The Marshalltown boys tennis team was far from 100 percent for Friday’s substate second-round match Urbandale.

Nonetheless, the Bobcats were able to secure a 5-2 win over Urbandale at the Marshalltown Court Complex to advance to a Class 2A substate final on Wednesday afternoon.

The sixth-ranked Bobcats (12-2) advance to face top-seeded and 10th-rated Dowling Catholic (9-2) on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. in West Des Moines. The winner advances to the state team tournament May 31 at Waukee Northwest.

MHS head coach James Christensen said the Bobcats had to battle through illness and injury on a muggy day for tennis.

“It was a gritty performance,” Christensen said. “We had quite a few guys that weren’t coming in 100 percent today that came through.”

The Bobcats racked up four singles victories, including a 6-2, 6-1 victory for Jason Strand at No. 1 singles. Gavin Jablonski, Isaac Benscoter and Drew Loney also won their matches in straight sets. Strand remains undefeated in singles competition this season, shaking off an early deficit against Saif Chaudhry and taking over the match.

And even after a straight-set loss for Jacob Thiessen at No. 4 singles, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 against Cooper Hardersen, MHS had a chance to end the meet before going to doubles play with Nile Christensen battling Ruy Gonzalez at No. 3 singles.

Nile dropped the first set, 6-4, but forced a third set with a 6-3 second-set victory.

He led 5-4 in the third set, but Gonzalez rallied for a 7-5 victory, ending a 2 1/2-hour match and requiring doubles play to begin to find a team winner.

“Nile always finds himself in a battle, that’s just kind of his playstyle,” James Christensen said. “He’s definitely no stranger to being in pressure situations, long matches is nothing he’s never seen before. And there’s nobody I’d rather have out there in a situation like that. He’s a kid that puts it on the line, gives 100 percent on every single shot; if he’s in a position like that [on Wednesday], I trust that he’ll get the ‘W’.”

The doubles teams took the courts, and Benscoter and Loney were able to secure a 6-1, 6-3 victory at No. 3 doubles to end the match early.

While the Bobcats didn’t find themselves in much danger on Friday afternoon, James Christensen wants to make sure that the team is sharp for Wednesday with a state berth on the line.

“We had quite a few points in games where we just had some loose errors,” Christensen said. “Trying to do too much or not enough maybe, and it just wasn’t a measured performance. That’s the focus the next few days is getting healthy, number one, and then getting our shot selection where it needs to be.”

Marshalltown 5, Urbandale 2

SINGLES

Jason Strand (MHS) def. Saif Chaudhry, 6-2, 6-1

Gavin Jablonski (MHS) def. Elijah Ajiri, 6-1, 6-1

Ruy Gonzalez (U) def. Nile Christensen, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5

Cooper Hardersen (U) def. Jacob Thiessen, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3

Isaac Benscoter (MHS) def. Ariston Velman, 6-2, 6-1

Drew Loney (MHS) def. Corbin Kleis, 6-4, 6-3

DOUBLES

Benscoter and Loney (MHS) def. Velman and Truman Folkers, 6-1, 6-3