Hosting the No. 5-ranked Ankeny Centennial Jaguars, the No. 9-ranked Bobcat boys’ tennis team protected the home courts with a 7-4 victory.

After the win, Christensen said he was still in shock.

“I don’t think it’s really sunk in for everybody,” Christensen said. “The guys just executed tonight. It’s all on our players, they showed up, they played awesome. Couldn’t be happier for them.”

The Bobcats started the meet with confidence, but Centennial boasted two of the best tennis players in the state coming in — Will Blevins and Caleb Peterson. The duo won their singles matches against the Strand brothers, Kevin and Jason, in convincing fashion. Kevin lost 6-0, 6-0, the first time he’s been blanked this season. Jason took a game off of Peterson in the second set but still fell 6-0, 6-1. Christensen said the team knew what it was up against with the Jaguars’ star duo ahead of the meet, but planned around it and tried to keep his platers focused on the task at hand.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

The other four Bobcats in singles took care of business. Nic Price defeated Nic Mackaman 6-3, 6-3, while Ethan Benscoter beat Wesley Clark 6-4, 6-3. Drake Davis dispatched Chris Ceplecha 6-3, 6-2 and Nile Christensen won convincingly against Logan Keeran 6-4, 6-0.

These results gave the hosts a 4-2 edge entering the doubles matches. Two wins was all the Bobcats needed to clinch the victory.

While a few singles matches were still going on, Colin Schmit and Drake Stalzer took down Brody Blakeslee and Kellen Jones 6-1, 6-1 to push the Bobcats to the brink of victory.

Christensen was hoping that the duo of Justin Melde and John Loney would finish off the victory early, but after losing the first set 6-4 they came back to win the second set 6-1 and take the match to a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker Melde and Loney won 10-6 to clinch the victory, moments before Benscoter and Nile Christensen won due to an injury default from Centennial. The score was 6-1, 4-1 at the time of the default.

The Strand brothers lost 6-2, 6-3 to Peterson and Mackaman, while Price and Davis fell short against Blevins and Clark 6-1, 6-1.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

But to win the meet against a top-five opponent without a single win from the Strand brothers showed Christensen something about the depth he has at his disposal.

“It’s incredible,” Christensen said. “Just to be able to put those guys out at No. 5 doubles, it’s such a luxury to put them out there knowing they’re going to be the best No. 5 doubles on the court. The depth is incredible. No. 4 doubles had a test today but they’ve been phenomenal all year, No. 3 doubles has been great. The depth is just something that even a team like Ankeny Centennial didn’t have, and that’s pretty awesome.”

The Bobcats are now 7-1 in duals this season and visit the Johnston Invite Friday after weather postponed the event last weekend.

Marshalltown 7, Ankeny Centennial 4

Singles

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

Will Blevins (AC) def. Kevin Strand, 6-0, 6-0

Caleb Peterson (AC) def. Jason Strand, 6-0, 6-1

Nic Price (MHS) def. Nic Mackaman, 6-3, 6-3

Ethan Benscoter (MHS) def. Wesley Clark, 6-4, 6-3

Drake Davis (MHS) def. Chris Ceplecha, 6-3, 6-2

Nile Christensen (MHS) def. Logan Keeran, 6-4, 6-0

Doubles

Peterson and Mackaman (AC) def. Strand and Strand, 6-2, 6-3

Blevins and Clark (AC) def. Price and Davis, 6-1, 6-1

Benscoter and Christensen (MHS) def. Ceplecha and Kiran Bhat, 6-1, 4-1 (ret.)

John Loney and Justin Melde (MHS) def. Keeran and Joel Nelson, 4-6, 6-1, (10-6)

Colin Schmit and Drake Stalzer (MHS) def. Brody Blakeslee and Kellen Jones, 6-1, 6-1