PORTLAND – Tennis ability has run through the Chicoine clan’s veins for years.
Calvin, a sophomore at North Yarmouth Academy and the eldest of Lewiston High School coach Ron’s three sons, added his name into family lore Saturday at the Racket and Fitness Center in Portland.
With his team trailing, and in desperate need of a win, Calvin rallied from a set down for a 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 victory at No. 2 singles, lifting the Panthers to a 3-2 match victory over George Stevens Academy for the Class C state title.
“It was such a tough match,” Calvin said. “I had to move him a lot, side-to-side. I tried to wear him down, use a lot of drop shots.
“At the end, I think that’s what got him.”
Calvin was the third generation of his family to win a state title Saturday.
His father, Ron, coached the Lewiston boys to their fifth consecutive Class A title, a 4-1 win over Westbrook. Anita Murphy,
Ron’s mother and Calvin’s grandmother, coached the Lewiston girls to their second straight Class A title, too, a 4-1 victory over McAuley.
In a telephone interview after the match, Ron sounded more like a proud father than a victorious coach.
“He played so well,” Ron said. “The guy he played, he was a good player.
“I know last year he felt he let the team down when he lost against Waynflete, so I know he was happy to make amends. He played some great tennis.”
Murphy is well-known in Lewiston’s tennis circle for being a nervous wreck at big matches.
After watching his son play, Ron showed the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
“I know what it’s like, watching,” Ron said. “I’d much rather be playing than watching.”
Ron was himself a state champion, playing on the 1984 Lewiston boys’ team that won the team title.
That year, Murphy coached the girls’ team, which also won the team title, and his father, Rene, coached the boys.
Murphy has now won eight titles as a head coach, Rene finished his career with seven, and Ron is catching up in the coaching department with five after winning three as a player.
Calvin, meanwhile, has a little catching up to do. But, he said, at least he has one.
“He’s been talking about his title runs for three or four years now,” Calvin said. “It’s nice to have one under my belt, now, too.”
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