These Cats know how to scratch and claw their ways to wins on the tennis court, just ask their coach about that.

The Superior Bobcats tennis team won third place in the Western B-C girls divisional tournament in Missoula last week and singles players Josie Crabb and Perri Jasper, and the doubles team of Mady Neu and Alyza Wickham advance on to the State B-C meet, also in Missoula this week, beginning Thursday at the Fort Missoula courts.

Crabb won her way to the finals and finished second in singles, Jasper battled her way to third place in singles, and Neu and Wickham won third in doubles for Superior.

Valley Christian won the Western B-C title and Missoula Loyola edged out Superior by only one point for second place, leaving the Cats third. Teams from Mission and Troy also played in the Western B-C.

Coach Rick Berreth said Crabb played very well but lost the individual championship match to Valley Christian’s Tia Bork in a “heartbreaker of a tiebreaker” 3-6, 6-3, 10-4 and settled for second place.

Speaking of Jasper, “Perri pulled the upset of the tournament surprising Loyola’s Katie Read Smith 6-4, 6-2,” Berreth said, noting the Superior senior’s determination to win never faded in that match or in the tournament overall.

Berreth was also complimentary towards the freshmen doubles team of Neu and Wickham, citing their continued winning ways back all the way to the consolation final, which they won 7-6,7-5, and to freshman Kamryn Church for the same reason after she narrowly missed a trip to the State B-C as well.

“They never gave up,” he said. "None of the Superior players gave up, I am very proud of this team, the way they battled.”

Berreth looks forward to taking his competitive Cats into net battle again beginning Thursday. “Next week they do it all over again,” he said, obviously relishing the thought.

    SUPERIOR JUNIOR Josie Crabb won second place in singles at the Western B-C divisional tennis tournament in Missoula last week and will lead the Bobcats into the State B-C tourney, also in Missoula this week. (courtesy photo)