One more doubles victory would have extended the Durango High School tennis team’s winning streak in dual matches to four, but Fruita Monument’s pairs proved too tough Saturday at DHS.
The Demons won all three singles matches but couldn’t pick up any doubles points in a 4-3 loss.
No. 1 singles player Ryder Searle dispatched Matt Harris 6-3, 6-1 to pick up his fourth consecutive win.
“My approach shots were doing really well – moving them well and placing them well,” said Searle, son of Jack and Tammy Searle. “I feel like I’ll do really well at regionals; I’m not worried about regionals.”
Fred Edwards defeated Randy Hurshman 6-2, 7-5 at No. 2 singles.
Dylan Blair overcame a 4-6 loss in the first set of No. 3 singles to win the last two sets 6-0 against Scott Nolan.
“Dylan is a thinker; he’s a very logical thinker,” DHS head coach Laura Ehlers said.”I think after that first set he said, ‘What do I really need to do to play smart tennis?’ And that’s what he did.”
Wesley Komick and Liam Millar lost 6-0, 6-4 to Gabriel Treider and Kelson Reimer at No. 1 doubles.
No. 2 doubles team Alec Ensign and Drew Downs lost 6-1, 6-2 to Taylor Scofield and James Stagg.
Tim Martin and Blaise Paige lost 6-0, 6-0 to Colton Reimer and Sam Graf in No. 3 doubles.
No. 4 doubles team Jake Schanfarber and Harrison Quick lost to Blaine McCormick and Ben Bishop 6-0, 6-2.
Durango 7, Montrose 0
The Demons won their home opener 7-0 against Montrose on Friday.
Searle defeated Jared Warren 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles.
Edwards beat Andrew Johnson 6-0, 6-0.
Blair beat Brad Sawyer 6-2, 6-0.
Komick and Millar won the No. 1 doubles match 6-1, 6-2 against Kellen Shaw and Davis Martin.
No. 2 doubles team Downs and Ensign beat Jacob Taylor and Taylor Jones 6-0, 6-0.
Martin and Paige won No. 3 doubles 6-0, 6-2 against Jonah Hokit and Caleb Spiess.
No. 4 doubles team Schanfarber and Riley Wanzek defeated Jared Warren and Trevor Oman 7-5. They only played one set because of darkness and dropping temperatures.
DHS will play the two-day Class 4A regional tournament Friday and Saturday at Canyon View Courts in Grand Junction.
“We are hunkered in for a great end of the season,” Ehlers said. “We’ve all got the fire for regionals.”
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
