MARQUETTE — The 4-4 final score just began to scratch the surface of how even the Marquette and Kingsford high school boys tennis teams were on Thursday at Marquette Senior High School.

The teams split both singles and doubles, each winning two flights, with five matches going to a third set and five sets needing a tiebreaker.

“(This is the) second time this week playing Kingsford and a second 4-4 tie,” MSHS head coach Karl Thomsen said in an email. “Our two teams are very evenly matched.

“Looking at the matches, the Nos. 1 and 2 doubles matches were wildly entertaining. All four teams (in those matches) played some really good tennis, with high quality points, and showed that they are all beginning to understand the game of doubles.”

Each of those matches not only went three sets, but had to go to a tiebreaker in the deciding set.

At No. 1 doubles, Kingsford’s Ben Trevillian and Gabe Lafreniere prevailed over the Redmen’s Keaton Ansell and Isaac Johnson 7-6 (11-9), 3-6, 7-6 (7-5).

Then at No. 2 doubles, Marquette’s Andrew King and Liam McFarren fought back for a 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) victory over the Flivvers’ Jacob Saari and Eli Wallis.

“I was super proud how Andrew King and Liam McFarren battled back from a 2-5 deficit to take the match,” Thomsen said. “In the end, it was their aggressiveness that paid off.”

Three of the four singles matches also sent three sets, including a win by No. 1 singles player Matt Barsch of Marquette outlasting Kingsford’s Isaac Nash 6-0, 5-7, 6-4.

“Matt Barsch had a heavyweight tilt at No. 1 singles,” Thomsen said. “It was one of those matches where everything clicked in the first set, but then the law of averages played out in the second set.

“To Matt’s credit, he settled in during the third set and pulled out a nice victory.”

Marquette also won at No. 2 singles with Chase Thomsen posting a 6-4, 6-4 win over the Flivvers’ Gavin Moore, and at No. 4 doubles as Abe Kentala and Connor Stade prevailed over KHS’ Isaac Lebouef and Brett Berglund 6-2, 7-6 (7-1).

The Redmen get the weekend off before hosting Escanaba on Monday afternoon.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.