RAPID CITY - The first day of the state boys high school tennis tournament is all about taking care of business and avoiding what one coach called "those uncomfortable moments."

Rapid City Stevens and Sioux Falls O'Gorman, the two teams expected to battle for the top spot on the podium once the tournament hits its stride, both came through Thursday's opening in good shape, although there were a few tense moments along the way.

"You're going to have those in a tournament like this, said O'Gorman coach Don Barnes. "You want to stay away from those uncomfortable moments."

Two-time defending state champion Stevens had a few close calls, but emerged unscathed advancing to today's championship rounds in all six singles flights and all three doubles flights.

The drama for the Raiders came when freshman Stephen Tibbles and junior Cody Eslinger, unseeded at Flight 3 doubles, upset second-seed Peter Chang and Jordan Zimmel of Sioux Falls Lincoln in a second round match.

The Raider pair won the first set then weathered a Lincoln comeback in the second set to prevail 6-3, 7-6, (7-3).

"This match we started working together," Eslinger said after the match. "They had the advantage in the second set, but we played smart and aggressive."

Trailing 6-5 in the second set, the pair rallied with two straight wins to force the tiebreaker.

"We just realized that it's now or never," Eslinger said.

"I didn't want to be playing for fifth," said Tibbles, who has earlier survived a second-round fifth-flight singles match against Max Eckrich of Aberdeen Roncalli, winning also in three sets 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. "We were more aggressive at the net."

"That was a big win for them to prove that they can play," said Olson. "They were one win away from moving so far up the ladder, and they just hadn't had the confidence.

"They were up big in that second set and almost lost it, but they didn't ever say it was over and that's what we've been waiting for them to do."

O'Gorman also advanced all flights, but had to hold off an upset bid by Aberdeen Roncalli in Flight 1 doubles.

The Knights' Brad Entwistle and Jameson Goetz downed Kevin Oliver and J.D. Carrels of Roncalli, 7-5 in the first set, then trailed 4-3 in the second set before rallying for the win.

"We were missing some shots that hopefully we'll make tomorrow," said Entwistle, a freshman. "They volleyed pretty hard and served well, and that's a big part of doubles."

Both O'Gorman and Stevens share the team points lead at 332 after the first day.

Sioux Falls Roosevelt is third at 298 and Rapid City Central fourth at 296.

The Cobblers advanced in eight of nine flights, suffering their only setback when Pierre's Stephen Bollinger handed Central's Dan Tully a 6-1, 6-3 loss at Flight 3 singles.

Eastern South Dakota Conference champion Aberdeen Central is fifth with 284 points.

The pace of the tournament will pick up with championship third-round singles matches and doubles semifinal matches today at Sioux Park.

Consolation round matches are also set for Sioux Park as well as Memorial Park and North Middle School.

In third-round matches in Flight 1, Stevens' Billy Paluch will meet Tanner McCaskell, of Huron, with Evan Gardner, of Sioux Falls Lincoln, playing Jared Drenkow, of Sioux Falls Washington.

In another key match-up, Rapid City Central's Cale Barber plays Kyle Lambertz of Sioux Falls Roosevelt, with Entwistle playing Oliver.

Oliver needed a third set tie-breaker to get past Dane Rasmussen of Aberdeen Central in a second-round match Thursday.

"Today is just positioning and tomorrow is shaking it up a little bit. We need to show up to play," Olson said. "If we can get seven or eight into the semifinals, that would be awesome."

"There's really no place to hide," said Barnes. "Once you get to this point all the matches are quality matches."