CHEYENNE – The Torrington High School tennis teams boarded the bus for an away game against Cheyenne South on Tuesday, August 27.

The Blazer boys dominated the court, winning each singles and doubles match to sweep Cheyenne South, 5-0.

A determined effort by the Lady Blazers resulted in five neck-and-neck matches with Torrington ultimately coming up short by a single match, 3-2.

Torrington traveled to play Kelly Walsh and Natrona County on Thursday. Results were not available at press time.

Varsity Boys

Senior Skyler Thomas opened the action in the No. 1 singles match. Thomas dropped his first set, 6-2. Digging deep, the senior battled back to win the second set in a tiebreaker, 7-6. Pulling out all the stops in the third set, Thomas won, 6-1.

“It’s been fun to watch Skyler work on figuring out how his opponent plays and what he needs to do to be successful,” coach Lauren Shields said. “It seemed like he really started to dictate points and take over the match about halfway through the second set. He hit the ball harder and was more aggressive when he was down, 3-2, in the second set. Skyler was also getting into the net more in the second and third sets, which his opponent did not have an answer for.”

Elijah Hatch, also a senior, won the No. 2 singles match in three sets. Hatch fell in a first set that came down to a tiebreaker, 7-6. 

Rallying, Hatch fought back to win both the second and third sets by a 6-1 margin.

“When Elijah can play the game and keep his negative thoughts from creeping into his brain and his body language, he does extremely well,” Shields added. “He really did a better job in the third set of staying positive and not showing frustration as much as in the first set. We asked Elijah to get into some backhand rallies with his opponent and he did that – his backhand improved throughout the match.”

Torrington’s No. 1 doubles team, consisting of sophomores Benaiah Steinbrecher and Braxton Carlson, won both sets with a score of 6-2.

“These boys get better every day and they played a great match,” Shields said. “It is so fun to watch them play. They went down 2-0 in the first set, which made me a little nervous for them, but they came back and won that set, 6-2. Their returns were great at their opponents’ feet and cross court. They also volleyed well.”

Seniors Gabe Posten and Marcus Jones played No. 2 doubles and defeated their opponents in straight sets, 6-0.

“These two are starting to play better together,” Shields remarked. “Gabe had some great groundstrokes this match. Marcus served and volleyed well. They are communicating better and really starting to sync.”

Junior Silas Kiiskinen and sophomore Maxton Matthews rounded out the boys’ division in doubles, winning their sets, 6-2 and 6-0, respectively.

“Once (Kiiskinen and Matthews) started to get to the net and move their feet better, their opponents did not win another game,” Shields said. “These two are very coachable and want to learn, which I really appreciate and respect about them.”

Varsity girls

Senior Madix McIntosh opened for the Lady Blazers in the No. 1 singles match against Cheyenne South. McIntosh fell in the first set, 6-1. Despite a determined effort to battle back in the second set, McIntosh ultimately came up short, 6-4.

“Madix came out a little cautious at first, but really started hitting the ball well,” Shields said. “In the second set, she was down, 5-2, and battled back to get to 5-4. She really played some great tennis in the second set. I never think she’s out of a match because her mentality and personality don’t allow her to quit.”

Sophomore Madison Hatch played No. 2 singles and fell, 6-0 and 6-3.

“Madison has some unforced errors that are not typical of her at the beginning and then she gets into her groove and starts hitting the ball better as the match progresses,” Shields noted. “She has really embraced the idea of getting to the net and it has been beneficial for her.”

The No. 1 doubles team of juniors Laney Grubbs and Natalie Lira battled through a three-set match. The team fell in the first set, 6-4, before regrouping to win the second set, 6-3. The pair fell in the third match, 6-4.

“These girls worked hard and were running all over the court,” Shields added. “Laney and Natalie both serve well and that got them several points.”

In the No. 2 doubles match, juniors Addison Hansen and Haley DeFoe defeated their opponents, 6-2 and 6-3.

“These girls played well today,” Shields said. “The wind impacted their serving somewhat, but they both worked hard. Addison had some great volleys when she was at the net. Haley has fantastic reflexes at the net and also volleyed well in this match.”

Sophomores Keelin Connelly and Inez Chavez won both No. 3 doubles matches by a 6-1 margin.

“I’m proud of our No. 3 doubles, whether it is Keelin, Inez or (junior) Sinai (Hernandez),” Shields said. “So far this year, all three have really embraced and applied the concept that in doubles, we are strongest when we are both at the net. They work hard to get to the net and play out points.”

Alternates

Senior Josiah Steinbrecher and junior Jacob Barsell played boys’ doubles, falling, 6-2 and 6-3.

“Josiah and Jacob have not played together this year,” Shields said. “They both worked really hard and covered the court well.”

In the girls’ division, junior Salma Beltran and sophomore Kiera Fleenor won two sets, 6-1 and 6-2.

“These girls seemed to have fun with each other,” Shields remarked. “They both served well and worked to get to every ball. It was a great experience for them.”