Briones wins boys singles

Libby’s tennis team is going out on top. The Loggers tennis team cinched up a close victory at the Northwest A divisional meet late last week, qualifying five players for state competition. The Loggers leave Class A at the end of this year and move down to Class B.

“It was a great team effort from the boys to win the divisional title,” said head coach Kyle Hannah. “What an exciting way to leave Class A.”

Just two points separated the top three teams in scoring. Libby had 40, Whitefish followed with 39 and Polson with 38.

Libby’s foreign-exchange phenom Walter Briones led the Loggers’ charge, cutting through the competition with barely any resistance.

Briones opened the tournament with a match against Cole Turgeon of Whitefish, who he dispatched in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0.  He then went on to beat Cooper Wendt of Columbia Falls, also in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0. 

In the semi-final match he faced Polson’s Tim Russell, who defeated Briones’ teammate Jhamaal Sykes earlier in the tournament. Briones gave up one game to Russell, beating him 6-0, 6-1. He then defeated Max Smyley of Whitefish in the championship match, 

6-2, 6-1.

“Walter’s only lost two sets, and no matches, all year,” Hannah said. 

Briones could face the other undefeated player in Class A, D.J. Pekoc from Corvallis, in the state meet. The bracket has the two meeting in the semi-finals, should they both make it that far.

“He’s on the same side of the bracket as Pekoc,” Hannah said. “He’s also undefeated, so this could be a fantastic match.”

Libby’s Cody Wood also qualified in singles competition. Wood battled his way to the semifinals, but fell 6-3, 6-3 to Smyley.

Wood recovered from the loss in the consolation bracket, fighting through to the third/fourth place match and defeating Eric Holdhusen of Whitefish, 6-1, 6-2 to claim third place.

The doubles team of Jason Brant and Colin Maloney secured third place, and sealed the boys’ team victory. Brant and Maloney lost in the semifinals to Polson’s Chowning and Mercer, 1-6, 6-0, 6-0, but worked their way up the consolation bracket to find themselves in the third/fourth place match against Brown and Ross from Whitefish.

As the match began, Polson was clinging to the team lead with 38 points. Whitefish was one behind at 37, with the Loggers holding third at 36. 

Polson was finished playing, but the third/fourth matchup was crucial. Third place earns four team points, second earns two.

Brant and Maloney beat Brown and Ross 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 to claim four points for the Loggers, jumping them over both Whitefish and Polson to secure the team victory.

On the girls’ side of the net, only Paula Fernandez qualified for state.

Also a foreign-exchange student, Fernandez plays meticulous tennis, keeping the ball in play and wearing down her opponents.

“She just keeps going, forcing her opponents to get frustrated and make mistakes,” Hannah said. “They’re just not used to seeing someone play her style of tennis.”

Fernandez played a solid tournament, losing in the semifinals to the eventual girls champion, Emily Getts of Columbia Falls, 6-2, 6-1. Her teammate, Kaylene Hudson, also reached the semifinals, losing to Polson’s Marlee Congdon.

Fernandez and Hudson both fought to the top of the consolation bracket, with Hudson dropping in the fourth round to Polson’s Mollie Lemm. 

Fernandez beat Lemm, 6-4, 6-4, in the fifth and final round to claim third place and a spot at the state tournament.

Hannah praised the efforts of all of his players. 

“The girls improved all year,” he said. “They are excited to come back next year and compete. They worked really hard this year. For the boys, I’ve got two juniors and just one senior, the rest are sophomores, all coming back.”