SIOUX FALLS and BRANDON – Aberdeen Central had a tough time dealing with a pair of solid tennis foes and also the warmest temperatures it has played in all season on Monday.

The Golden Eagles fell to O’Gorman 9-0 before dropping an 8-1 decision to Brandon Valley.

“Brandon is a team very similar to us,” said Central coach Trent Kurtz. “We lost a lot of close matches, but we needed to play a match like that where we have a lot of tight ones.”

The Eagles dropped three matches in the closing stages, falling 10-8 in each one. Kurtz believes that fatigue played a factor.

“We had chances all over the board. They did a much better job than us handling the heat. I think that was a huge factor for us,” Kurtz said. “They were a little tougher than us. They were in better shape than us. It was hot. It was 75. Our kids were drained by the end of it. They didn’t have much left and it really showed late in some of those matches.”

One Central player was able to play through the fatigue as Jack Riggs grabbed the team’s lone victory on the day, a 12-10 tiebreaker win at fourth flight singles.

“It was a fun match. It was just close the entire way. A lot of good points,” Kurtz said. “Two really similar players, not only talent-wise, but just the way they played. Really similar games. Really a lot of long points, a lot of really good points.”

Kurtz said that both players dug deep to produce a dramatic tiebreaker.

“Both kids were really gassed going into the breaker, but they kind of rose to the challenge,” Kurtz said. “Both kids won a lot of points in the breaker. They didn’t give them away.”

Riggs, who led 8-6 at one stage, soon fell behind and saved a match point with a remarkable return on his way to the victory.

“He actually made a heckuva return. The kid made a really good first serve. Jack did a great job of just getting back in the point and then was able to win the point and win the next two,” Kurtz said. “Huge win for him. I’m happy for him.”

Central struggled against O’Gorman, despite the Knights not having their top player.

“OG is really good. Coming into the year everybody thought they were number two and could maybe challenge Lincoln,” Kurtz said. “And then their number one decided not to play so everybody was kind of down on them a little bit, but they’re good.”

Central’s closest match came at top flight singles where Mitchell Hofer dropped a 10-6 decision.

Kurtz said the eighth-grader continues to impress in his first year of playing at the number one position.

“You look at our scores early in the year, he’s probably our best flight right now. He’s probably got our best record and that’s surprising,” Kurtz said. “I had full confidence coming into the year, but I would not have guessed that he’d have our best record this far into the year, some of the competition we’ve played and that kind of stuff. A real credit to him. He’s a legit number one as an eighth-grader and that’s impressive.”

Central heads to Pierre for a dual on Thursday before competing in a triangular at Huron on Saturday.

O’Gorman 9, Aberdeen Central 0

Singles

Alex Mohama, OG, def. Mitchell Hofer, 10-6.

Cooper Johnson, OG, def. AJ Prehn, 10-1.

Will Koziara, OG, def. Sekou Gogue, 10-0.

Liam Sarmiento, OG, def. Jack Riggs, 10-0.

Johnny Mcdowell, OG, def. Preston Kreber, 10-0.

Sam Hayden, OG, def. Hunter Miller, 10-0.

Doubles

Mohama-Johnson, OG, def. Hofer-Prehn, 10-1.

Koziara-Mcdowell, OG, def. Gogue-Riggs, 10-1.

Sarmiento-Hayden, OG, def. Kreber-Gannon Pederson, 10-1.

Brandon Valley 8, Aberdeen Central 1

Singles

Eli Woidyla, BV, def. Mitchell Hofer, 10-8.

Cole Murray, BV, def. AJ Prehn, 10-4.

Gibsen Eszlinger, BV, def. Sekou Gogue, 10-3.

Jack Riggs, AC, def. Bren Gromer, 10-9 (12-10).

Lucas Fogarty, BV, def. Preston Kreber, 10-6.

Gavin Stone, BV, def. Hunter Miller, 10-8.

Doubles

Woidyla-Murray, BV, def. Hofer-Prehn, 10-8.

Eszlinger-Gromer, BV, def. Gogue-Riggs, 10-3.

Fogarty-Stone, BV, def. Kreber-Gannon Pederson, 10-3.