BATH

Morse High School boys tennis coach Steve Boyce didn’t know what to expect heading into Thursday’s Class B South quarterfinal tussle with Freeport.

He certainly didn’t expect the No. 2 doubles match to be the last one to finish.

The back-and-forth match between the No. 2 seed Shipbuilders and seventh-seeded Falcons was still up in the air, and Boyce, along with Freeport coach Jay Harper, was holding his breath.

Ultimately, Morse’s reliable No. 1 Thomas Jarmusz came through in the clutch, and Collin McCarthy/Matthew Leclerc came back to claim the No. 2 doubles clash and finish off the more-than-meets the-eye 4-1 victory.

“We didn’t know what to expect, but we knew it would be close,” Boyce said.

“Overall, definitely a good match,” Harper said. “I’m happy with the result. Morse is a good, solid team. A great match and the Morse kids play with great sportsmanship.

I was proud of my kids in the match too. It was a good day.”

Jarmusz battled Freeport (4-9) No. 1 Nathan Smail in the headlining match and according to Boyce, it was Jarmusz’s first real test of the team season. The pair remained on serve through the opening seven games of the first set, but the eighth game proved vital.

Smail, who was playing with a back-up racquet after his strings snapped at the end of the first game, held a 40-15 edge and was one point away from breaking for a 5-3 lead. But, Jasmusz battled back and not only won the game to even the score, but broke Smail moments later to go up 5-4. From there, the Morse (11-2) frontrunner served out the set (6-4) and went on to comfortably win the second, 6-1.

“For Thomas (Jarmusz), he has not had competition this year,” Boyce said. “This is the toughest match, so it took him a while to adjust to the fact that he had to play hard. He’s able to dig deep, and that’s what’s good about him.”

“I’m proud of my No. 1 Nate Smail,” Harper said. “He played very well today. He battled. Their No. 1 (Thomas Jarmusz), I think he’s a really good player and he turned up his game in that second set.”

Jarmusz’s brother Matthew had Freeport’s John Smail running all over the court in the No. 2 singles match, which was over quickly after a pair of 6-0 sets. Jarmusz used drop shots, slices and pinpoint placement to throw Smail off balance and secure Morse’s first point of the afternoon.

“First time I’ve seen them play, I’ve heard about them, and I know they’re very good players,” Harper said of the Jarmusz brothers. “They’re tall, lengthy. The No. 2 (Matthew Jarmusz) is just really solid with the forehand. They’re solid.”

Liam Gould earned the Falcons’ lone point of the match from the No. 3 spot, defeating Oskar Matero, 6-2, 6-3. Gould used an early break to jump out to a 5-2 lead and closed out the first set before battling back in the second. After Matero earned a break in the first game of the second set, Gould went on to win three out of the next five games and turn a 3-2 lead into a victory.

Doubles battle

The Morse No. 1 doubles squad of Justin Trottier and Alex Fernald looked to have things under control after jumping out to an early 2-0 lead in the first set of their match, but Painter Soule and Sullivan Smith didn’t go quietly for Freeport.

The Falcons duo countered to even the score at 2-2 and broke the Shipbuilders again after falling behind 4- 3. With the score deadlocked at 5, Trottier/Fernald beared down to hold serve and broke Freeport a third time to take the set.

“It was kind of weird

going back and forth, because normally by that point, it’s been decided,” Trottier said.

“We weren’t that worried because we’re used to playing from behind,” Fernald added.

The second set was much different, as the Morse pair used “momentum” and “consistent shot-making” to take hold of the match and cruise to a 6-0 win.

The story was similar in the No. 2 doubles match, as McCarthy and Leclerc held what looked to be a comfortable 5-1 lead in the opening set, but watched Emmett Smith and Jordan Grotz of Freeport storm back and win the next three games. The Morse team bounced back to win the set, but the match was far from over.

Smith and Grotz won four straight games after falling behind 1-0 in the second set, and went on to comfortably force a third and deciding set, 6-2.

The two sides exchanged breaks in the decisive final set of the day, with the Shipbuilders holding a 2-1 lead, the Falcons rebounding to make it 4-3, and Morse again countering to bring things to 5-4. In the end, the home side closed out the final two games to take the rollercoaster ride of a match.

“It was a head-scratcher and a gut-wrenching match,” Boyce said. “It was unfortunate that somebody had to lose. I’m proud of them — they’ve done it a couple times this year.”

Morse is slated to host Cape Elizabeth in semifinal round on Saturday.

No. 2 Morse 4, No. 7 Freeport 1

Class B South Boys Tennis Quarterfinal, at Morse High School in Bath Thomas Jarmusz (Mo) over Nathan Smail, 6-4, 6-1. Matthew Jarmusz (Mo) over John Smail, 6-0, 6-0. Liam Gould (F) over Oskar Matero, 6-2, 6-3. Justin Trottier and Alex Fernald (Mo) over Painter Soule and Sullivan Smith, 7-5, 6- 0. Collin McCarthy and Matthew Leclerc (Mo) over Emmett Smith and Jordan Grotz, 7-5, 2-6, 7-5. Records — Morse 11-2, Freeport 4-9. Up next for the Shipbuilders — Saturday at home against Cape Elizabeth, 1 p.m. Note — Freeport’s season is completed.