RAPID CITY – Aberdeen Central started off a bit shaky, but finished up strong during its first tennis action of the season on Thursday.

The Golden Eagles dropped a dual to Rapid City Stevens 8-1, before rebounding to take down Rapid City Central 6-3.

“We played really well in singles against Stevens,” said Golden Eagles coach Trent Kurtz, “unfortunately we started with doubles and we weren’t ready to go.”

He said it took the players a few games before they were able to shake off a six-hour bus trip.

“Everywhere you looked we were down 0-4, 1-4,” Kurtz said, “just did not get off the bus very well.”

However, the local squad played much better in singles, recording its only victory at flight five singles where Aric Tennant scored a 10-7 win.

“It was tough match. It was a long match, the kind of match that Aric plays. … That’s a good win,” Kurtz said. “Any time you can get one over Stevens; Stevens is pretty good again this year.”

Kurtz pointed out the play of AJ Prehn. While the senior did not win a singles match, he was right there in both of them, losing 10-8 to Stevens, and 10-9 (9-4 in a tiebreaker) against the Cobblers.

Kurtz noted that in the Stevens match, “Not once on any changeover was anybody up more than one game.”

Prehn then fought back from a 5-8 deficit to lead 9-8 in his other match before the Rapid City player prevailed.

“The kid hit a couple of huge forehands in the tiebreak,” Kurtz said. “AJ definitely didn’t give it away by any means.”

The Golden Eagles took care of business in the lower singles flights winning all of them in convincing fashion against the Cobblers.

“We’ve got more depth this year,” Kurtz said. “We’ve got a lot of kids that can play varsity.”

That includes Gustavo Carrera, a foreign exchange student from Brazil.

“He’s skilled,” Kurtz said. “He’s a good player. … I think he’s just going to get better and better.”

Kurtz said it was a good start to the season for the Golden Eagles.

“Overall, I’m happy with where we are. We had lot of chances to win more matches than we did. Had some of those close ones, could have gone either way,” Kurtz said. “Overall, we’re way ahead of where we were last year, which is really good.”

The Golden Eagles will play St. Thomas More and Rapid City Christian today before heading home tonight, because of a forecast for inclemate weather. A match against Spearfish scheduled for Saturday has been postponed.

Rapid City Stevens 8, Aberdeen Central 1

SINGLES

Dayler Segrist, RCS, def. AJ Prehn, 10-8.

Braden Nelson, RCS, def Mika Dannen, 10-1.

Max Phares, RCS, def. Dawson Pederson, 10-4.

Josh Mueller, RCS, def. Gustavo Carrera, 10-8.

Aric Tennant, AC, def. Caleb Belisle, 10-7.

Landin Roozenboom, RCS, Gannon Pederson, 10-8.

DOUBLES

Segrist-Phares, RCS, def. Prehn-Carrera, 10-4.

Nelson-Mueller, RCS, def. D. Pederson-G. Pederson, 10-5.

Roozenboom-Vinny Robbennolt, RCS, def. Tennant-Dannen, 10-6.

Aberdeen Central 6, Rapid City Central 3

SINGLES

Anson Griffin, RCC, def. AJ Prehn, 10-9 (7-4).

Peyton Taylor, RCC, def. Mika Dannen, 10-5.

Dawson Pederson, AC, def. Triston Ducheneaux, 10-3.

Gustavo Carrera, AC, def. Greysun Weston, 10-1.

Aric Tennant, AC, def. Cade Jandreau, 10-0.

Brock Anderson, AC, def. Rory Murphy, 10-3.

DOUBLES

Prehn-Carrera, AC, def. Griffin-Weston, 10-3.

Taylor-Ducheneaux, RCC, def. D. Pederson-G. Pederson, 8-6, forfeit.

Tennant-Dannen, AC, def Jandreau-Murphy, 10-1.