Pete Webster, coach of the York High boys’ tennis team, is worried.
Not so much about York’s opponent in Wednesday’s Western Maine Class B tennis state championship match, although he is well aware of Cape Elizabeth’s depth and talent, but about the starting time of the match: 12:45 p.m. at the Wallach Tennis Complex at Bates College in Lewiston.
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During normal school hours, the district’s blue Ford Expedition sport utility vehicles are used to transport vocational students. After school, they are available for small teams — such as Webster and his eighth-seeded Wildcats.
“It’s a great group of kids to coach and we spend quality time driving to these matches,” Webster said. “We take one SUV with me driving seven kids.”
Last week, after beating No. 9 Morse High in a preliminary match in York, the Wildcats made successful expeditions to Newcastle — where they knocked off previously-unbeaten and top-seeded Lincoln Academy — and to No. 5 Freeport — where they avenged an early May loss. They won both matches by 3-2 scores.
Against Lincoln Academy, led by state singles champion Jordan Friedland, the deciding match came at No. 2 singles, where York junior Jack Lawlor rallied from a 2-5 deficit in the second set to win 6-4, 7-5.
Both doubles matches went three sets, with Lincoln winning at one and York seniors Peter Carley and Mike Consaga winning at two, 7-6 (9-7), 2-6, 6-2.
Against Freeport, the Falcons once more swept doubles, but York senior Dave Bresnahan won 6-2, 6-0 at No. 3 singles to reverse the earlier outcome. On May 3 against Freeport, Bresnahan had won the first set and lost 12 of the next 13 games against Chris West, whose comeback gave the Falcons a 3-2 match victory.
“That was something Dave had thought about a lot, being a senior,” Webster said. “He wasn’t going to let it turn around again. I guess you could say he showed the heart of a lion.”
Next up is No. 2 Cape Elizabeth (14-0), which swept the Wildcats (9-6) in York on May 6. Even without senior Matt Gilman at No. 1 singles, the Capers never allowed York more than three games in any of the 10 sets. Gilman, Peter Higgins and Satchel McCarthy were the fourth, sixth and seventh seeds, respectively, in the state singles tournament.
“Oh boy, it’s going to be a monumental task,” Webster said. “We’re going to go and try our hardest and play our best. Perhaps we can get an upset over one of the best teams in many, many years in the state.”
Fearing a transportation jinx, Webster is hoping to keep his team in its SUV groove on Wednesday.
“We’d hate to show up in a school bus,” he said. “We’d love to continue our expedition.”
Here’s a look at a few of the other regional finals scheduled for Wednesday, with Western Maine teams playing at Lewiston and Eastern Maine teams playing at Orono.
CLASS B GIRLS: Top-seeded Falmouth is riding a 91-match win streak and seeking its sixth straight state title. No. 2 Cape Elizabeth lost 5-0 to Falmouth in late April and would do well to win a set against a Falmouth squad that boasts the individual state champion (sophomore Olivia Leavitt) and two semifinalists (freshman Julia Brogan, senior Libby Voccola) in its singles lineup.
In Eastern Maine, No. 3 Waterville plays No. 1 Ellsworth.
CLASS A BOYS: Looking to defend its first state title, No. 1 Gorham will face No. 3 Kennebunk. They wrapped up the regular season in Gorham, with the host Rams winning 4-1 in a match without a three-setter.
In Eastern Maine, No. 2 Bangor plays No. 4 Hampden Academy. Last year’s Bangor-Gorham state final featured three matches decided in a third set, all of them won by Gorham.
CLASS A GIRLS: No. 1 Portland and No. 2 Scarborough reprise a match from early May that saw the Bulldogs prevail 3-2 after losing both doubles in three sets but hanging on to a 6-3, 7-5 victory at No. 3 singles by sophomore Margot Andreasen.
Defending state champion Brunswick, seeded second in the East, takes on No. 4 Mt. Blue, which slipped past No. 1 Hamden Academy.
CLASS C BOYS: Seeking a sixth straight state title, No. 4 Waynflete faces No. 6 North Yarmouth Academy. They met twice in the regular season, and NYA has yet to win a set. No. 1 Madawaska and No. 2 George Stevens meet in Eastern Maine.
CLASS C GIRLS: No. 6 Waynflete and No. 9 NYA will play a rubber match after splitting regular-season matches, each by 3-2. Second doubles proved to be pivotal. The Flyers have won the past two state titles.
In Eastern Maine, No. 1 Mattanawcook plays No. 2 Van Buren.
Glenn Jordan can be contacted at 791-6425 or at gjordan@pressherald.com
Twitter: GlennJordanPPH
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