LEWISTON
Ethan Weiss and Jeremy Hepler wasted no time Saturday.
Lewiston High School’s No. 2 doubles tennis team, which grinded out a three-set match Thursday to clinch a victory over Hampden Academy, did a 180 on Saturday, quickly defeating Brunswick’s Spencer Taylor and Nick DaRosa, 6-3, 6-1 in a Class A North semifinal match at Lewiston High School.
“We focused on what we had to do to be better than the last (match),” Hepler said. “We just focused on getting the ball in play and no unforced errors, just making them make mistakes.”
The rest of the second-seeded Blue Devils (11-3) followed suit as they defeated the Dragons, 4-1, to move to the regional final Tuesday against top-seeded Camden Hills at Colby College at 1 p.m.
Lewiston coach Tom Leblond was glad the back half of his ladder clinched the victory on Saturday.
“We were really good, as they say from the bottom up, which is really important during the playoffs,” Leblond said. “That’s what we are seeing most improvement is those bottom-five players this year. Not to take anything away from the top two, but it’s tougher competition (in the playoffs).”
Following the No. 2 doubles victory, the No. 1 doubles duo of Hayden Bavis and Jacob Smith clinched Lewiston’s second point of the match by defeating Lucas Piatt and Calvin Doherty, 6-1, 6-4.
If Brunswick was going to come away with the victory, it was going to have to win those doubles points.
“It’s high school tennis, some days your kids are on and looking pretty good … there’s an up and down to high school tennis,” said Brunswick coach Chris Leighton, who felt his doubles teams were playing well heading into Saturday’s match. “What you are trying to do is get your team consistent, so they play consistent. I knew coming here today we would have to win our two doubles. Last time we were here we lost two three-setters.”
Sam Frechette clinched the match for Lewiston, giving the Blue Devils the first three points of the match when he defeated Nuri Rosen, 6-4, 6-0, at No. 3 singles.
In first singles, Lewiston’s Caden Smith had to grind out a 7-6 (7-4) win in the first set after going up 3-0 to start the set against Wyatt Slocom.
“He’s a good player,” I knew coming in he would give me a tough battle,” Caden Smith said. “I’ve played him a couple times before, getting up on him early is good, but it didn’t work out the way I wanted to in the first set. I ended up (battling) through and winning it.”
After earning the first set, Smith wasted no time in the second set, winning 6-0.
The Dragons’ (6-8) lone victory was at No. 2 singles, in which Connor Shaw defeated Ben St. Laurent, 3- 6, 6-3, 10-5. They played the third set as a pro set since the match was officially over.
“He gets a lot of ball-back, and in high school tennis you see a lot of that,” Leighton said of Shaw. “A lot of the successful players aren’t necessarily the big hitters. It’s the players who get the ball back and make the fewest mistakes. Connor can do that, Connor was happy to eke out a win here.” played him a couple times before, getting up on him early is good, but it didn’t work out the way I wanted to in the first set. I ended up (battling) through and winning it.”
After earning the first set, Smith wasted no time in the second set, winning 6-0.
The Dragons’ (6-8) lone victory was at No. 2 singles, in which Connor Shaw defeated Ben St. Laurent, 3- 6, 6-3, 10-5. They played the third set as a pro set since the match was officially over.
“He gets a lot of ball-back, and in high school tennis you see a lot of that,” Leighton said of Shaw. “A lot of the successful players aren’t necessarily the big hitters. It’s the players who get the ball back and make the fewest mistakes. Connor can do that, Connor was happy to eke out a win here.”
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
