Doubles team of Sheets and Jacobsen caps perfect season

The Powell High School tennis team completed its regular season last week with conference matches against Cody on Thursday and on Saturday against Kelly Walsh and Natrona County.

With the regular season now complete, conference records will determine seeding heading into the regional tournament on Friday. PHS head coach Joe Asay said that, with these last three competitions, he looked at how well his teams were playing and focused on what needs to be worked on.

“For the most part, I think we are really starting to play well and click well, which is perfect as we finish up the regular season,” Asay said.

Panthers 5, Broncs 0,

Fillies 5, Lady Panthers 0

On Thursday, the Cody tennis teams traveled to Powell for the teams’ lone conference matchup this season. The Panthers went 5-0 against the Broncs.

Accounting for those five wins were Jesse Brown in the No. 1 singles position (7-6, 6-2), Rhett Pimentel at No. 2 singles (6-3, 6-4), the No. 1 doubles team of James Sheets and Aaron Jacobsen (6-1, 6-2), No. 2 doubles duo of Dylan Preator and Aidan Jacobsen (6-0, 6-1) and the No. 3 doubles comprised of Nathaniel Witham and Grant Dillivan (6-4, 2-6, 6-3).

On the girls side, the Fillies won all five matches.

No. 1 singles Hattie Pimentel, undefeated on the season heading into the match, was beaten in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. The No. 2 singles player Lauren Asher lost 6-2 and 6-0.

For the doubles teams, No. 1 Sierra Sanders and Shayla Shoopman lost 6-2, 6-4, No. 2 Sloane Asay and Heidi Barrus lost 6-2, 6-4 and the No. 3 duo of Hailee Paul and Ashley Dunkerley fell 6-1, 6-1.

Coach Asay said the Cody girls are a “pretty strong team.”

PHS 4, Kelly Walsh 1

Girls - Kelly Walsh 5, PHS 0

On Saturday morning, Powell matched up against Kelly Walsh, with the boys team winning four matches and the girls losing all five.

Brown, at No. 1 singles, lost the first set 7-5 but rebounded in the second to win 7-5, forcing a tiebreaker third set and winning 7-5. Rhett Pimentel in the No. 2 singles position won both sets 6-3 and 6-0.

The No. 1 doubles duo of Sheets and Jacobsen continued their winning ways, taking both sets 6-1, 6-2.

The No. 2 duo of Preator and Aidan Jacobsen won the first set 7-6, but lost the next two, 7-5 and 6-4.

Whitham and Musso also had a three-set match, losing the first set 6-3 but coming back in the second and third 7-5 and 6-3.

The Lady Panthers didn’t fare as well as their male counterparts in being swept.

“Sometimes the losses aren’t the whole story,” Asay said. “I think that the kids ultimately finished well.”

Hattie Pimentel suffered just her second loss of the season 7-5, 6-1 in the No. 1 singles position. At No. 2 singles, Asher lost 6-1, 6-0.

For doubles, the No. 1 duo of Sanders and Shoopman lost 7-5, 6-2, while the No. 2 doubles team of Sloane Asay and Barrus lost 6-0, 6-2. The No. 3 doubles team of Paul and Dunkerley lost 6-4, 7-5.

PHS 5, Natrona Co. Boys 0

Girls - PHS 4, Natrona Co. 1

The Panthers took on Natrona County Saturday afternoon for the last game of the regular season, with the Panthers winning all five games and the girls winning four of the five.

In No. 1 and No. 2 singles play, Brown won 6-3, 6-2 and Rhett Pimentel won 6-2, 6-0.

In doubles for the boys, Sheets and Aaron Jacobsen won the first set 6-3, lost the second 6-4 but came back in the tiebreaker set and won 6-4  — giving them an undefeated record for the season in the No. 1 doubles slot.

The No. 2 doubles match also went to three sets, with the duo of Preator and Aidan Jacobsen losing the first set 6-4 but coming back to win the second set 6-4 and the third 6-2. The No. 3 doubles team of Whitham and Musso won both sets 6-2.

For the Lady Panthers, No.1 singles player Hattie Pimentel lost 6-3, 6-0, while No. 2 singles Asher won 7-5, 6-1.

All three doubles teams won with the No. 1 duo of Sanders and Shoopman winning 6-3, 6-0. The No. 2 doubles of Sloane Asay and Barrus won 6-1, 7-5 and the No. 3 team of Paul and Dunkerley won 6-3, 6-4.

With the regular season completed, the tennis teams will head to Sheridan to play in the North Regional Tournament Friday and Saturday.