The Havre tennis team will be sending five boys to the state tournament in Kalispell, which begins on Thursday. New Media Broadcasters was able to speak with one of the five who will representing the Blue Ponies, senior Carter Spangler.
He has been teamed with his brother Max all season long in doubles and they’ve built a partnership that has gotten them all the way to being crowned Eastern ‘A’ Divisional Champions. Spangler unpacked what the season has meant to him so far in terms of his senior leadership and how everyone on the team has had the same goal since March.
“It’s been pretty good being a leader for this team,” Spangler said. “We have a few good seniors (who) are really good leaders, too and it’s a team effort all around.”
“Everyone has the same goal. Everyone is goal-oriented,” Spangler continued. “All I can say about this team, being a leader on this team, is that everyone has just put in so much work and effort to put themselves in the position where they are now, especially our seniors that are coming to state this year.”
“(It’s just been) four years of hard work and that’s just pretty much all that you can ask,” Spangler said.
The No. 1 seed out of the Northeastern quadrant will be Carter and Max Spangler, who will have to win four times in the winner’s bracket to be declared state champion. Spangler told a story about trying to fathom this moment that is coming up for him and his brother and how they can become state champions for the Havre Blue Ponies.
“I think one of the big deals about our team is our coaching staff,” Spangler said. “It might (have) seemed minute at the time, but they gave us these goal sheets and then at the bottom, I have these three boxes.”
“The first (box) is ‘Get the No. 1 seed for Divisional’s’ and then the second box was ‘Win Divisional’s with Max’,” Spangler continued. “I checked those boxes.”
“The last box is ‘Win A State Tournament’ and that’s something I’ve been trying to do for the last two years and I think me and Max have a great shot if we can just stay focused and play every point like it’s (0-0) and just stay level-headed,” Spangler said. “I’m just hoping that everyone can play like it’s their last tournament, so I just hope that they leave everything out on the court and that’s what I’ll be doing, too.”
The Spangler brothers, along with the No. 4 doubles seed of Carter Chagnon and Mason Kinsella and then singles participant Jackson Headdress will be the five players to take the court for what they hope is a three-day run to the state title in Kalispell. New Media Broadcasters will have tournament results once they come in.
