WATERVILLE – With two match points already wasted, Lewiston senior Eric Morin steeled his gaze, tossed the tennis ball above his head and brought his racket down in a blur.
Service winner. Fist pump. Match over.
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For the eighth time in nine years, the boys of Lewiston reign supreme in the world of Class A tennis.
“I knew I had to focus,” Morin said, “because I knew my match would be the clinching match.”
The Blue Devils shook off a pesky Scarborough team making its first appearance in the state finals to win 4-1 Saturday morning at Colby College and reclaim the title they lost to Windham a year ago.
In a concurrent match, Lewiston’s girls swept Scarborough 5-0 without dropping a set to win their sixth consecutive Class A state title. The Blue Devils (13-2) reached the state finals by edging top-seeded Brunswick for the Eastern Maine championship after the Dragons had beaten Lewiston twice in the regular season and again in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference finals.
“Brunswick is a really good team and they prepared us,” said Lewiston Coach Anita Murphy, who left Waterville with her 12th state title and a career mark of 404-60 in her 33 years at the helm. “Scarborough (12-4) is a very good team, but I think you have to realize that we’ve been here and they never have. It’s going to affect you.”
Lewiston dropped only three games total between No. 1 singles (Jessica Bowen) and No. 2 doubles (Paige LeBlond and Courtney Aldrich), but the remaining matches were relatively close. Seniors Abby Blaisdell (6-4, 6-3) and Becca Lessard (6-2, 6-3) won at second and third singles, respectively, and Brittany Martin and Kirsty Beauchesne outlasted Scarborough’s Cortney Hughes and Maria Philbrick at No. 1 doubles, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.
“We had nothing to lose,” said Scarborough senior Jenna Posey, who lost to Bowen. “We came in full of energy. We’re really happy we have a banner in the school now: Western Maine champs.”
On the boys’ side, Morin’s 6-1, 7-5 victory at No. 3 singles over Scarborough’s Andrew Talbot clinched the match for Lewiston (15-0). Moments earlier, Scott Gagne won 6-1, 6-4 at No. 2 singles over Scarborough’s Dennis Liu.
Lewiston’s Jake Berube and Brett Vallee were first off the courts, winning 7-5, 6-3 at second doubles.
At No. 1 doubles, Murphy’s grandsons, Alex and Ben Chicoine, edged Scarborough’s Joe Corbeau and Jeff Sirocki 6-4, 7-6 (6). Scarborough junior Alex Henny prevented a sweep by winning 6-0, 7-5 at No. 1 singles.
“That is one of the most competitive matches we’ve had all year,” said Lewiston Coach Ron Chicoine, who improved his career mark to 137-2. “My hat’s off to Scarborough, particularly their first doubles. We were down in the second set in nearly every match. It was good to see us not quit.”
Scarborough (14-2) bids adieu to only two seniors, while Lewiston will lose five of its top seven.
“Even when my team was coming back, Lewiston pulled out all of the tight second sets (except for the Henny-Eric Hall match),” said Scarborough Coach Craig McDonald. “That might be the difference, in them having been here before. They know what it takes and they’ve got the best coach in Class A since (Pete) Debevoise (of South Portland) in the ’70s.”
Staff Writer Glenn Jordan can be contacted at 791-6425 or at:
gjordan@pressherald.com
Twitter: GlennJordanPPH
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