KHS boys qualify 6, finish runner-up at tennis regional

Tennis practice was still taking place last week at Shaw Park.

That was necessitated when all six of Kingfisher High School’s boys players qualified for the state tournament.

They did so during last Monday’s Class 4A regional at the Oklahoma City Tennis Center.

The No. 2 doubles team of Caden Kitchens and Xavier Ridenour was the regional runner-up.

No. 1 singles player Maverick Ridenour took third.

Nathan Smalley, the No. 2 singles player, was fourth as was the No. 1 singles team of Easton Pine and Logan Castonguay.

All that helped KHS finish as the regional runner-up behind Henryetta.

All six Jackets played Friday and possibly Saturday in the state tournament back at the OKC Tennis Center.

Kitchens and Ridenour benefited from a first-round bye before defeating Tecumseh 6-1, 6-0 in the semifinals.

That’s where the duo was defeated by top-seeded Henryetta, 6-0, 6-1.

Maverick Ridenour knocked off Tecumseh’s Jaxon Kuhn 6-4, 6-1 to earn a spot in the semifinals.

He was beaten there by Mount St. Mary’s Dane Malzahn, which dropped him into the consolation.

That’s where he took down Clinton’s Hunter Staggs 6-1, 6-1 for the bronze medal.

Smalley also got a bye in the quarterfinals before Mount St. Mary’s Zane Heise picked him off 6-2, 6-4.

In the third-place match, Smalley won a first-set tie-breaker against Tecumseh’s Jesse Thoma before Thoma finished with 6-4, 6-0 sets to claim the match.

Pine and Castonguay throttled their Beaver foes 6-1, 6-0 in the quarterfinals before Anadarko squeaked out a 6-4, 7-6 win in the semifinals.

Clinton then defeated the duo 6-4, 6-1 in the third-place match.