Mike Kraft/MDN Connor Ressler will compete in the singles competition as the No. 7 seed from the West Region during the boys tennis state individual singles tournament in Grand Forks beginning on Friday, Oct. 10.

The East Region may have a stranglehold on the dual portion of the state tennis tournament over the last three decades, but the individual tournament gives the West Region the opportunity to showcase its talent level in both individual and doubles competition in a 1-on-1 format.

The top eight singles players along with the top eight doubles teams from the West will go toe-to-toe with the best of the best from the East Region during the two-day tournament beginning on Friday, Oct. 10, in Grand Forks. Singles players from Mandan, Minot North, Minot High, Bismarck High and Bismarck Legacy, along with doubles pairings from Jamestown, Bismarck Century, Legacy, Minot High and Williston are represented among the WDA.

In last year’s individual tournament, the WDA had third- and sixth-place finishers in the singles competition and second-, third-, and sixth-place finishers in doubles competition.

The Magicians will take part in both singles and doubles play over the weekend. Connor Ressler is the seventh seed out of the West Region in the singles competition and Nolan Moore and Oliver Thompson are the No. 2 seed in the doubles tournament.

“Connor’s draw is tough,” Minot High coach Scott DeLorme said. “Coming in as the seventh seed from the West and matching up with the two seed right away, with him only being a junior, his is going to be about experience. Hopefully he can snag a match, hopefully in the second round if everything goes right. But just having him get the chance to go up against these top players in the state. Connor has made some huge jumps from last winter to where he is now and hopefully he can see the results. Maybe he gets a win, maybe he doesn’t, but hopefully he learns that he can compete at this level because he’s going to be a major piece for us going forward next year.”

Ressler will play West Fargo Sheyenne’s Brandt Aslakson – the No. 2 seed from the East Region – in the first round.

Ressler entered the WDA individual tournament as the sixth seed and would end up placing seventh. He received a bye to the second round, where he defeated teammate Owen Sundahl, 6-3, 6-1. His two losses came at the hands of the Christen brothers from Mandan. He fell to third-seeded Matthew in the quarterfinals and seventh-seeded Jared in the consolation semifinals. He did qualify for state with a 6-1, 6-4, victory over Legacy’s Kevin Kalb and took seventh by besting Legacy’s Declan Hosek, 7-5, 6-4.

Ressler was 7-0 during the WDA regular season at No. 3 singles.

“Connor, we’ve just been stressing patience with him,” DeLorme said. “Patience in his match play. He likes to hit the ball hard and there’s a time for it, but he’s shown signs this year where he’s as good of a player in the West Region when he wants to be. We went to Fargo about a month ago and the kid who finished second out East, Connor lost in three sets, so he’s closer than maybe he realizes, so hopefully a good weekend here will show him.”

Moore and Thompson are looking to make a deep run when they begin doubles play against Breckon Metcalf and Chase Johnson of Fargo Davies. Moore and Thompson advanced to the championship match in the WDA tournament, falling to Jamestown’s Luke LeFevre and Braxton Burkett. They entered the WDA tournament as the No. 4 seed.

“They put themselves in position to get to the semifinals,” DeLorme said. “It won’t be easy. Right off the bat they get a tough one. Getting there won’t be easy, but they definitely have the weekend that gives them a chance. They are going to have to have a better weekend than they did last weekend and last weekend they played really well. They’re peaking. Hopefully they have one more week in them.”

The pairing went 3-1 at the WDA tournament, knocking off the top-ranked duo of Legacy’s Connor Svihovec and Brady Johnson, 6-1, 7-5. They also defeated Century’s Hayden Parent and Connor Michela, as well as Century’s Ryan Mullally and Cullen Satrom.

Moore and Thompson played No. 1 doubles four times during the WDA regular season, sporting a 2-2 record. They paired together twice in non-WDA competition and were 1-1.

Moore posted a pair of victories at No. 1 singles during the WDA tournament, which included a victory over LeFevre. DeLorme is hoping Moore is starting to believe that he belongs in the same discussion as some of the best players in the state despite only being a freshman.

“Nolan Moore is legit good,” DeLorme said. “I don’t think he realized how close he was to some of these top players in the state. He got a big win last week against Jamestown. Nolan Moore is as good as any No.1 player in our region. He needs to believe it. I think for so long he’s looked at himself as the little guy, but he’s starting to get some belief that he can play with those kids. We may not see it this weekend, but I think he’s proven himself that by next fall he’s going to have a massive year for us at No. 1 singles.”

Thompson has been consistent at No. 2 singles, finishing WDA play at 6-1 and winning all three of his matches during the postseason. He was also 5-2 in WDA doubles play.

“With Oliver, we’ve known he’s going to compete,” DeLorme said. “He’s a competitor. He’s played No. 5 or No. 6 for us the last couple years, but we knew he was going to have a big year for us. He’s put the time in more on the hockey side, more in the weight room. He’s kind of like Grand Forks Central: he’s just a good athlete.”

Minot North is not competing in the dual competition, but the Sentinels will be represented in the individual tournament with a pair of singles players in Colton Griffith and Brayden Callahan, their No. 1 and No. 2 singles players this year. They also happen to be two of their younger players.

Griffith – a freshman – experienced some tough luck and competition as the Sabers’ top singles player, going winless in WDA regular season competition. But he did win a pair of non-conference matches and then posted a 3-2 record during the conference individual tournament to earn the No. 6 seed out of the West. He defeated Jamestown’s Aden Oettle, 6-3. 6-2, Century’s Teddy Andrist, 6-1, 6-1, and Ressler, 5-7, 6-2, 10-7.

Griffith will play West Fargo Sheyenne’s Leighton Heick in his first-round match.

Callahan – an eighth-grader – bested Griffith in the fifth-place match, as both Sentinels outplayed their ranking. Callahan entered the regional tournament as the eighth-ranked player and will be the fifth seed when he battles with Fargo South’s Joshua Wilkinson in his first-round match.

The eighth-grader went 4-1 in the tournament, winning all four of his matches in straight sets. His only defeat came at the hands of top-ranked Jared Christen, 6-0, 6-1, in the quarterfinals. But he defeated Williston’s Carter Anfinson, Oettle, Hosek and Griffith. Callahan entered the tournament with a bit of momentum after winning his first WDA matches in his final two chances, topping Williston’s Kane Shannon and Bismarck High’s Max Chouinard. He also defeated Satrom in the WDA dual tournament.

The Sentinels will be looking for their first place-winner in program history.