Friesen, Ridenour 6th at state tennis

A pair of Kingfisher High School seniors had one more fun ride in athletics before walking the graduation stage.

Drake Friesen and Xavier Ridenour made it deep into the second day of the Class 4A state tennis tournament.

Ultimately the Kingfisher pair took sixth place in the No. 2 doubles bracket.

Friesen and Ridenour were playing Pauls Valley for fifth place early Saturday evening.

After a tough set that Pauls Valley won 7-5, the match - and all others at the Oklahoma City Tennis Center - was delayed due to an incoming thunderstorm.

When it resumed, the Panthers closed out the match 6-1.

It closed out a tournament in which the pair went 3-2.

They opened it Friday with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Bristow.

That put them in the quarterfinals against Elk City, the bracket’s No. 2 seed.

The Elks won the first set 7-5, but Friesen and Ridenour came right back to dominate the second set 6-1.

But Elk City was able to close it out with a 6-3 win to advance to the semifinals. The Elks eventually placed fourth.

The loss sent the KHS pair to the consolation bracket where they picked up a pair of wins.

The first victim was Metro Christian in a 6-4, 6-4 match.

KHS then beat Oklahoma Christian School’s No. 2 doubles team 7-6, 6-3 to land in the fifth-place match with Pauls Valley.

Kingfisher’s No. 1 doubles duo of Will Shaver and Caden Kitchens also qualifi ed for state.

They were defeated 6-3, 6-3 by Oklahoma Christian Academy in the opening round.

OCA went on to claim the state championship.

Shaver and Kitchens then lost 6-2, 6-0 to Rejoice Christian.