Will Best, Yarmouth junior: Playing No. 1 singles, Best led the Clippers to a 16-0 record and successful defense of their Class B state championship. As the 11th seed in the singles state tournament, he advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-5, 6-1 upset of No. 6 Marco Milano of MCI before falling to Gabe Naftoly of Berwick Academy.
Leif Boddie, Greely senior: After reaching the quarterfinals as a freshman and semis as a junior, Boddie advanced to the final of the singles state tournament, thanks to a 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 semifinal victory over Gabe Naftoly. In team competition, Boddie was unbeaten for the second straight season to help Greely reach the Class B South final.
George Cutone, Kennebunk sophomore: Cutone led the Rams to a 15-1 season and a second straight Class A state title. He also repeated as singles state champion, first by outlasting Sam Yoon 6-4, 6-4 in a tough semifinal, and then beating Leif Boddie 6-1, 3-0 (retire) in the final. In two years of high school competition, Cutone has won each of his matches.
Ezra LeMole, Camden Hills senior: LeMole led the Windjammers to a 14-2 record and fourth consecutive appearance in the Class A state final. His only loss came against singles state champ George Cutone. LeMole, who plays baritone saxophone, opted to take part in the All-State Band Festival instead of the singles tournament.
Unai Maldonado, Skowhegan sophomore: Maldonado overcame a soccer-related wrist injury and moved up from second to first singles, never losing a set in team competition. Seeded eighth in the singles state tournament, Maldonado won a three-setter against No. 9 Daniel Landry of Deering before falling in the quarters to eventual champ George Cutone.
Gabe Naftoly, Berwick Academy senior: A repeat All-State selection, Naftoly went 9-1 in prep school competition and returned to the MPA singles state tournament, where as the third seed, he extended No. 2 Leif Boddie to three sets before falling. A native of Newburyport, Mass., Naftoly plans on continuing his career at Goucher College in Baltimore.
Bernardo Tovar, Mt. Blue sophomore: Tovar went 9-1 in team competition to lead Mt. Blue into the Class A North quarterfinals. As the fifth seed in the singles state tournament, Tovar advanced to the quarterfinals before having to withdraw because of cramping in a 6-2, 4-5 match against Falmouth freshman Sam Yoon.
Sam Yoon, Falmouth freshman: Unusual in his ability to hit forehands from either wing, Yoon lost only two matches all season, both to Kennebunk’s George Cutone. The first came in the regular season (Yoon was 13-1 in team competition) and the second came in the semifinals of the singles state tournament (6-4, 6-4).
COACH OF THE YEAR
Jeff Madore, Waynflete
The Flyers wrapped up their 14th consecutive Class C state championship with a 5-0 victory over a combined team from Van Buren and Wisdom. Among team sports played by Maine high schools, that title streak is matched only by the Old Town boys’ swim team in Class B from 1985-98. The one constant has been Madore, who played baseball at the University of Maine, picked up tennis as an adult and began coaching Waynflete’s girls in 2002 after retiring as a chemical engineer. He switched to the Waynflete boys in 2007. This spring, he dealt with a painful hip and a COVID-19 infection, so he credits parent/assistant coach Peter Hart for taking over the reins in his absence.
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