RONAN — The one theme that will hang over the Ronan Maidens and Chiefs on the tennis courts this year is leadership. It’s something that will be vital to the success of both teams, as head coach Gordan Cummings acknowledged.

“We have six returning seniors from last year,” Cummings said of the Maidens. “They’ll be the leadership of the team. They’re very experienced.”

No. 1 singles player Amber Metzger is the anchor of that core and Cummings is expecting her to turn some heads this season.

“Her time has come,” Cummings said. “It’s her fourth year and she’s worked very hard.”

The Maidens finished third at divisionals last season in a competitive Class A and, along with the boys, will look to take advantage of the move down to Class B.

“When I look at the numbers, I think it’ll be good for us, making us a bit more competitive,” Cummings said. “It’ll be good for the kids in the long run.”

Behind Metzger is Brianna Frank, Katelyn Matkovich, Taylor Courville, Seri Smith and Darian Blixt-Leo, all of who are expected to contribute in big ways for the Maidens.

“I’d like to see them win divisionals, which is very possible for the seniors,” Cummings said. “They’ll want to go to state.”

Hannah Bird Rattler and Hannah Kiehn are the young guns for the girls, but are off to an impressive start and will look to fortify a solid Maidens roster.

The boys had a tougher go of it a season ago, struggling at times in Class A. Cummings is optimistic, however, that the boys on the squad this year can turn things around, led by seniors Hunter Shima, Kyle Yankey and Spencer Sucha.

“I’m looking for leadership from them,” Cummings said.

The top doubles team of Daniel Aylesworth and Tyler Anderson is also expected to make big contributions to the Chiefs, especially as the year moves on and the two become sharper mentally and physically.

“They’re still young, but they’re athletic and they take instruction well,” Cummings said.

Tallon Fortin, Gabe Lutes, Joey Dresen, Ronny Cullis, Logan Sukala and Ethan Sheumaker will also get looks for the Chiefs, as they work to get better and give the rest of Class B their best shot.

“I want them to be competitive,” Cummings said.

Ronan shows signs of life in first week matchups

COLUMBIA FALLS — The Ronan Chiefs and Maidens were very competitive in action on Tuesday, March 27 and while most matches were very close, the teams came out with dramatically different results against Columbia Falls.

The Maidens got four straight-sets wins, three in singles action, to down the Wildkats 5-2. Amber Metzger and Darian Blixt-Leo earned 6-4, 6-3 wins in their respective matches and Brianna Frank had little trouble, winning 6-1, 6-0. 

“Amber beat a girl who she hadn’t beaten, but had played before,” Cummings said. “Her sticktoitiveness flustered the other player.”

On the doubles side, Katelyn Matkovich and Taylor Courville breezed to a 6-0, 6-1 victory while the team of Hannah Bird Rattler and Hannah Kiehn rallied after dropping the first set to earn a gritty 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) win.

“That was their first match ever and they played well together,” Cummings said.

The only two losses on the girls side were hard-fought contests, with Seri Smith narrowly losing her singles match 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 and the team of Frank and Samantha Ashley dropping a close pro set, 8-6.

The Chiefs, meanwhile, got the short end of the stick, hanging with the Columbia Falls boys before losing 7-0.

Cummings said he was happy with how the Chiefs played the first time out, they just need to find a way to seal the deal.

“When they play close physically, they just need to pick it up mentally,” Cummings said.

The individual scores were much closer than the team total indicated, with three matches going the distance and two others falling just short of that as well.

Hunter Shima and Tallon Fortin both rallied from tough first sets to nearly force a third and deciding set. Shima fell 6-1, 7-5, while Fortin lost 6-0, 7-5.

Kyle Yankey took the first set of his match, but was victimized by an Andrew Jones rally, losing 5-7, 6-1, 6-4. Spencer Sucha rebounded from dropping his first set, but couldn’t complete the rally in a 7-6, 5-6, 6-3 defeat.

In doubles action, Gabe Lutes and Ethan Sheumaker pushed their opponents to the brink, forcing a third-set tiebreaker before being downed 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (2). Joey Dresen and Ronny Cullis made a match of their contest late, but fell 6-0, 6-4, while Daniel Aylesworth and Tyler Anderson were defeated 6-2, 6-2.

On Thursday against Bigfork, the Chiefs and Maidens both recorded victories, knocking off the Bigfork teams 4-2 in both boys and girls action.

For the Chiefs, Sucha and Cullis earned dominant 6-0, 6-1 and 6-1, 6-0 wins, respectively, Aylesworth and Anderson knocked off their opponents 6-4, 6-4 and Dresen and Fortin won convincingly, 6-2, 6-0.

The Maidens were led by a gritty 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 win for Courville, a 6-1, 6-2 runaway for Metzger and a tough 7-6 (4), 5-2 win for Smith and Frank. 

Against Loyola on Saturday, Ronan tennis had flashes of great play, but Loyola earned a 4-2 win in girls action and 5-1 in boys. Metzger moved to 3-0 with a convincing 6-2, 6-1 win, while Smith and Blixt-Leo downed their opponents in similar fashion 6-1, 6-1.

“It was their first time together as a team,” said an impressed Cummings.

Matkovich and Courville forced a third set, but were downed 6-2, 2-6, 6-1. Frank earned a couple games, but was defeated 6-1, 6-1, Ashley lost in singles action 6-1, 6-2 and Bird Rattler, as the third singles player, rallied in the second set, but fell 6-1, 6-4.

The Chiefs saw Shima tally an inspiring 6-4, 5-7, 6-0 victory after letting the middle set barely slip from his grasp.

“Mentally, he came back,” Cummings said.

Yankey hung tough in the two spot before succumbing 6-2, 6-4, Sucha battled hard before being edged out 6-4, 7-5 and Cullis rebounded from a slow start, losing 6-1, 6-3.

Aylesworth and Anderson pushed their opponents to the brink of a third set before falling 6-2, 7-5, while Sukala and Fortin were downed 6-1, 6-1. 

In their only contest of the week, the Chiefs and Maidens took on Mission High School on Tuesday, April 3. Results were unavailable at press time.