Despite finishing the regular season with no losses for the third consecutive year, the Lewiston High School girls’ tennis team is relegated to the No. 2 position in this season’s playoffs, according to the final Heal Point standings released Thursday.
“It doesn’t surprise me, really,” said Lewiston coach Anita Murphy. “We ended up in this same position last year. It’s hard for anyone to say where anyone belongs because we don’t play anyone in the East during the season.”
Brunswick, also undefeated this season, took the top seed in the East region and joins Lewiston in having home-court advantage until the Regional Final.
The Lewiston boys’ team wasn’t so lucky, and its one loss to Deering proved costly. The Blue Devils garnered the No. 3 seed, behind Brunswick and Gardiner. Should the seeds hold, the Blue Devils’ regional semifinal would be at Gardiner. All three schools finished with just one loss.
In Class C, Winthrop completed another stellar season, finishing undefeated and taking the top spot in the Western Class C tournament. In the Ramblers’ bracket is Jay, which the Ramblers would play should the Tigers upset Hall-Dale in a play-in match.
Edward Little managed the No. 5 seed in the Western Class A girls’ standings and will face Mt. Ararat in the first round. Should the Red Eddies advance, top-seeded Brunswick would await. On the boys’ side, EL garnered the No. 8 seed.
Other local teams involved in the upcoming tournament include the Mt. Blue boys, who will square off against Lewiston in the first round as the No. 6 seed, and the Mountain Valley and Maranacook boys at sixth and seventh respectively in Western Class B.
In Class C, the Winthrop boys earned the No. 5 seed in the West, with Monmouth and Dirigo each qualifying beneath the Ramblers.
On the girls’ side, Maranacook and Mountain Valley are No. 3 and No. 4 respectively in Western Class B, while Dirigo joins Winthrop and Jay in Western Class C as the No. 5 seed.
Preliminary play-in matches begin this weekend, and quarterfinal action starts next Wednesday.
jpelletier@sunjournal.com
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