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Central edges Huron for tennis dual victory

Aberdeen Central's Sekou Gogue hits a volley during a flight two doubles match against Huron on Monday. Photo by Mike Carroll/Huron Daily Plainsman

HURON – Aberdeen Central won a pair of super tiebreakers in doubles to help fuel a 6-3 Eastern South Dakota Conference tennis victory over Huron on Monday afternoon.

Central coach Trent Kurtz had compared scores of previous matches and figured the dual with the Tigers could come down to the wire.

“We kind of thought it would be a really close match and it was,” Kurtz said. “We started with singles and it was 3-3 after that, and then to win all the doubles, two of them being in tiebreaks, so it could have been a dual that goes either way. It was a kind of coin-flip dual, so I’m glad we pulled out those close ones.”

While there were many highlights on the day, flight two doubles had to top the list where Sekou Gogue and Jack Riggs mounted a dramatic comeback to pull off a 10-7 super-breaker victory.

“They were down 7-1 in the tiebreak and won the last nine points. It was unbelievable,” Kurtz said. “Just a great win.”

Kurtz said he told his players to try to piece together a few points in a row to get back into the match.

“The ball kind of rolled over to where I was standing,” Kurtz said. “I was just trying to stay positive, just trying to encourage them a little bit. Just tell them win three points in a row, let the other team get frustrated and get tight. They won three and then four, and it just kind of snowballed.”

The result was a seldom seen streak to pull out the victory.

“Not very often you come back from 7-1,” Kurtz said.

The first flight doubles tandem of Mitchell Hofer and AJ Prehn also needed to rally for their win. Kurtz said the duo lost nearly every deuce point in dropping the opening set, before regrouping to force a super-breaker where they also won 10-7.

“Their focus was a lot better on all other the points in the second set,” Kurtz said, “and they really played a great tiebreak.”

Central swept the doubles as the team of Preston Kreber and Sam Casper won in straight sets at flight three.

“Three doubles played really well,” Kurtz said. “I really like what they’re doing. They’re both really aggressive up at the net.”

The Golden Eagles received singles victories from Hofer, Riggs and Kreber.

Central is right back in action today with a dual at Harrisburg. The Eagles are scheduled to face Aberdeen Roncalli later in the week.

Aberdeen Central 6, Huron 3

Singles

Mitchell Hofer, AC, def. Hay Klu Moo Taw, 6-1, 6-1.

Dak Christ Moo, H, def. AJ Prehn, 6-2, 6-4.

Lauy Kue Say, H, def. Sekou Gogue, 6-2, 6-2.

Jack Riggs, AC, def. Lah Doh Soe, 6-3, 6-3.

Preston Kreber, AC, def. Say Poe, 6-0, 6-3.

Matthew Thin, H, def. Hunter Miller, 6-1, 7-5.

Doubles

Hofer-Prehn, AC, def. Klu Moo Taw, Moo, 3-6, 6-1, (10-2).

Gogue-Riggs, AC, Doh Soe-Hser Wah, 7-5, 2-6, (10-7).

Kreber-Sam Casper, AC, def. Poe-Thin, 6-3, 6-2.

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