The Waynflete boys’ tennis team lines up for a photo after defeating George Stevens Academy, 5-0, to win the Class C state championship Saturday at Lewiston High. Flyers Coach Jeff Madore is on the right. Kevin Thomas photo
LEWISTON — If there was any suspense about Waynflete winning a 13th straight Class C boys’ state tennis title, it ended quickly.
The Flyers needed at least three victories and, not long after the competition began Saturday at the Lewiston High courts, Waynflete players began reporting their winning scores.
No. 3 singles player Henry Kerr won 6-0, 6-0; the No. 1 doubles team won 6-4, 6-1; No. 2 doubles won 6-0, 6-1.
Three matches won, a total of six games lost, and consecutive championship No. 13 was in the books.
Waynflete also took No. 1 and No. 2 singles in straight sets to top familiar foe George Stevens Academy, 5-0.
In the Class C girls’ final, Hall-Dale defeated Orono, 4-1.
For Waynflete, the dominance is all these Flyers have known – the streak began before the current seniors were in kindergarten.
“(The streak) means a lot,” said senior captain Ben Adey, who won his No. 1 singles match, 6-1, 6-3. “I was a little nervous. We knew we had another good team and a good shot at it … No one wants to be that team (that breaks the streak).
No worries on Saturday. Waynflete (14-1) completed a 15-0 match record in the playoffs. The Flyers continue to build one of Maine’s greatest high school dynasties. Only the Old Town High boys’ swimming team has won more consecutive states titles– 14, from 1985 to 1998.
In all, Waynflete has won 17 state titles. Conversely, George Stevens has been to the final 15 times, losing 14 of them – 12 to Waynflete. The Eagles did beat Waynflete for its one championship in 2004 (the Flyers’ only defeat in the final).
On Saturday, the closest match came at No. 2 singles, as Feeney held off Oliver Lardner, 6-2, 7-5.
“We both had a style of ‘get the ball in.’ We were both consistent, which led to some very, very long rallies,” Feeney said. “It was all about how can I one-up him on placement?”
How focused was Feeney? He did not hear that his team already clinched the title. “I had no idea,” Feeney said matter-of-factly.
Waynflete Coach Jeff Madore, obviously pleased, spoke of the excitement of competing after the cancelation of the 2020 season because of the pandemic.
“Four months ago, I didn’t think we were going to have a season,” he said. “Now, to be here, isn’t this great?”
Waynflete is graduating Adey, Feeney and John Moon-Block, a senior on the No. 2 doubles team. Kerr is a sophomore. The No. 1 doubles featured sophomore Matt Adey and junior Henry Hart, and junior Ed Cox was Moon-Block’s partner.
The top five George Stevens players are not seniors. A chance of beating Waynflete next year?
“Maybe,” Eagles Coach Mark Ensworth said. “You never know, but we have to get a lot better.”
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