The Delta County Invitational lacked some of its typical punch after three teams dropped out, but the win was just as sweet for the Durango High School boys tennis team.
DHS won the shrunk and abbreviated one-day event behind dominant days from multiple positions Friday.
All three singles positions and the No. 1 doubles positions played round-robin matches, while the rest of the doubles teams played a more traditional tournament style.
No. 1 singles player Fred Edwards continued his dominant season, only losing one game in three matches played.
He beat Fruita Monument’s junior varsity 6-0, 6-0, Hotchkiss 6-1, 6-0 and Montezuma-Cortez 6-0, 6-0.
“Fred continues to cycle through everyone in our regional,” said DHS head coach Dave Weisfeldt in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “We look forward to next weekend with (Grand) Junction and (Grand Junction) Central’s varsity to square him up to put him in a competition state for regionals.”
Alijah Konikowski went 2-1, beating Fruita Monument 6-1, 6-0 and Montezuma Cortez 6-0,6-0, but he lost 7-6 (7-5), 2-7, 11-9 to the Hotchkiss player he beat yesterday in a dual.
“Super competitive. He was up in the tiebreaker and couldn’t turn the corner,” Weisfeldt said.
Jake Beekman followed a similar pattern to Konikowski.
He won 6-0, 6-2 against Fruita Monument then lost to Hotchkiss 7-5, 6-4 before beating Montezuma-Cortez 6-0, 6-1.
Will Downs and Micah Hwang lost 6-2, 6-1 to Fruita Monument to open No. 1 doubles play.
“They got to a slow start against Fruita and never got in gear,” Weisfeldt said.
They then found their rhythm and beat Hotchkiss 6-0, 6-4 and Montezuma-Cortez 6-1, 6-4.
At No. 2 doubles, Nick Chaney-Roberts and Boyd Matheson lost to Grand Junction 6-4, 7-6 (10-8), which dropped them into another bracket where they beat Fruita Monument 6-2, 6-2 and Hotchkiss 6-2, 6-0.
The No. 3 doubles team of Ian Osby and Tommy Rodgers beat Fruita Monument 6-1, 7-5 the lost to the Steamboat JV 6-1, 6-4.
Luke Meyer and Eno Ulshafer had a bye in the first round at No. 4 doubles then beat Steamboat’s JV 6-3, 4-6, 10-4 before beating the Grand Junction JV 6-3, 6-3.
One other Demon took the court Friday.
Noah Clemens played with a Fruita Monument player in a doubles team called “Fruango.”
“Or Durita, take your pick,” Weisfeldt said.
They lost 6-3, 4-6, 10-2 to Steamboat’s JV then lost 6-3, 6-4 to Fruita Monument.
DHS next will play Grand Junction and Grand Junction Central next weekend at Canyon View Park in Grand Junction.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com