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FORKS, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) -Dalton Ondracek and Brandon Miller earned the #5 seed in doubles from the East by winning the consolation championship at the EDC tournament. Below is their state tournament results along with the championship matches results and the state awards.

FIRST ROUND:  Ondracek/Miller (VC) def Nygaard/Templeton (Min); 6-4, 6-2

CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINALS:  Pierce/Kenyon (RR) def Ondracek/Miller (VC); 6-0, 6-2

CONSOLATION QUARTERFINALS:  Ondracek/Miller (VC) def Reynolds/Taney (Min); 6-2, 3-6, 6-2

CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS:  Hermanson/Krom (Wil) def Ondracek/Miller (VC); 6-4, 3-6, 6-4

DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:  Pierce/Kenyon (RR) def Manske/Wedin (GFC); 6-3,3-6,7-6(4)

SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:  Lawley (FS) def Knewtson (Shey); 6-0, 6-1

TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:  Fargo South def Grand Forks Red River; 3-2

SENIOR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR:  David Youngs, Fargo South

COACH OF THE YEAR:  Vic Youngs, Fargo South            

Thoughts:  It was a great tournament in Grand Forks at Choice Health & Fitness.  In the team competition, Fargo South took a chance in the semifinals by hiding their lineup for the finals and it almost backfired. With the team match tied 2-2, Fargo South was down 4-3 in the 3rd set to Bismarck Legacy. They came back to win 6-4 to make the championship.  In the championship, Vic Youngs the Fargo South coach put out a line-up in which he had his state championship contender at #1 singles and then loaded the doubles with his #2-#5 players and then put his #6 and #7 in singles. Red River countered with their #1-3 in singles and #4-7 in doubles. Red River won easily at #2 and #3 singles. South’s doubles were too tough meaning it came down to #1 singles with the match tied 2-2. In the first set, Godon from Red River played the set of his life forcing a tiebreaker, but Lawley came up big.  In the 2nd set, Lawley cruised earning Fargo South the state championship. Prior to this loss, Red River had won 17 consecutive team state championships in boys tennis. Red River’s Pierce/Kenyon won the state doubles title while Lawley from South took the singles title.  Vic Youngs from Fargo South was Coach of the Year while his son, David Youngs, was Senior Athlete of the year.  Congratulations to Vic and Fargo South on their team state title!

In the individual tournament, there were no major surprises…except maybe how well Valley City played.  In the first round, Dalton and Brandon faced Minot’s #2 team and came out on fire on the pressure points. We were probably 8-0 on deuce points.  It was the closest 6-4,6-2 match ever. In the quarterfinals, we faced the eventual state champions and took a couple games from them sending us to the consolation bracket. In the consolation quarterfinals, we took on Minot’s #1 team and cruised through the first set of ugly tennis. Both sides were making uncharacteristic unforced errors, but we won the big points again and had a few good bounces. On one point, Reynolds from Minot ripped a forehand as hard as he could at Brandon at the net. Brandon moved his racquet enough to protect himself. The ball somehow came off his racquet and landed in for a winner.  Minot upped their play and took the 2nd set. In the third, Dalton believed in his strokes and Brandon believed at the net. Dalton was ripping forehands and Brandon was smashing overheads the entire set sending us to the consolation semifinals.

In the first set of the semifinals, everything that could go wrong did. We came out slow with their slice shots and started down 0-3. We clipped the tape on deuces. Volleys we usually hit for winners were going out. Even with everything going wrong, we tied it at 5-5. Then at Williston set point, we were down 5-6 deuce where if we win the point, we force a tie-breaker. Dalton smacks an overhead and yells ‘Lets go!’ The Williston player gets his racquet on the ball and hits it out. The official on the court call ‘hinderance’ on Dalton for yelling in the middle of the point. This gives Williston the point and the set. The call the official made was the correct call, it was just magnified because of the situation. We could have folded after that set and it looked like we were going to by starting down 0-2 in the 2nd set.  We channeled our emotions and played solid tennis to win 6 out of the next 7 games to win that set 6-3. In the third, we stayed on serve the entire set until we were down 5-4 on Dalton’s serve. We were up 40-0 in that game. The next four points are a blur in my mind – but Williston won all four in a row to win the game, set and match.

The loss stings for many reasons. This was Dalton and Brandon’s last high school tennis match as both are seniors. The match was extremely close throughout and either side could have won. If we would have won this match, we would have been guaranteed a state plaque for 5th or 6th place. If we would have won the next match, we would have been All-State.  Sometimes you get the bounces and sometimes you don’t.

This loss does not define these two as tennis players. Dalton and Brandon have been great leaders for our team. Two years ago, we had only 9 boys out for tennis. Through all of our efforts, especially Dalton, we got more kids out for tennis and had 27 out this season. This year, we had 50% more team wins and individual wins than last year. Brandon had a 3 match winning streak at #2 singles after not winning an EDC singles match last season. These two paved the way for our future tennis teams. 

They have many accomplishments that haven’t been done in Valley City Boys’ Tennis since 2004. Dalton is the first VC boys tennis player to be named All-EDC more than once. Brandon and Dalton are the first to state qualify more than once. They are the highest finishers at the EDC tournament by winning the consolation championship placing 5th. They are the first to win the opening round at state. They are the first to win multiple matches at state and finishing in the top 8 at state.  

Congratulations Brandon and Dalton! You leave us some big shoes to fill. Thank you two for a great season and an exciting regional and state tournament.