DAN HICKLING
Staff Writer
LEWISTON — It was the most satisfying season in Kennebunk boys tennis history.
But Wednesday, it all came crashing down in a most unsatisfactory way as the Scarborough Red Storm defeated the Rams three games to two in the Western Maine Class A title game played at Bates College.
“It’s a team sport,” said Kennebunk No. 3 singles player Josh Behrens, a sophomore, whose win against senior Andrew Talbot, two years his senior, helped get the Rams (14-3) going. “But it’s also an individual sport.”
Behrens had little trouble Wednesay polishing off Talbot.
The two wrestled a month ago, with Behrens, now unbeaten at 14-0, already eager to get the tennis teams going.
Behrens won his match in two sets, 6-1 and 7-5.
He said he varied his approach in hopes in keeping his opponent Andrew Talbot off base.
“I had a good season,” Talbot said. “I’ve had a good season. I’ve had a lot of fun.”
The first doubles tandem of Christian Elkington and Sam Dickson easily won their match against Sanford’s Joe Corbeau and Jeff Sirocki.
Elkington and Dickson were trying to reverse a two-game losing streak, and succeeded.
“They had gotten into a little funk,” said Tom Post, Kennebunk’s coach. “Lost their mojo. We knew it was there, and we knew it was going to be here today.”
The two breezed past their opponents, putting them away at 6-0 and 6-4.
The Rams were not so fortunate in the second doubles, which saw Matt Pearson and Nat Skillin rally from 5-1 behind in the first set to tie it at 5-5, only to fall, 7-5.
The second set was even tighter, as Pearson and Skillin forced their opponents into a tiebreaker before losing 7-6.
Charlie Merry, Kennebunk’s No. 1 singles player, endured a tough day which saw him record a 6-1 loss in the first set, and a 7-5 setback in the second.
“Charlie is a great competitor,” said Post. “There’s no doubt about his conviction. He’s going to go down swinging in any competitive situation. Had this been a three-setter, my money would have been on Charlie.”
Scarborough took the remaining singles match, too, when Alec Sandmire was vanquished by Dana Liu, 6-2, 6-1.
Kennebunk finished its season 14-1.
— Contact Dan Hickling at dhickling@journaltribune or follow on Twitter @DanHickling.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
