RAPID CITY – Aberdeen Central dropped another tennis dual to a Rapid City squad before blanking Spearfish on Friday during the West River Invitational.

The Golden Eagles fell to Rapid City Stevens 8-1 before bouncing back for a 9-0 win over Spearfish.

Much like Thursday’s setback against Rapid City Christian, the Golden Eagles had a tough time securing the big points, losing two tiebreakers and one super tiebreaker.

“We’ll get better and better. We’ll win a lot more of those tiebreaks, those 5-5, and deuce points; all those big points and big games,” said Central coach Trent Kurtz. “We’ve been on the short of end of them for two days here, so hopefully they’ll start balancing out for us.”

Central did win some of those big points at third flight singles where seventh-grader Mitchell Hofer won in straight sets, including a second-set tiebreaker.

“He played a really good tiebreaker,” Kurtz said. “He got off to a big lead in the tiebreaker and just played really well, really smart in the second set tiebreak.”

It is extremely rare for a seventh-grader to secure a victory against a storied program like Stevens.

“I don’t know if he realizes how good Stevens is historically,” Kurtz said. “Being a seventh-grader he doesn’t have much history or knowledge of high school tennis, so I don’t think he realizes how good of a win that is.”

Kurtz also praised the play of his five and six singles players.

“Michael Frohling and Taye Cundiff at 5 and 6 played really well,” Kurtz said.

Frohling was down 6-1, 4-1 and battled back to lose in a second set tiebreaker.

Cundiff split sets and led 6-2 in the super breaker before his opponent came up with big shots on big points.

“Taye didn’t beat himself,” Kurtz said, “he made that kid win the match.”

Central then won every match against the Spartans, setting the tone early at each flight.

Kurtz pointed out the play of Ian Ahlberg at second flight singles, noting he had to grind out the finish to the second set.

“He just went back to his roots, where he’s really just as a grinder,” Kurtz said. “He started moving well and competing really well, and got back and won that second set.”

Hofer and AJ Prehn also recorded a solid win at number two doubles, where Spearfish played their top two singles players.

Kurtz said it was nice for all of his players to get victories on the day, some being first varsity wins for the Eagles.

“When you start the year off with Rapid City Christian and Rapid City Stevens your confidence is going to be shaken a little bit, because those two teams are really good,” Kurtz said. “We’re not going to play many teams as good as that.”

As the Eagles prepare to face Rapid City Central and St. Thomas More today to conclude their three-day trip, they will head into action with some confidence after Friday’s victory of Spearfish.

“It was very good to get all nine wins today and give those guys a little confidence,” Kurtz said.

Rapid City Stevens 8, Aberdeen Central 1

Singles

Asa Hood, RCS, def. Gabe Goetz, 6-3, 6-3.

Nolan Rehorst, RCS, def. Ian Ahlberg, 6-1, 6-3.

Mitchell Hofer, AC, def. Tristan Eizenger, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).

Dayler Segrist, RCS, def. AJ Prehn, 7-5, 6-3.

Max Phares, RCS, def. Michael Frohling, 6-1, 7-6 (7-3).

Tommy Nehring, RCS, def. Taye Cundiff, 5-7, 6-1, 11-9.

Doubles

Hood-Segrist, RCS, def. Goetz-Ahlberg, 6-4, 6-1.

Rehorst-Eizenger, RCS, def. Hofer-Prehn, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4).

Isaac Wright-Nehring, RCS, def. Frohling-Jack Riggs, 6-3, 6-2.

Aberdeen Central 9, Spearfish 0

Singles

Gabe Goetz, AC, def. Ty Sieber, 6-0, 6-2.

Ian Ahlberg, AC, def. Rudy Isberg, 6-4, 6-4.

Mitchell Hofer, AC, def. Bridger Meyer, 6-3, 6-4.

AJ Prehn, AC, def. Lucas Rogers, 6-1, 6-0.

Michael Frohling, AC, def. Leo Isberg, 6-1, 6-0.

Taye Cundiff, AC, def. Shawn Cota, 6-1, 6-2.

Doubles

Goetz-Ahlberg, AC, def. Meyer-Rogers, 6-1, 6-1.

Hofer-Prehn, AC, def. Sieber-R. Isberg, 6-4, 6-3.

Frohling-Jack Riggs, AC, L. Isberg-Cota, 6-2, 6-0.