Kelch, Dicks divisional champs in doubles play

Whitefish took the doubles championship while on its way to winning the Northwest A Divisional title as a team on Friday at FVCC.

The Bulldogs qualified five players for the State A tournament, including two doubles teams.

“I feel we have a very strong team chemistry and the fact that we were able to pull this one off… and it was a tough one, there was a lot of good competition out there and we went into the tournament confident and feeling good,” Whitefish coach Chris Schwaderer said.

Whitefish’s No. 1 doubles team of senior Aaron Dicks and sophomore Mason Kelch stayed undefeated throughout the divisional tournament to set up the championship match with Polson’s No. 1 team of Trent Wilson and Owen McElwee.

In the doubles championship Dicks/Kelch took down the Pirate favorite in a competitive match including a first set tiebreaker — 7-6 (7-1), 6-3.

Whitefish, up until the week prior to divisionals, had switched players between singles and doubles to discover the most competitive lineup and combinations. Dicks and Kelch had never played together until one week before divisionals. Despite the lack of court time together, they showed team chemistry and are poised to go far at state as well.

“People have agreed to do what we needed for the team, to play where they needed to play for the team,” Schwaderer said. “It really paid off, we played really well. In some cases, we played above our seed.”

Another doubles team of Finn Stagg and Jesse Burrough is also headed to the State A tournament after making it into the third-fourth place match. Stagg/Burrough competed with Columbia Falls’ Cade Morgan and Cody Schweikert in that final round, but lost 7-6 (7-5), 6-0. The team took fourth place to qualify for state.

Prior to the final round of play, the Stagg/Burrough team knocked of Polson’s No. 2 doubles team. That win opened up opportunities for Whitefish to secure the team victory over Polson.

“It was such a pivotal match because it was the match that changed the course of the tournament in some ways,” Schwaderer said. “It kept us alive in the winners bracket and allowed us to be in a better position.”

In singles play, Whitefish senior Joe Brandt found success throughout the tournament and earned his spot for state by securing fourth place. He lost to Beau Decker from Ronana in the third-place match, 6-2, 6-4.

Whitefish’s Highland Lee-French also made it to the semifinal round in singles.

As a team Whitefish won with 51 points to Polson’s 37.

“I thought it would be a little closer… but we ended up getting a pretty convincing win,” Schwaderer said. “It was definitely a team effort.”

Whitefish will take five players to state — Brandt in singles, and Dicks/Kelch and Burrough/Stagg in doubles.

The State A tennis tournament is May 26-27 in Bozeman.

Northwest A Divisional Tennis

Friday, FVCC

BOYS

Singles

Third place

Beau Decker (RON) def. Joe Brandt (WF) 6-2, 6-4.

Championship

Ryan Beagle (LIB) def. Torrin Ellis (POL) 7-6 (6-1), 6-0.

Doubles

Third place

Cade Morgan/Cody Schweikert (CF) def. Finn Stagg/Jesse Burrough (WF) 7-6 (7-5), 6-0.

Championship

Mason Kelch/Aaron Dicks (WF) def. Trent Wilson/Owen McElwee (POL) 7-6 (7-1), 6-3.

Northwest A Divisional

Thursday

Singles

Neil Bernat (WF) def. Jax Ramage (CF) 7-6(7-4), 6-3; Thomas Roark (LIB) def. Noah Trosper (POL) 2-6, 6-2, 6-4; Jennings Greenfield (LIB) def. John Paca (RON) 6-1, 6-1; Ashten Nelson (POL) def. Remi Stalhein (RON) 6-1, 6-3.

Torrin Ellis (POL) def. Bernat 6-0, 6-0; Dillon Pretty On Top (RON) def. Tyler Anderson (LIB) 6-1, 6-3; Orion Barta (CF) def. Roark 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; Highland Lee-French (WF) def. Beau Decker (POL) 7-6 (7-2), 6-2; Joe Brandt (WF) def. Greenfield 6-0, 6-1; Dale Blickhan (CF) def. Chris Lake (POL) 6-2, 6-2; Austin Gunset (WF) def. Logan Heupel (CF) 6-4, 6-2; Ryan Beagle (LIB) def. Nelson 6-1, 6-1.

Ellis def. Pretty On Top 6-1, 6-2; Lee-French def. Barta 6-0, 6-1; Brandt def. Blickhan 6-1, 6-4, Beagle def. Gunset 6-3, 6-1.

Doubles

Dane Hunt/Johnny Nix (WF) def. Will Pickard/Caleb Donsbach (CF) 6-1, 6-2; Finn Stagg/Jesse Burrough (WF) def. Alderic Martineau/Ayden Montgomery (LIB) 6-2, 6-4; Tate Barentson/Colter Wilson (POL) def. Tristan Buckallew/Ethan McCauley (RON) 6-0, 6-0; Aaron Dicks/Mason Kelch (WF) def. Silas Ypma/Connor Zumalt (CF) 6-0, 6-0; Trevor Collins/Colin van Erp (LIB) def. Dylan Dillard/Jordan Gatch (RON) 6-1, 6-1; Brock Hendricksen/Christian Lund (POL) def. Larenz Alvarez/Brady Dresden (RON) 6-2, 6-2; Cade Morgan/Cody Schweikert (CF) def. Cylis Goddard/Zach Fantozzi (LIB) 6-2, 6-0.

Trent Wilson/Owen McElwee (POL) def. Hunt/Nix 6-02, 6-2; Stagg/Burrough def. Barentsen/C. Wilson 6-0, 4-6, 6-2; Dicks/ Kelch def. Collins/van Erp 6-2, 6-1; Morgan/ Schweikert def. Hendricksen/Lund 6-3, 6-3.

Hendricksen/Lund def. Pickard/Donsbach 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Collins/van Erp def. Martineau/ Montgomery 6-3, 3-6, 6-2; Barentsen/ C. Wilson def. Ypma/Zumalt 6-2, 6-3; Hunt/Nix def. Goddard/Fantozzi 6-1, 6-2.