, Preator got off to a rough start, dropping the first set 6-3. But Preator was able to regroup in fine fashion, taking the next two sets 6-3, 6-1 for the win.

“Dylan [Preator] dropped the first set against a kid that wasn’t going to blow him off the court,” Asay said. “But even as Dylan looked to those opportunities to exert a little bit of power there, the kid would put his racket on it and put it back in play. He [Preator] was getting a little frustrated, I think. But he dialed things in and settled down a bit, finished things off strong.”

It was a clean sweep for Sheridan in the doubles matches, beginning with with Powell’s Aidan Jacobsen and Grant Dillivan falling to Sheridan’s Kellen Mentock and Logan Jensen 6-1, 6-2 at the No. 1 spot.

“[Jacobsen and Dillivan] ran up against some kids that play smart, competitive doubles tennis,” Asay said. “They need to be bringing their best game. Aiden Jacobsen is dealing with a little bit of a hand/wrist issue, so he’s not striking the ball as well as he usually does. It’s good for them [Jacobsen and Dillivan] to have these matches so they know what to expect when they wander off to regions here in a couple of weeks.”

Sheridan’s Trenton Lewallen and Kevin Woodrow defeated the first-time pairing of Aidan Hunt and Jay Cox 6-3, 6-0 in No. 2 doubles, while the Panthers’ Logan Brown and Aiden Chandler fell to Tomy Phillips and Jarett Hoy 6-1, 6-0 at the No. 3 spot.

Of the teaming of Hunt and Cox, Asay said it was part of the process of trying to get the right kids together.

“They’re all just eager to get out there and play, so I liked the idea of playing a couple of the older boys up in that two spot,” he said. “Aidan Hunt is pretty steady at the two, so I’ve been working through a couple of different partners for him. and it’s kind of fun to give the freshmen boys [Brown and Chandler] a chance to play together.”

Sheridan 3, Lady Panthers 2

Asay said this season has been a learning experience for Elise North in the No. 1 singles spot. The senior came into the year with no varsity experience and suddenly finds herself taking on some of the best players in the state. Saturday was no exception, as North matched up against Sheridan’s Julia Kutz — sister of boys’ No.1 singles player Ethan — and lost in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0.

“Elise [North] continues to step up pretty well, and is always a pleasure to be around. She’s always eager to try to improve and get better,” Asay said. “Julia [Kutz] is just a sophomore, but already in her second year of playing in that No. 1 spot. That’s one of those tough matches, and will be a tough match going down the road.”

Sierra Sanders continues to be a consistent force for the Lady Panthers at No. 2 singles, rolling through Sheridan’s Aspen Malkuch in straight sets 6-2, 6-2.

“When it’s a match she should win, Sierra’s getting out there and winning them,” Asay said. “Looking forward to her match ... against Cody, where she’ll have another chance to go against last year’s state champ in the two spot, Teegan Thompson.”

Thompson won the first meeting between the pair, 6-2, 6-0.

In No. 1 doubles, Sheridan’s Hannah Jost and Ella Laird defeated Powell’s Shayla Shoopman and Sloane Asay 6-1, 6-2, while the No. 2 doubles team of Ashley Dunkerley and Sophe Morrow fell to the Lady Broncs’ Tori Pearce and Steph Gonda in three sets, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4.

“Sophe [Morrow] and Ashley [Dunkerley] were right there,” coach Asay said of the No. 2 doubles match. “They played a great second set to get it to a tiebreaker and push it to a third set. They were right there all along, and unfortunately it didn’t happen. But it’s fun to see them continue to get better and play competitively.”

Hailee Paul and Sami Cole in the No. 3 doubles spot made easy work of Sheridan’s Megan Hoffman and Sam Dillon 6-0, 6-1, giving the Lady Panthers their second win of the match.

“I think we got that pretty dialed in in the No. 3 doubles spot,” coach Asay said. “It’s the second year for Hailee Paul playing there, and she brings some experience and athleticism, which is fun. A newcomer who’s hitting the ball really well is Sami Cole, and those guys got out there and had a great straight-set win.”

The PHS tennis teams travel to Cody today (Thursday) for a conference dual against the Broncs and Fillies.

“It’s kind of fun to have one of our conference foes so close by, so we get a couple of chances to see the Cody kids,” coach Asay said. The Park County rivals’ first match-up was a non-conference event, but this week’s contest will help determine placing for the Sept. 14-15 North Regional Tournament.

PHS tennis a solid mix of youth, experience

Open season at Green River, Rock Springs

Panther junior Aiden Jacobsen practices his serve during a Saturday practice at the Powell High School courts.

TRIBUNE PHOTO BY DON COGGER

Posted Tuesday, August 14, 2018 8:05 am

By Don Cogger

With the loss of several talented players from last season due to graduation, the Powell High School tennis teams will look to begin rebuilding, opening their 2018 campaign on the road at Green River and Rock Springs Monday and Tuesday (today).

PHS head coach Joe Asay said the first week of practice went well, and the opening matches will serve as a barometer for the rest of the season.

“These kids have been getting after it. They’ve been playing matches and figuring out where their pecking order is,” Asay said. “On the boys’ side, we lost our No. 2 singles kid, our No. 1 doubles team and the No. 3 doubles team — five seniors who have moved on. It’s certainly opened up some opportunities for some kids who have been playing in the JV and junior ranks.”

The Lady Panthers will be looking to replace its top two singles players with the graduation of Hattie Pimental and Lauren Asher; the remaining six varsity players are all returning, though there will be some movement within their ranks.

“It’s a short season, and my biggest push will be to get the girls into the right spots,” Asay said.

The biggest recurring issue working against the team, according to Asay, is the early start to the season: With two-and-a-half weeks until the start of school, families are still trying to squeeze in vacations, making it difficult for a coach to know what the team will look like by the opening match.

“We try to get the word out, let the kids and parents know when things are gearing up, but it’s difficult in the summer,” he explained. “... We have a few kids that will probably wander in here in the next week or so.”

Panthers

For the Panthers, Asay said he’ll have between 20 and 22 boys competing for the eight varsity spots this season.

“We have a good number of kids, and it gives them some opportunities to fill those varsity positions,” Asay said. “The kids that don’t make it out of the first week of challenge matches will have the chance to keep challenging.”

Coming off a fifth-place finish at state last season, the Panthers will be without the services of No. 2 singles player Rhett Pimental, the No. 2 doubles team of James Sheets and Aaron Jacobsen and the No. 3 doubles team of Wade Musso and Nathaniel Witham, all lost to graduation.

Jesse Brown will compete again in the No. 1 singles spot for the Panthers, as the junior will look to replicate the success he had as a freshman, when he won the No. 2 state singles title.

“Jesse [Brown] is a great kid and a phenomenal athlete,” Asay said. “There were a lot of expectations on him last year after winning state as a freshman, and he had a solid year at the No. 1 spot. He has another year of experience under his belt, and we’re excited to see what he’ll bring to the team this season. He’s got some challenges to work through, so we’ll see how it goes.”

As sophomores last season, the No. 2 doubles team of Dylan Preator and Aiden Jacobsen finished runners-up at state, earning All-State honors. Their success presents an interesting conundrum for the team this season, as coaches look to fill open varsity positions.

“It was a tremendous run for them [Preator and Jacobsen],” Asay said. “Certainly with the amount of talent and athleticism that they bring, they’ll have some opportunities this year to advance. The challenge for us as coaches will be to figure out the best place to put these guys. Either one could compete for the No. 2 singles spot; that being said, keeping them as a doubles team would be great for us at the No. 1 doubles spot.”

Asay said there are also a handful of returning juniors and seniors ready to compete for open spots, always a good problem to have as a coach.

“The opportunities are definitely there to get some varsity experience,” he said.

Lady Panthers

With only two seniors gone from last year’s team, Asay said the Lady Panthers will face the same challenges as the boys, with established doubles teams possibly breaking up to fill the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions.

The No. 1 doubles team of Sierra Sanders and Shayla Shoopman, the No. 2 doubles team of Sloane Asay and Heidi Barrus and the No. 3 doubles team of Hailee Paul and Ashley Dunkerley are all returning this season. Asay said the girls played over the summer, and are coming into this season ready to play. The competition for the top two singles spots, as well as the top doubles teams, will be strong.

“It’s definitely going to be interesting,” Asay said of the competition for the varsity spots. “That said, I wish I had more girls coming out; we’ll probably end up with about 15 for the season. But these numbers give us some options.”

The tennis teams hit the road Monday morning for afternoon non-conference matches against Green River. Powell will then head to Rock Springs for matches on Tuesday. The Panthers and Lady Panthers will open their home schedules Friday against Thunder Basin in the morning and Campbell County in the afternoon.

“Playing these non-conference opponents does give us a measure of how these kids play against the rest of the state,” Asay said. “It gives us a little bit of an idea of what to expect, and it gets the kids out and playing matches, fine-tuning their games.”