Bison takes brooms to 'Cats, 'Dogs

OGALLALA, Neb. — Lincoln better look out next week because state tournament format play certainly worked well for the McCook tennis boys Tuesday afternoon.

McCook never dropped a set while sweeping through duals with both the Alliance Bulldogs and Scottsbluff Bearcats.

“State format was played to better prepare us ourselves for state next week (at Lincoln’s Woods Tennis Center),” coach Matt Wiemers explained.

In other words, Tuesday’s matches featured best-of-three sets requiring six wins rather than one set to eight like most regular-season duals.

Only No. 1 and 2 singles-doubles play rather than the customary six singles, three doubles matches during duals.

McCook took the broom to both western foes by 4-0 final counts.

The Bison are now 8-2 in duals entering Thursday’s regular-season finale at North Platte.

“Our team continued to dominate play,” Wiemers concluded.

Tougher competition clearly awaits at Lexington next week, but fans still have to appreciate how McCook allowed only one set closer than 6-3.

A rundown of all Bison varsity results on Tuesday:

McCook 4,

Alliance 0

Varsity singles

No. 1: Zion Moyer, MHS, over B. Darveau 6-0, 6-0

No. 2: Syd Wier over K. Sanders 6-4, 6-2

Varsity doubles

No 1: Caden Bortner/Mason Michaelis over C. Crowe/D. Garcia 6-1, 6-0

No. 2: Logan Barenberg/Isaac Hinze def Z. Placek/H. Hill 6-1, 6-0

McCook 4,

Scottsbluff 0

Varsity singles

No. 1: Moyer over D. Mohr 6-0, 6-2

No. 2: Wier def P. Robbins 6-1, 6-2

Varsity doubles

No. 1: Bortner/Michaelis over L. Frank/R. Little 6-0, 6-1

No. 2: Logan Barenberg/Isaac Hinze over E. Ramirez/A. Schaff 6-3, 6-2

JUNIOR VARSITY

McCook delivered similar super work on the JV courts, winning a 6-1 dual over Alliance and sweeping past Scottsbluff 7-0.

Joel Gray didn’t lose a single game against the Bearcats.

He swept his singles match, 6-0, then teamed with Nick Wolvin for the 6-0 doubles victory.

Wolvin, Brandan Eckhardt, Paul Stoney and Isaac Hinze all scored 6-1 singles wins.

Eckhardt and Stoney added a 6-0 doubles dominant win.

Alliance took one singles match, 6-4, but McCook took the other three tough decisions as Wolvin, Eckhardt and Stoney all prevailed either 6-3 or 6-4.

McCook swept the three doubles featuring wins from Gray/Wolvin (6-3), Logan Barenberg/Isaac Hinze (6-1) and a terrific 7-6 (7-4) tiebreaker for Eckhardt/Stoney.

The Bison JV boys are busy again in today’s Kearney Invitational which was scheduled to start at 9 a.m. McCook’s final varsity dual of the season vs. North Platte is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. in N.P.