RAPID CITY – There wasn’t a much tougher way to start the boys’ tennis season for Aberdeen Central on Thursday.

After driving across the state, the Golden Eagles found two powerhouse opponents waiting for them. Central dropped a 7-2 decision to Rapid City Stevens and was then blanked by Rapid City Christian 9-0.

Still, the Eagles played well in their opening matches of the year, according to coach Trent Kurtz.

“Overall, very pleased with the day,” Kurtz said. “You look at the main parts of tennis: serving, ground strokes, volleys, that kind of stuff, we were really good today. A lot of the little things that we just haven’t practiced a lot of we really struggled: lobs, overheads, serve return was really tough for us today.”

Mitchell Hofer had a hand in both of Central’s victories on the day. The eighth-grader won his singles match and then teamed with AJ Prehn for a win in doubles against perennial power Stevens.

“Mitch played really well,” Kurtz said of his 6-3, 6-0 win at top flight singles. “He just kind of controlled the match from the get-go. He jumped on him right away. He was kind of the best player on the court for either team today.”

Hofer and Prehn were up a set and 5-2 before they ran into trouble in their doubles match. The duo lost a pair of match points at deuce, eventually trailed 5-6 and needed to save a set point, before securing the win in a second-set tiebreaker.

Kurtz was pleased with the way his top doubles team was able to regroup and grab the victory in the tiebreaker.

“It was good for them to get through that and especially get through it with a win, because they just got really tight,” Kurtz said. “They haven’t played meaningful matches in 9-10 months.”

The Eagles then ran into a buzzsaw against Rapid City Christian. As play moved indoors and started with doubles, the Comets set the tone from the start.

“Those three doubles matches, they rolled us,” Kurtz said. “They literally outpowered us. They bullied us off the court in the doubles matches.”

Central adjusted when it came to singles play. While the Eagles did not win any of those matches, they were much more competitive, especially in the upper flights.

“Our kids were right there in every match. Those three matches were really good,” Kurtz said. “We did adjust to the pace and the power, but it took us all the doubles matches to do it.”

He said Rapid City Christian has all of its players back from a solid team last year.

“They’re the class of West River. They’re the class of Class A right now,” Kurtz said. “I don’t see who beats them in the Class A tournament. I think they’re a top 2-3 team in the state, overall.”

The Eagles will be right back at it today facing St. Thomas More and Rapid City Central.

Despite the tough start, Kurtz was pleased with how his players competed and is looking forward to seeing how they progress throughout the upcoming season.

“We’re going to have a fun,” Kurtz said, “and we’re going to get better and better.”

Rapid City Stevens 7, Aberdeen Central 2

SINGLES

Mitchell Hofer, AC, def. Nolan Rehorst, 6-3, 6-0.

Tristan Eizinger, RCS, def. AJ Prehn, 7-5, 6-2.

Dayler Segrist, RCS, def. Sekou Gogue, 6-1, 6-4.

Max Phares, RCS, def. Jack Riggs, 6-4, 6-4.

Josh Mueller, RCS, def. Preston Kreber, 6-3, 6-4.

Isaac Wright, RCS, def. Hunter Miller, 6-0, 6-3.

DOUBLES

Hofer-Prehn, AC, def. Rehorst-Eizinger, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6).

Phares-Segrist, RCS, def. Gogue-Riggs, 6-3, 6-2.

Braden Nelson-Landin Roozenboom, RCS, def. Kreberg-Gannon Pederson, 6-3, 6-3.

Rapid City Christian 9, Aberdeen Central 0

SINGLES

Noah Greni, RCCh, def. Mitchell Hofer, 10-4.

Andrew Dobbs, RCCh, def. AJ Prehn 10-7.

Joe Schneller, RCCh def. Sekou Gogue, 10-8.

Jack Hancock, RCCh, def. Jack Riggs, 10-2.

Noah Geyer, RCCh, def. Preston Kreber, 10-2.

Henry Beckloff, RCCh, def. Hunter Miller, 10-3.

DOUBLES

Greni-Dobbs, RCCh, def. Hofer-Prehn, 10-1.

Schennler-Hancock, RCCh, def. Gogue-Riggs, 10-2.

Geyer-Beckloff, RCCh, def. Kreber-Gannon Pederson, 10-1.