Falmouth sweeps Class A tennis titles for second straight year
Jun. 11—LEWISTON — This spring marked the end of an era for the Falmouth boys tennis team, but not the end of a run.
Playing in its first state final without longtime coach Bob McCully, Falmouth rolled to its third straight Class A championship Wednesday, beating Camden Hills 5-0 at Bates College's Wallach Tennis Center.
"Falmouth tennis is always just going to be great, and these past three years have been so fun for all the boys," senior Sam Yoon said. "We're a team that runs really deep, so we're hopefully going to continue this streak for a while after."
It was only part of a banner day for Falmouth, which also repeated as girls champion with a 5-0 victory over Camden Hills. It's the sixth time since 2014 the Navigators have swept the Class A titles.
"Since I've been here, there really is (a bond between the teams)," said Falmouth girls coach Larry Nichols. "They're a close-knit group, and I think they appreciate the uniqueness of the situation. … They want each other to do well."
Monday marked the 48th straight match victory for the Falmouth boys (16-0), and the 15th championship overall. The first 14 were won under McCully, who coached for 53 years before stepping down this season because of health reasons.
"He's the one who built the program. I kind of just took over the reins, and it was pretty easy sledding to get through due to the work that he put in," said Navigators coach Jamie Hilton, an assistant under McCully for two years who said he chats with the former coach weekly. "The transition was very smooth. The kids knew me, and I knew how Bob ran things."
Hilton, who called himself "a basketball coach coaching tennis" — he also assists Falmouth boys basketball coach Dave Halligan — saw the smooth ride continue on the Bates College courts against the Windjammers (14-2). The No. 1 doubles team of Eli Sidhu and Luke Kusel got the first point with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Charlie Nicolet and Toby Van Hoewyk. Yoon followed with a 6-0, 6-0 win at second singles over Oscar Barnes, and freshman Adrian Mazurenko made the title official with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Joey Scordino at third singles.
Dante Iannetta and Nick Roediger beat Graham Eggena and Blake Christie 6-3, 7-5 at second doubles, and Matt Morneault finished the sweep with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Will Meyer at first singles in a rematch of the state singles final.
"It's definitely a strange feeling not having (McCully) there. I've always had him watching my matches from the side," Yoon said. "But Hilt's been a great coach this year. … He just has a way with words, he can motivate the boys very well."
Roediger, another senior, said extending Falmouth's latest dynasty is motivation in itself.
"Everybody knows their role," he said. "I think everybody embraces that role, and that makes our team so successful."
The Navigators' latest run shouldn't slow down any time soon.
"It's a very deep team," Hilton said. "One through probably 12 are all legitimate tennis players, and they play year-round. We're kind of blessed with a deep tennis roster."
It's a similar story on the girls side, where the graduation of eight seniors did little to prevent the Navigators (16-0) from earning their 17th state title, and seventh in Class A.
"This one has been really kind of extra rewarding," Nichols said. "I couldn't be prouder of the kids. Everyone had something they needed to improve upon, multiple areas, and they all appear to have done it at the right time. It's been kind of a treat to watch them."
Falmouth entered with a 31-match winning streak and didn't take No. 32 for granted against an undefeated Camden Hills team that ousted Brunswick in the North final. Falmouth narrowly defeated Brunswick in a marathon state final last year.
"We were definitely a little worried coming in," sophomore Sophia Turker said. "It was a little bit of nerves in that area. … You can't think (you have it won), or then it won't turn out that way."
Falmouth quickly jumped ahead, with Phoebe Reilly beating Atalanta Roberts at third singles in a matchup of freshmen, 6-2, 6-4. Turker topped Charlotte Delehey 6-2, 6-1 at second singles, and moments later, seniors Gwen Long and Carley Iannetta finished a 6-4, 6-1 win over Rana Abess and Olive Van Hoewyk.
Addie Morneault and Helena Nelson defeated Corynn Prescott and Abby Aldridge-Peacock 7-6 (4), 6-1 at first doubles, and state singles champion Sofia Kirtchev finished the day with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Hattie Moss at first singles.
"This time around was definitely very special, since all of us pulled through. We showed up and showed out," said Kirtchev, a junior. "I genuinely can't describe how proud I am."
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