DAILY GLOBE
LUVERNE - St. Peter proved too talented and too deep for the Luverne Cardinals to continue their dominance in boys tennis on Tuesday.
The Cardinals, who had won their first 13 matches of the season, lost for the first time, 5-2, to the Saints in a Big South Conference crossover match.
“We haven’t seen a team this good and this deep all year,” said LHS head coach Greg Antoine in a spirit of sportsmanship. “It was a fun match to end the regular season with.”
Luverne’s only victories came at No. 4 singles, as Mark Robinson beat Tobi Mittermayer 6-0, 6-1, and at No. 3 doubles where Trey Baustian and Isaac Gillette won 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5) over Kaelon Weiss and Will Miller.
Cardinals Erik Wohnoutka lost 2-6, 2-6 to Zeke Haugen at No. 1 singles. Jacob Jarchow and Chris Jelken were defeated at No. 2 and No. 3 singles, respectively.
Luverne’s No. 1 doubles team of Dalton Schoeneman and Layne Curtis were beaten in straight sets. The No. 2 doubles team of Cade VerSteeg and Tanner Baustian were also beaten in straight sets.
Worthington 6,
Waseca 1
WORTHINGTON - The host Trojans won their Big South crossover match in impressive fashion, 6-1 over Waseca.
Three of the four singles teams won in straight sets, and the one who didn’t took his opponent to three sets. All three doubles teams won, too.
“We played incredibly well; first serves, finishing points, setting up points, moving our feet, best of all, mental game,” said Worthington head coach Mike Marquardt. “I think it was good enough competition for us to realize we can hit all the shots, we don’t have to worry about pressuring ourselves into forcing things to happen. It just kind of flowed and we had a good rhythm.”
The No. 2 doubles duo of Jordan Jensen and Brandon Harberts went to a tough third set to beat Waseca’s Jim Hoehn and Jacob Butterfield. Scores were 6-4, 1-6, 7-5.
Worthington’s No. 1 doubles team of Sebastian Licea and Gage Langerud won 6-2, 6-3 over Alex Ebnet and Tom Donelan. The No. 3 Trojan team of Kip Jenson and Cade Lindner won 6-1, 6-2 over Ritchie Diedrich and Isaac Carter.
The Trojans’ No. 1 singles entry, Bryan Doeden, easily dispatched St. Peter’s Owen Lever 6-0, 6-0. His younger brother Blaine won 6-3, 6-3 over Clayton Tanner in the No. 2 spot.
St. Peter’s Charlie Huttemier edged Worthington’s Kyle Janssen 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 at No. 3 singles.
At the No. 4 spot, Sully Merrigan was a 6-3, 6-2 winner over Jay Lewer.
“I was very happy with Kyle even though he’s the one that lost his match. He dropped the first 6-2, he was down in the second set and came back. He was down 3-0 in the third set, comes back and goes up 4-3. That was a good see-saw battle,” Marquart said.
He added: “Jordan and Brandon, they had good points in the first set. The second set just kind of dismantled. They turned it back on. They were down 5-4 going in and won the next three games. Definitely happy with that.”
