The Waynflete boys’ tennis team defeated Orono in the Class C state championship match Saturday — the program’s 12th consecutive state title. Ian Ward photo/Portland Press Herald
By the time Waynflete senior Thorne Kieffer reached match point, the team championship already belonged to the Flyers.
But that didn’t stop Kieffer from putting a little extra zip on the overhead volley that secured the final win of his high school career.
With a 4-1 victory over Orono High on Saturday morning at Lewiston High School, Waynflete (13-3) secured its 12th straight Class C boys’ state tennis championship – a winning streak that dates back to 2008. Kieffer, who defeated Orono junior Itai Boss, 6-0, 6-0, won for the second year in a row at No. 1 singles.
“(This team’s got) great kids, good character and very resilient,” said Waynflete head coach Jeff Madore. “We had one of our best athletes, Aidan Kieffer (Thorne’s younger brother), hurt all year, so we had to really scramble.”
The team did not have to scramble on Saturday, dropping only the No. 2 doubles match, after Orono juniors Alex Brown and Sam Henderson held off Waynflete freshmen Henry Moore and Henry Hart in a third-set tiebreaker 7-6 (10-5) after splitting the first two sets, 7-6 (7-5), 3-6.
Waynflete swept the singles matches behind Thorne Kieffer, with sophomore Ben Adey beating Orono senior Sam Cartwright, 6-0, 6-0, and senior Chris Register topping Orono junior Patrick Tyne 6-1, 6-2.
In the first doubles match, Waynflete seniors Cooper Sherman and Ben Lualdi clinched the team title for the Flyers with their 6-4, 6-1 victory over Orono senior Ryan Shorette and sophomore Trent Lick.
“It felt amazing. It’s always great to get the clincher,” said Sherman. “(Orono) was a tough team, so it was even better.”
Orono, the Class C North champion, finished with a 14-2 record.
“In the North, we were solid from top to bottom, but we knew what we were going up against,” said Orono Coach Matt Murray. “Tip your hat to Waynflete. They’re just so talented.”
For Kieffer, who stepped away from tennis during middle school before taking it up again during his freshman year at Waynflete (13-3), Saturday’s victory was the end of a remarkable high school tennis career.
“It’s crazy to think how quickly that went by. It was nice to finish it off this year (with the state title),” said Kieffer, who will take a gap year before attending Bates College, where he will try to walk onto the tennis team. It’s really surreal to actually have (the championship) now and to continue the streak the guys who I looked up to had when I was way younger and were really good players.”
“It’s really surreal to actually have (the championship) now and to continue the streak that the guys who I looked up to when I was way younger and were really good players.”
For Madore, who first convinced Kieffer to take up the sport again, Kieffer’s final victory was rewarding.
“It’s been a lot of fun to see him progress and see him enjoy the game again,” said Madore.
In the Class C girls’ championship match, Mattanawcook Academy defeated Carrabec, 5-0.
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