Versatility and depth are part of the arsenal for this year’s Superior Bobcats tennis team, the only high school tennis team in Mineral or Sanders County.

With a shorthanded roster, the Lady Bobcats went up against five other teams, most of them among the top tier of the Montana high school B-C ranks, and still won 10 of 14 matches at a meet in Helena this past week.

“We were short handed,” said Superior tennis coach Rick Berreth. “We went to Helena missing two of our seniors and one junior and still managed to win 10 of 14 matches against the other schools at the tournament”. Injuries and other factors were the major reason for the Lady Cats revamped roster.

Leading the way for Superior was the play of two freshmen singles players, Josie Crabb and Cami Quick, with the tandem winning five of seven matches they played. Crabb finished third in singles play, while Quick made it to the tournament semi-finals.

Berreth said the doubles teams who made the trip for Superior had pretty much the same results. The tandem of Lanie Crabb and Perri Jasper took third in the tournament, according to Berreth, and may have clinched themselves a top seed in this coming weekend’s Divisional tennis action.

Overall, Josie Crabb finished the Helena meet with a 4-1 record and a third place in singles play. Quick was 2-2 in Helena among singles players, while Lanie Crabb and Jasper finished Helena with a 3-1 record in doubles and a third place for the tournament.

Most surprising, Berreth added, was the play of the team’s number two doubles unit. Ireland Heimrich and Mekenna Greuter, who was filling in for her older sister, won two of their matches at the tournament. The duo finished play in Helena with a 2-2 record.

Next up for the Cats tennis team is Divisional play beginning this Thursday in St. Ignatius at 10 a.m. The tournament concludes this coming Friday.