Bison boys tied for Class B state No. 2; four in semifinals

LINCOLN, Neb. — McCook High's No. 1 singles, No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles have all won their way into Friday morning's Class B state semifinals at Woods Tennis Center.

The Bison efforts on Thursday have put them in a second-place team tie, just two points behind defending Class B champ Mount Michael Benedictine. The Bison and Omaha Skutt Skyhawks both scored 34 points compared to Mount Michael's 36.

No. 1 singles Isaac Hinze (40-1 record) has earned a chance to avenge his only loss against Skutt's Robert Seaton at the East-West event in Kearney last weekend.

McCook junior Evan Humphrey makes the return during Class B state No. 1 doubles competition at Lincoln's Woods Tennis Center on Thursday.

Courtesy photo

No. 3-seed Hinze swept past Alliance's Carver Hauptmann 6-0, 6-1; then won a 6-2, 6-4 quarterfinal over No. 6-seed Andrew Hammer from York (25-15).

Seaton lost only two games Thursday while advancing into the semifinal rematch with Hinze. He is 40-9 for the season.

Top-seed Gavin Forster from Mount Michael plays No. 4 Aidan McDowell from Crete in that other No. 1 singles semifinal.

Sophomore Lincoln Michaelis (41-6) dominated his two No. 2 singles opponents.

No. 4-seed Michaelis handled Gering's David Karpf 6-1, 6-0; then took down No. 5-seed Ethan Phinney from York 6-3, 6-2.

Michaelis also meets a Skutt Skyhawk in No. 1-seed Avelino Hammer (47-3), who was able to defeat Lincoln last weekend at Kearney.

The other No. 2 singles semi matches Mount Michael No. 2-seed Sam Lund (31-7) against No. 3 Austin Staab of Grand Island Central Catholic (17-3). All these matches are huge in determining these top teams' point totals.

Class B No. 1-seed Evan Humphrey and Nathaniel Miller of McCook did not disappoint any Bison fans today at No. 1 doubles.

Humphrey and Miller bounced past Beatrice's Jacoby Hamm and Jordan Zhang 6-2, 6-2.

Their quarterfinal matched McCook against No. 8-seed Caleb Poggemeyer and Connor Causgrove of Nebraska City.

No contest. Miller and Humphrey (44-3 record) prevailed 6-0, 6-2.

Once again, McCook meets No. 4-seed Gavin Brummund and Alexander Churchill from Omaha Skutt. The good news is Miller and Humphrey defeated this same Skyhawk duo at Kearney.

The other No. 2 doubles semifinal again matches No. 2 Mount Michael vs. No. 3 Grand Island CC. Grand Island CC sits fourth in the Class B team standings through Thursday.

Finally, McCook's No. 2 doubles team needed an adjustment as junior Joel Miller replaced sophomore Jonny Frank when Frank suffered a late-season elbow injury.

Seeded sixth, Miller and junior Payton Dellevoet defeated Nebraska's Elijah McNeely and Anthony Robinson 6-4, 6-2.

However, they lost their quarterfinal to Lexington No. 3-seed Dru Truax and Christopher Swartz 6-1, 6-2.

Dellevoet and Miller will start consolation play Friday morning.

The No. 2 doubles semifinals does not include Omaha Skutt as Lexington meets No. 2 Mount Michael and No. 1 Grand Island CC takes on No. 5 Elkhorn North, who knocked off Skutt's fourth-seeded duo in the quarterfinals.

Watch for more updates at mccookgazette.com and in the upcoming McCook Gazette editions.

Team standings through Thursday: