By JOHN McCALLUM
Editor
The bad news for the Cheney boys' tennis team is their return from spring break saw their five-match winning streak snapped as they experienced their first loss in Great Northern League play.
The good news is the Blackhawks didn't have to wait long to get back into the win column, and they won't have long to wait to get a shot at avenging Tuesday's loss at West Valley.
The Eagles and Blackhawks engaged in a good old-fashioned slugfest, racket-style, with several matches going three sets and coming down to whoever made crucial shots. In the end it was West Valley, but just barely in a 4-3 win.
David Denenny continued to cruise through the season at No. 1 singles, easily dispatching West Valley's Mark Norman in straight sets 6-1, 6-1. It was Cheney's only singles win as Jacob Weisgerber lost to Connor Haidle 2-6, 4-6 at No. 2, getting to the net more in the second set, while Cannon Dickson lost to Manuel Rey 6-7 (5-7), 2-6 in a close match at No. 4.
The day's most exciting match belonged to Cheney's Alin Walls and the Eagles' Kevin Hughes at No. 3 singles. At two hours and 40 minutes, Cheney head coach Jesse Erickson said all the other matches had ended while their score was tied at three.
After losing the first set 4-6 Walls' strong serves and solid forehand volleys helped him battle back from a 5-6 deficit in the second to win three straight games and the set 7-6 (7-2). In the third set the Blackhawks junior opened a 5-3 lead, but Hughes then won the next three for a 6-5 lead. Walls forced the tiebreak by winning the 12th game, only to lose 3-7 and the set 6-7 as both teams looked on.
“Hughes had to pull out some pretty good winners,” Erickson said. “It was great stuff. It was the best I've seen Alin play so far.”
In doubles Cheney's Paul Kauwe and Justin Bockstruck shook off some first set rust to beat Alex Ruiz and Alex Farnsworth 1-6, 6-0, 6-4 at No. 1 while Peter Swanson and Nathan Mueller had a near perfect third set to down Trevor Cooper and Sopaul Kor 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 at No. 2. At No. 3 David Vredevelt and Zach Klotz errors finally caught up with them in losing 6-3, 2-6, 3-6 to Kevan Cloy and Connor Henry.
Cheney attempted to get a match in with Rogers High from the Greater Spokane League on Wednesday, but rainy weather interrupted play. The teams were set resume the match Wednesday, April 20.
The Blackhawks got back into the win column on Thursday in convincing fashion, failing to lose a set in a 7-0 win over East Valley. Denenny extended his match winning streak to seven with a 6-0, 6-0 whitewashing of J.J. Pinyerd while Weisgerber got to the net quicker and executed solid overhand winners in downing Justin Smith 6-1, 6-1 at No.2. Walls had little trouble in beating Jonathan Pittman 6-2, 6-0 – chalking up 10 aces – and Eric Barrio, back from an illness, gave Cheney the singles sweep with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Jacob Ambach.
Bockstruck and Kauwe handled Josh Rogers and Jesse Taylor 6-1, 6-1 at No. 1 doubles. Swanson and Mueller beat Nick Sweeney and Nick Gonzalez 6-0, 6-4 at No. 2 and Vredevelt and Dickson ended the match with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Tyler Rice and Jeremy Gratz at No. 3.
Cheney now has a 3-1 record in league play, 7-2 overall. Besides finishing the pre-empted Rogers match, the Blackhawks face two more GNL opponents in key matches this week.
The Blackhawks traveled to Medical Lake on Tuesday and return home Thursday to host West Valley, a match Erickson said they are looking forward to. Even with the layoff, Erickson said his players' mechanics and game strategy are strong.
“We're still looking good, despite the break.”
John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.
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