The Panthers tennis team returned home to a not-so-welcome guest after a month on the road.
That guest at the Jim Harkendorff Tennis Courts on Tuesday was the rival Durango Demons.
Unfortunately for Montezuma-Cortez High School, the visitors in red-collared shirts started fast and didnt look back.
M-CHS was swept in singles play on its way to a 6-1 loss.
We were a little bit nervous, because we know Cortez is a stronger team than in past years, Demons coach Dave Weisfeldt said. We kind of mentally prepared ourselves. We didnt want to take it for granted coming in here and expecting to win. The guys played their game. The difference in todays matches was they didnt react as much to Cortezs shots, as played their shots.
The lone victory for the Panthers (3-4, 0-3 5A/4A Region 8) came at No. 1 doubles with seniors Nick Haukeness and Freeland Wegner earning a win over Durangos Ian Junkermann and Hunter Purdum, 6-3, 6-6, 7-3. The duo moved to 6-3 on the season. It was a match where they each had to dig deep mentally. Haukeness and Wegner were off to a 3-0 lead in the second set before Junkermann and Hunter rallied to tie things up. The two Panthers were rattled, but settled down and eventually took control.
We werent playing our best. We just let them get inside of our heads, Wegner said. We finally pulled it together at the end and pulled through for a win.
The M-CHS No. 1 doubles team is playing confident heading into the final stretch of the regular season. But there are some things that need to be fine tuned before Fruita Monument and Montrose come to town on Friday and Saturday.
Its consistency with serving. We had some good serving games and some not so good serving games, Haukeness said.
At No. 1 singles, Graham Cathey fell to Ryder Searle, 1-6, 2-6, after returning from a sprained right ankle injury.
Graham was just a little bit rusty, because hes been beat up mentally and physically with that bad ankle, Panthers coach Dan Wood said. Its tough to let it go when you know youve rolled that ankle before. I think hes going to come back a lot stronger in the next couple of days.
Other singles scores were Logan Dean losing at No. 2s to Clay Haidaris, 1-6, 2-6, and the No. 3 match saw Zach Lamb fall 0-6, 2-6, to Marcus Sansoni.
The No. 2 M-CHS doubles team of Todd Underwood and Caleb Branson was beaten 2-6, 1-6 by Aidan Graham and Aaron Cash.
Ford Wegner and Jake Ritthaler lost a tough match at No. 3 doubles, 4-6, 4-6, to Drew Downs and Alec Ensign of Durango.
The final match of the evening was Jake Valdez and Samir Berrada of the Panthers, going down to Dylan Blair and Wes Komick, 1-6, 2-6.
With the rest of the doubles teams, theyre just as good, in terms of their athletic ability, they just havent played as much, said Wood, comparing his doubles players to Durangos. Ive got to do a better job of getting our players out during the summer. If they come out and play all summer like Durango does, then well be with them or better. Thats just experience.
M-CHS hosts region foes Fruita Monument and Montrose on Friday and Saturday at 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. at the Jim Harkendorff Tennis Courts.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at [email protected].
