PHS tennis splits with Cody

Panthers top Broncs, Lady Panthers fall to Fillies

Panther No. 1 doubles player Aidan Jacobsen blasts a serve against Cody’s Dillon Romero and Hayden DeMaranville on Tuesday during a match at Cody Middle School. Jacobsen and doubles partner Dylan Preator won the match in straight sets 6-4, 6-2.

TRIBUNE PHOTO BY DON COGGER

Posted Thursday, August 29, 2019 8:20 am

By Don Cogger

The Powell High School tennis teams took on their cross-county rivals in Cody Tuesday, the first meeting of the season between the two teams. The teams split the difference, with the Panthers overpowering the Broncs 4-1 and the Lady Panthers losing in a sweep, 5-0.

“It was a non-conference win on the boys’ side, but we’ll take it,” said PHS head coach Joe Asay. “We’ll do it again for keeps next Thursday [Sept. 5] over here for conference results. Unfortunately, the other side of that was our girls battling against what continues to be just a real strong Cody Fillies team.”

Panthers 4, Cody 1

Senior Jesse Brown remained undefeated at No. 1 singles, making short work of the Broncs’ Cody Champlin in straight sets 6-0, 6-0.

“I felt pretty good out there,” Brown said following the match. “I’ve played him [Champlin] before, so I kind of knew what to expect. It’s been a good start to the season, I’m feeling really confident.”

“Jesse just played great tennis,” Asay said. “The kid playing that spot for Cody is a sophomore, and a good, solid player. It gives Jesse something to work with — he wasn’t pushed, necessarily, but it certainly gave him a chance to really work aspects of his game.”

Below Brown, the Panthers featured a bit of a new look.

Justin Vanderbeek, an exchange student from Belgium, claimed the No. 2 singles spot from Dylan Preator earlier this week. The shift caused a ripple effect throughout the boys’ lineup, as Preator dropped to the No. 1 doubles spot, Ethan Bartholomew dropped to No. 2 doubles and Jay Cox dropped to No. 3 doubles.

In his first outing at No. 2 singles, Vanderbeek squared off against Cody’s Jackson Golden, winning the first set 6-4. The second set was a battle, with Jackson outlasting Vanderbeek 6-4 to square the match at 1-1. Vanderbeek ran out of steam in the third and final set, dropping the set and the match 6-1.

“... He battled, played really good tennis,” Asay said of Vanderbeek, adding, “He kind of faded a little bit in the third set, but it was good to see him out there battling. He [Vanderbeek] has a really good game, and him playing at the spot did open up a pretty neat opportunity at No. 1 doubles for us.”

At No. 1 doubles, Preator reunited with old partner Aidan Jacobsen for the first time since the 2017 season. That year, the then-sophomores made an improbable run through the state meet in Gillette. They advanced all the way to the No. 2 doubles title match before losing to a duo from Cheyenne East. Both players earned All-State honors for their efforts.

Against Cody’s Dillon Romero and Hayden DeMaranville Tuesday, Preator and Jacobsen got off to a slow start, as they struggled to regain the tempo from a couple of years ago. It finally clicked midway through the first set, and the team went on to a straight-set win 6-4, 6-2.

“That was a lot of fun; it was fun to get back with him [Preator],” Jacobsen said. “We started off a little slow, but we picked the pace right back up. One of the Cody kids had a pretty good serve, it took a little bit to get used to. But we ended up geting it done.”

Asay said he’s a fan of the pairing, and he’s eager to see what the two can accomplish should they keep playing together.

“They’re both [Preator and Jacobsen] just so super-athletic, and they’ve been playing the game for a while now,” Asay said. “I felt like they really dominated this match, a great win over a pretty solid Cody team. They were a little slow out of the gate, but obviously finished really well, so that was fun.”

The first-ever pairing of senior Grant Dillivan and sophomore Ethan Bartholomew was a success as well, with the pair topping the Broncs’ Tristan Dollard and TJ Smith in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.

“Ethan has just stepped in to play some really good doubles tennis this season,” Asay said. “He’s playing so well, so it’s been fun to see him in that spot, battling.”

The No. 3 doubles pairing of Jay Cox and Logan Brown closed out the match for the Panthers with a straight-set win over CJ Dominick and Mitchel Schwab 6-4, 6-1. The match was a first for Cox and Brown as a team, and Asay said he liked the way the players complemented each other.

“Logan Brown comes out and competes really well. He’s pretty raw, but just a good, athletic kid,” Asay said. “ Playing with our other tall, long, athletic kid in Jay Cox, they got after it and had a good win as well.”

Cody 5, Lady Panthers 0

It was a struggle throughout for the Lady Panthers, as Cody once again proved to be a strong contender for the 3A state crown.

Cody’s Teagan Thompson, last year’s state runner-up at No. 2 singles, competed in the No. 1 singles spot, beating Powell’s Sloane Asay 6-1, 6-2.

“Teagan Thompson has always been super-competitive in the two spot, and if it weren’t for Tessa Blough a year ahead of her, she would have been a very competitive No. 1 singles player,” coach Asay said. “Sloane Asay is still new to the position, so it was kind of a David and Goliath situation. But Sloane is playing good tennis, got some great points off of Teagan. Really battled her all the way through.”

At No. 2 singles, Lady Panther Ashley Dunkerley lost in straight sets to Torrie Schutzman, though she made her Cody opponent earn it, especially in the second set.

“Ashley Dunkerley is a scrappy player and played another real scrappy player from Cody’s side,” coach Asay said. “She was the last one off the court. She came up short, but was there the whole way through, really battling. She’s really stepped up well in that two spot.”

Powell’s Hailee Paul and Sophe Morrow fell in straight sets to Maddy Icenogle and Simona Wambeke in straight sets in No. 1 doubles action 6-1, 6-0.

In No. 2 doubles, Lady Panthers Sami Cole and Sydnee Thompson lost to Anna Brenner and Ashlynn Staggs 6-1, 6-3, while in the No. 3 doubles spot, Whitney Hull and Kaili Wisniewski lost by the same scores to Cody’s Soffy Anderson and Nathalia Morales.

“All the girls had really good matchups ... I see great tennis being played,” Asay said. “That’s just a really strong Cody team.”

The PHS tennis teams are on the road Friday, taking a trip through Yellowstone and the Tetons for matches against Jackson.

“Anytime you get to spend some time in the park with a good bunch of kids it’s always fun,” Asay said, adding that, “Knowing what they [Jackson] had last year, it will be good, competitive tennis.”

Panther tennis teams shine in Gillette

Sweep Thunder Basin, Campbell County

PHS No. 1 doubles player Aidan Jacobsen returns a shot against Rock Springs during a match earlier this month. The Panther and Lady Panther tennis teams traveled to Gillette on Friday, returning home with wins over Thunder Basin and Campbell County.

TRIBUNE PHOTO BY CARLA WENSKY

Posted Tuesday, August 27, 2019 8:15 am

By Don Cogger

Friday may have seemed to the Powell High School tennis teams like the longest day ever, starting with hopping a bus at 7 a.m. and finishing at an indoor court in Gillette 14 hours later.

But while the day was long, it was also productive: The Panthers and Lady Panthers swept the teams from Thunder Basin and Campbell County to return home with a perfect 4-0 record on the day and their first conference wins of the season.

“It was a good trip over to Gillette,” said PHS head coach Joe Asay. After departing Powell early, the team started matches at 1:30 p.m. with the Thunder Basin. “The later matches against Campbell went a little long due to weather, but all in all, it was a good day for us,” Asay said.

Lady Panthers 4, Thunder Basin 1

Against Thunder Basin, Lady Panther Sloane Asay picked up her first win of the season in No. 1 singles, beating Alyson Borchers in a three-set thriller 6-3, 2-6, 6-4. Ashley Dunkerley also needed three sets to pick up the win at the No. 2 spot, beating Alexa Kubacher 7-5, 6-7, 6-1.

The No. 1 doubles team of Hailee Paul and Sophe Morrow came up short against TB’s Kim Kern and Kinsley Larson 6-4, 6-4 — the only loss for the Lady Panthers in the match.

“Hailee and Sophe battled hard that whole match, just came up short,” coach Asay said.

Sami Cole and Sydnee Thompson dispatched TB’s Autumn Lund and Ali Morgan in straight sets 6-6, 6-0, while at the No. 3 doubles spot, Whitney Hull and Kaili Wisniewski beat Katie and Maggie Bruse 6-3, 6-3.

“Thunder Basin always have some real competitive teams, so I was pleased by that win,” Asay said.

Panthers 4, Thunder Basin 1

Jesse Brown continued his winning ways at No. 1 singles, beating the Bolts’ Jack Voigt 6-2, 6-0. Dylan Preator was pushed a bit in the No. 2 singles spot, winning the first set against TB’s Jordan Klaasen 7-6 but dropping the second 6-7. Preator rebounded in the third 6-1 to take the match.

Powell’s pairing of Aidan Jacobsen and Ethan Bartholomew also survived a three-set match at No. 1 doubles, beating Joel Klassen and Mason Miller 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.

Grant Dillivan and Jay Cox took the loss at No. 2 doubles to Isaac Lass and Carson Hanson 6-1, 6-0, while Logan Brown and Aiden Chandler were winners at No. 3 doubles over TB’s Luke Lass and Matt Mobley.

“Grant and Jay are still trying to figure out what works for them, but it’s coming together,” Asay said of the seniors and friends, adding that, “Grant may be a little bit further along in his game, but Jay is super-athletic. They’ll be fine.”

Lady Panthers 3, Campbell County 2

Against Campbell County Friday afternoon, the Lady Panthers took losses at both No. 1 and No. 2 singles, but a sweep in all three doubles matches gave Powell the 3-2 overall win.

At No. 1 and No. 2 singles, Lady Panthers Sloane Asay and Dunkerley lost in straight sets to Campbell County’s Alli Hays (6-0, 6-0) and Alexa Richert (6-0, 6-1), respectively.

“Both Sloane and Ashley struggled, a bit of a let-down on both their parts,” coach Asay said. “They both went three sets at Thunder Basin, so I think they were a little bit wiped out in the afternoon.”

Powell rebounded in doubles play, however. At the No. 1 position, Paul and Morrow downed Livia Castellanos and Abi Neary 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 7-5. Cole and Thompson made short work of Taylor Kannapel and Mari Bouzis in the No. 2 doubles spot (6-0, 6-1), while Hull and Wisniewski broke the 2-2 stalemate at No. 3 doubles with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Isabell St. Martin and Chloe Rankin.

“The doubles teams all got it done, so that was fun,” coach Asay said.

Panthers 4, Campbell County 1

Weather became a factor late in the afternoon. The Panthers started the action outside at Campbell County, but moved indoors to the Campbell County Rec Center once the rains hit.

Brown and Preator remained undefeated at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, with Brown making short work of Campbell County’s Miles Veyna 6-0, 6-2. Preator had a bit more of a challenge against Tanner Lemm, eventually winning 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.

The Camels’ No. 1 doubles team of Jefferson Neary and Austin Robertson proved too much for Jacobsen and Bartholomew, winning in straight sets 6-2, 6-0 for CC’s only win of the match.

Dillivan and Cox beat the Camels’ Jason Fink and Logan Dymond 6-3, 6-1, while Brown and Chandler won a three-set grind at No. 3 doubles against Marcus Sarvey and Tully Allison 6-1, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4.

The PHS tennis teams are in action today (Tuesday) in Cody against their cross-county rivals — the first of two meetings between the two teams. Today’s meeting will be considered a non-conference match, while the second match on Sept. 5 at PHS will count toward the conference standings.

Panthers, Lady Panthers open tennis season

Strong showing against Green River, Rock Springs

Posted Thursday, August 22, 2019 8:20 am

By Don Cogger

The Powell High School tennis teams opened the 2019 season this week, with home matches against non-conference foes Green River on Monday and Rock Springs on Tuesday.

The Panther boys rolled in their first action of the season, beating Green River 4-1 and sweeping Rock Springs 5-0.

On the girls’ side, the Lady Panthers fell 4-1 in the season opener against Green River Monday, but rebounded nicely Tuesday against Rock Springs, winning 4-1.

PHS head coach Joe Asay, now in his fourth season at the helm of both programs, said it’s always fun to kick off the new season against the teams from down south. Enough Green River players made the trip that Asay was able to get some of his younger players some varsity experience, playing alternate varsity matches along with the requisite JV matches.

“We ended up with a pretty tough start, really, on both sides with [playing against] the Green River kids,” he said. “The girls had a tough go with just the one win in the three doubles spot. But we had a really good day against Rock Springs.”

Panthers 4, Green River 1

Panther senior Jesse Brown made short work of Green River’s Caeden Grubb in the No. 1 singles spot, winning in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1. Fellow senior Dylan Preator, the defending state champion in No. 2 singles, also got off to a fast start, defeating Connor Friel in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1.

“I was excited to see Jesse Brown geting out there and competing, see how things are coming together for his final season as a Panther tennis player,” Asay said. “He’s a strong player, so he’s just not going to be pushed in most cases. He’s going to dictate that play every time.”

The Panthers have a new combination at No.1 doubles this season, with senior Aiden Jacobsen and sophomore Ethan Bartholomew making their season debut against Green River’s Jon Leininger and Elliott Potter. The pair dropped the first set 4-6, but battled back to win the next two, 6-1, 6-3.

“Aiden [Jacobsen]’s gritty, and he was put in there with a sophomore [Bartholomew], who’s pretty new to the game,” Asay said. “Ethan has really come along tremendously, he was out hitting all summer. I’ve seen just a tremendous amount of improvement from spring into summer. Those guys battled and got it done in three sets.”

Another new matchup for the Panthers this season is the pairing of seniors Grant Dillivan and Jay Cox at the No. 2 doubles spot. The two got off to a quick start against Camden Nelson and Domenick Kunkle, winning the first set 7-5, before dropping the next two 6-1, 6-1 to take the loss.

After running into some difficulties in the last two sets, “they’ll work through those things,” Asay said, “but they still played good tennis.”

At the No. 3 doubles spot, the sophomore pairing of Logan Brown and Aiden Chandler downed Green River’s Braxton Cordova and Zach Friel 6-4, 6-2.

Green River 4, Lady Panthers 1

The graduation of Elise North and Sierra Sanders off of last year’s squad left the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots up for grabs this season, and Asay said the competition has been fierce for the two top positions.

“... we have a lot of returners,” he said. “Those girls have stepped in well in a new role.”

In her first appearance at No. 1 singles, PHS senior Sloane Asay struggled against Green River’s Gabrielle Heiser, losing in straight sets 6-0, 6-1. Junior Ashley Dunkerley also fell in straight sets at the No. 2 singles spot, 6-0, 6-3.

“Sloane didn’t get a win, but had some good match experience,” coach Asay said. “Ashley also came up a little short, but it will be fun to see what she does this season. She’s a fighter, a scrappy little player. We’ll see how it all sorts out in those top two spots.”

In No. 1 doubles, the pairing of senior Hailee Paul and junior Sophe Morrow came up short in a hard-fought 7-6, 6-3 loss to Green River’s Morgan Atkins and Roryann Ratliff.

“Those two girls [Paul and Morrow] really matched up well, they played some good tennis,” Asay said. “Good return shots off the serve, handling the net well. A lot of good things in that match.”

The first-time pairing of juniors Sami Cole and Sydnee Thompson at No. 2 doubles also lost in straight sets 6-1, 6-2, though Asay said he took a lot of positives from the match.

“Sydnee is a first-time varsity player, and she’s certainly stepping into the role well,” he said. “Sami Cole surprised me last year with her great play at varsity for the first time, so it’s fun to see those two girls just going after it.”

The Lady Panthers’ lone win came in the No. 3 doubles spot, with junior Whitney Hull and sophomore Kaili Wisniewski winning a three-set thriller over Shelbee McFadden and Kaylee Hymas 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 6-3.

“It was a good battle,” coach Asay said. “It was the last match of the day, so everyone was there cheering them on. It was a good win for those girls.”

Lady Panthers 4, Rock Springs 1

After Monday’s tough loss to Green River, the Lady Panthers bounced back against Rock Springs, downing the Lady Tigers 4-1.

“It was fun to see our kids really get out there and battle,” coach Asay said.

Sloane Asay was the lone loss for the Lady Panthers at No. 1 singles. falling to Rachel Shuler in straight sets 6-4, 6-2.

“Sloane played well, just came up short,” coach Asay said. “We’re going to keep working on some things for her and see if we can’t get her on the winning end of things.”

The Lady Panthers swept the next four matches, led by a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 2 singles from Dunkerley.

In No. 1 doubles, Paul and Morrow downed Rock Springs’ Makailey Johnson and Makalie Mignery. Cole and Thompson picked up their first win of the season in straight sets over Kameron Wilson and Allyson Turner.

Hull and Wisniewski moved to 2-0 on the season at No. 3 doubles, beating Bailee Pitt and Brissa Proa 6-3, 6-0.

“It was a good, strong win for the girls, and the best thing for me is to be able to see them go out and dictate play,” Asay said. “Those were a bunch of good wins.”

Panthers 5, Rock Springs 0

It was a clean sweep for the Panthers against Rock Springs, with the Tigers winning just eight games for the entire match.

Brown and Preator picked up where they left off Monday in the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots, earning straight-set 6-0, 6-0 wins.

“It was bagel-bagel for Jesse [Brown], bagel-bagel for Dylan [Preator],” Asay said. “They both played really, really well.”

Jacobsen and Bartholomew were also perfect at No. 1 doubles, dropping Bradyn Conover and Kaeden Hanson 6-0, 6-0.

At No. 2 doubles, Dillivan and Cox appeared poised to continue the trend, winning the first set 6-0. But the pair soon found themselves in a battle, losing 6-3 in the second set before rebounding to win the third 6-2.

“They [Dillivan and Cox] had to work for theirs a little bit,” Asay said. “But they came back very strong in that third set and executed well.”

Brown and Chandler rounded out the sweep for the Panthers at No. 3 singles, beating Zack Smith and Angel Maldanado 6-0, 6-0.

The PHS tennis teams are on the road for a full slate of games Friday, taking on Thunder Basin and Campbell County in Gillette.

“It will be a long day, for sure,” Asay said. “We’re right back at it, going full speed.”

Tennis teams to rely on experience

Panthers return all but one; Lady Panthers ready to step up

Posted Thursday, August 15, 2019 8:15 am

By Don Cogger

The Powell High School tennis teams began practice Monday, and the season is shaping up to be an exciting one, with plenty of experience returning on both the boys’ and girls’ teams.

“We just have a ton of kids coming back, a lot of familiar faces, especially on the boys side. Pretty much the entire varsity squad is back for more,” said PHS head coach Joe Asay. “And even on the girls’ side, though the No. 1 and No. 2 singles spots were filled by seniors last year, the girls coming back are really competitive and will fill those spots well.”

With 40 kids reporting for the first day of practice Monday, Asay said the teams have already started playing matches to determine who will represent the varsity in Monday’s season (and home) opener against Green River. Though it might be tempting to pencil players in at certain spots, Asay said all positions are up for grabs.

“The kids are the ones that determine their spots by getting out and playing matches against each other,” Asay said. “So we’re off and running.”

Lady Panthers

The Lady Panthers have vacancies at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles positions, with Elise North and Sierra Sanders lost to graduation; the No. 1 doubles team also lost a senior in Shayla Shoopman. Coach Asay said he expects strong competition for those open spots between senior Sloane Asay and junior Sophe Morrow. Sloane Asay finished last season as part of the No. 1 doubles team, while Morrow played No. 2 doubles, along with Ashley Dunkerley. Dunkerley, a junior, also returns with varsity experience and is “playing really good tennis,” according to coach Asay.

“Sloane has a lot of varsity experience and she enjoys playing the game,” he said. “She plays tournaments in the summer, so that’s a good thing. Sophe Morrow has been out hitting quite a bit, taking advantage of the UW tennis camp at the beginning of the summer. She has a lot of varsity experience as well.”

Other Lady Panthers who will vie for varsity time are senior left-hander Hailee Paul and junior Sami Cole, who finished last season as the No. 3 doubles team.

“Hailee has had some good varsity experience, so I’m excited to see what she’ll do this season,” coach Asay said. “Sami Cole was varsity last year as a sophomore, and it was her first time playing tennis. It will be fun to see how that will continue to go for her.”

Also in the mix will be sophomore Kaili Wisniewski, who shined on the JV squad last season. Coach Asay said Wisniewski “is a great athlete,” who he hopes will compete for a varsity spot this year.

Panthers

The Panthers may be the team to beat in the west in terms of experience, with No. 2 doubles player Aidan Hunt the only casualty of graduation.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to have a good, strong men’s varsity team,” coach Asay said. “You want that depth, and we had some freshman kids that were playing in the No. 3 doubles spot last year [Logan Brown and Aiden Chandler], so it’s pretty neat for them to come in as sophomores with varsity experience. That’s good stuff to see.”

Leading the charge will be seniors Jesse Brown and Dylan Preator; Preator is the defending state champion at No. 2 singles, while Brown was fifth at last year’s state tournament in No. 1 singles. Last year’s No. 1 doubles team of Aidan Jacobsen and Grant Dillivan will also compete for the top spots on the varsity.

“Jesse [Brown] has really been a strong dominant player through his entire high school career. He brings a lot to the table,” coach Asay said. “Dylan [Preator] just had a great season last year, so that’s the kicker for these guys as far as expectations — these guys have to actually get out and compete for that top spot. It’s Jesse’s to lose, but he does have to defend that position against his teammates.”

Another player to keep an eye on is senior Jay Cox, who finished last season as part of the No. 2 doubles team. It was Cox’s first year in competitive tennis, and coach Asay is excited to see what Cox is capable of this year.

“... As evidenced by the spring track season, that kid’s a bit of an athlete,” the coach said. “This [tennis] seems to be one of the things he’s enjoying; he’s been taking some time this summer to work on his game, get some one-on-one help. He played in a couple of tournaments, so it’s kind of fun to see what that looks like.”

The sophomore tandem of Brown and Chandler, a welcome surprise at No. 3 doubles last season, will have to hold off fellow sophomores who were “nipping at their heels last season,” according to the coach.

“There will be some good chances for all of those sophomores to compete well,” he said. “Ethan Bartholomew has been working hard all summer, playing in some tournaments and competing. It will be fun to see what that looks like, for sure.”