Boys tennis crushes Wildcats in season opener

Whitefish boys tennis got the season off to a hot start, taking down rival Columbia Falls on Thursday in Kalispell.

The boys beat the Wildcats 6-1, with big wins by Eric Holdhusen and Ethan Pothoff at No. 1 and 2 singles. Whitefish swept doubles play.

Things got tougher over the weekend, however, as the boys fell to Polson and Dillon on Saturday.

Polson took all four singles in the 6-1 win, and Thomas Carloss’ No. 2 singles win was the lone bright spot in another 6-1 loss against Dillon.

“We got off to a tough start,” head coach Chris Schwaderer said. “It was a little bit of a shock to the system. I think with the team we’ve got, we have to kind of take the long view this year. There’s a number of kids who are really new and green and I think will make big improvements by the end of May, when it really counts.”

Schwaderer noted some positive play from Carloss and Brendan Buls in their first doubles match of the year. The key right now, he said, is gaining experience.

The Bulldogs take on Libby on Thursday at Flathead Valley Community College before traveling to Cut Bank on Friday and Saturday for the Cut Bank Invite.

“I expect us to bounce back and I’m looking forward to getting deep in Class A play,” Schwaderer said. “I think we’re going to get a much better idea of who we are in the next couple weeks and I’m just looking forward to seeing how that all plays out.”

Whitefish 6, Columbia Falls 1

Singles — Eric Holdhusen, WF, def. John Gilk 6-0, 6-1; Ethan Pothoff, WF, def. Patrick Tillman 6-0, 6-0; Zach Brandt, WF, def. Chris Howell 6-2, 6-4; Garrett Caffrey, CF, def. Colter Upton 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.

Doubles — Brendan Buls/Thomas Carloss, WF, def. Jayden Wirkus/Caleb Fleury 6-1, 6-1; Forrest Kobelt/Mark Anderson, WF, def. Camryn Lingle/Dillon Washington 6-1, 6-2; Travis Catina/Kyiah Ingraham, WF, def. Camryn Klintworth/Colton Byrd 6-1, 6-1.

Polson 6, Whitefish 1

Singles — Colin Kenney, P, def. Eric Holdhusen 6-1, 6-3; Jaron Morgan, P, def. Ethan Potthoff 6-4, 6-2; Johnny Moore, P, def. Zach Brandt 6-2, 6-1; Sam Schultz, P, def. Colter Upton 6-3, 6-1.

Doubles — Brendan Buls/Thomas Carloss, W, def. Cadis Chowning/Kaiden Forman-Webster 6-0, 6-2; Carson McDaniel/Kabe Forman-Webster, P, def. Forrest Kobelt/Mark Anderson 1-6, 7-6, 6-3; Kendal Forman-Webster/Trevor Schultz, P, def. Travis Catina/Kyiah Ingraham 6-4, 6-3.

Dillon 6, Whitefish 1

Singles — Brad Rakich, D, def. Eric Holdhusen, 6-3, 6-2; Thomas Carloss, W, def. Jon Leonardson, 6-4, 6-2; Caleb Jones, D, def Zach Brandt, 6-0, 6-1; Matt Knight, D, def Colter Upton, 6-1 6-2.

Doubles — Todd Nordahl/Kyson Wilson, D, def. Brendan Buls/Ethan Potthoff, 6-4, 7-5; Luke Peterson/Mark Southam, D, def. Forrest Kobelt/Mark Anderson, 6-2, 6-0; Nate Leonardson/ Turner Sawyer, D, def. Travis Catina/Kyiah Ingraham, 6-1, 4-6, 1-0 (7-3)