They dropped the first set in all five of their matches against fourth-seeded Mt. Blue, but came from behind to win the match 3-2 for the Class A North title at Bates College on Wednesday.
“I was sort of confident that each of them would come back because they battled all year,” Lewiston coach Tom LeBlond said. “The other thing, Cole Ouellette didn’t really have that many three-set matches (this year) and Timo (Teckenberg), he lost three three-set matches this year. This is a big breakthrough for him.”
Not to be outdone, the Lewiston girls avenged their only setback of the season — a loss in the exhibition KVAC Championship game — to earn a trip to the state final with a 3-2 win over rival Brunswick.
“We didn’t get to 14-0 (regular season and playoffs) by luck, that we did it with hard work, so let’s keep working hard today,” Lewiston coach Anita Murphy told her team before the match.
But long after the girls were done, the boys’ match remained electric.
The Cougars took two of the first three matches. Third singles player Alex Bunnell defeated Eric Hall 6-1, 6-2, and No. 1 doubles tandem Thomas Marshall and Dylan Roberts defeated Ben Ferrence and Reid Pomerleau, 6-4, 6-3.
“I think both teams gave it their all and that’s all we can ask for,” Mt. Blue coach Zac Conlogue said. “It was a very exciting match.”
The Blue Devils took the second doubles contest as Kyle Morin and Sam Zashut defeated Andrew Haszko and Tristin McFarlane, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.
The second singles match was the turning point. Teckenberg of Lewiston and Jack Leopold of Mt. Blue battled in the first set. Leopold took the opener, 7-6 (7-4). In the second set, Leopold started to battle cramps as Teckenberg came from behind to grab the set, 7-5.
Late the set, Leopold had to use an injury timeout for the cramps. Teckenberg took control of the third set with Leopold limited in his movements. Teckenberg won the third set, 6-4.
“It was tough, we have been dealing with that a few times this season,” Conlogue said of Leopold’s cramping. “He fought to the end, he could of given up, but he wanted to stay out on the court. I give him a lot of credit for doing that.”
The No. 1 singles match of Cole Ouellette of Lewiston and Evan Backus of Mt. Blue was equally compelling. The first set also went into a tiebreaker, with Backus winning 7-6 (7-5). Ouellette battled back in the second to win 6-4. Ouellette jumped out to a 3-0 lead, eventually winning 6-3, in the third.
“The first set, it was 6-5 and Cole has an overhead and Evan makes a great shot and ends up winning the tiebreaker,” LeBlond said. “It was really exciting tennis. It’s a real tribute to the Mt. Blue guys. I think me and Zac started coaching tennis around the same time. Each year we have improved so much, a lot of admiration and respect for those guys.”
Lewiston girls take care of Brunswick
The two top girls’ teams in the North region also battled at Bates on Wednesday.
Lewiston defeated Brunswick in the regular season, and the Dragons returned the favor in the KVAC Championship. The Devils took the rubber match when it counted, earning a chance at a state title with the 3-2 victory.
The teams split the two doubles matches, as Lewiston’s No. 1 doubles team of Maddie LeBlond and Chloe Morin recorded the first point of the match with a 7-6 (3), 6-3 win over Katherine Kurshardt and Gillian Doehring. Brunswick’s second doubles, Sabina Smith and Rae Bamberger overcame a lackluster second set to topple Corinne Laberge and Sierra Melanson, 6-1, 5-7, 6-0, leaving the singles matches to decide the outcome.
“Lizzy (Michaud) my number three singles player, she’s a fighter, she came back,” Murphy said. “Alanna (Taylor), our number two is always a fighter. She’s in there, she stays in the game. Lizzy sometimes takes a set to warm up.”
The Blue Devils clinched the match when Michaud and Taylor finished simultaneously. Taylor defeated Cassie Ridge, 7-5, 6-0, while Michaud came back in third singles to defeat Elizabeth Day, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Kira Wolpow of Brunswick defeated Maddi Roy in first singles 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.
“It’s always close with Lewiston,” Brunswick coach Rob Manter said. It’s a long rivalry going back many years , it always has been close.”
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