Staff Writer
LEWISTON – Western Maine tennis fans may have favored Falmouth for the Class B State Championship in boys’ tennis with two state titles in the last three years, but the Caribou boys stepped onto the courts with the confidence of 75 wins and 0 losses and the support of Viking fans on Saturday.
Contributed photo/Brent Jepson
Team work. Taylor Jepson serves while Spencer McElwain waits at the net during the first doubles match of the Maine State Class B Championship on Saturday.
“The Eastern Maine Championship was our goal, but after we got that, of course, we wanted to win states,” said head coach John Habeeb.
The Friday before the final match, Caribou had their last practice playing a scrimmage with Lewiston, who went on to win the Class A title. Previously, Habeeb had asked Caribou’s pre-season scrimmage partners if they had played Falmouth, but none had met their opponents. Lewiston, however, had played a match with Falmouth before the start of the regular season.
“I said to the boys to talk to the guys between sets, and find out about the other team,” said Habeeb about the scrimmage.
After the practice, Lewiston agreed that the Vikings had a solid chance on the courts tomorrow.
“They said we matched up very well with them,” explained Habeeb. “It encouraged our boys quite a bit.”
Playing for the best of three sets, Caribou won all their first sets. Number-two Shane Belanger posted 6-4 against Keith Daigle, number-three singles Casey Lancaster had a 6-2 win over Nick Polko, doubles number-one team Spencer McElwain and Taylor Jepson pulled off a 7-6 win over Chad Prichard and Jack Wyman, and number-two doubles team Keegan Wakana and Tim Langlais notched a 6-2 set over Chris Marchetti and Ben Moody.
“In the second sets it got closer; I think it was a sign of their excitement,” said Habeeb. “They could see the state championship there, the finish line.”
Belanger served a decisive second set win 6-0 that quickly pulled his teammates back to the winning ends of their sets.
Lancaster came from behind for a 6-4 win. Second doubles posted a 7-5 win for the point. “Tim Langlais was a beast,” commented Habeeb. “He held serve when it was close, and blasted a forehand into center court. The Falmouth players couldn’t get their racket on it.”
Number-one doubles dropped their second set 6-4, and continued their match into the third set. “They were down 5-0 but they didn’t pack it in,” said Habeeb. “They came back.”
McElwain and Jepson won their point 7-6.
Following the first four matches the number-ones took to the court. Viking Franz Zehentner defeated Sam Hyland 6-4, 6-2.
“The icing on the cake was to see first doubles and Franz win so we could go undefeated,” said Habeeb. “For our boys to pull out all those sets under that kind of pressure was really impressive … We don’t even have all the luxuries that Falmouth has like the indoor facilities and the weather, but against all odds they were able to pull it off.”
Caribou high school boys’ tennis ended their 2008 season winning 80 matches with no losses.
Caribou boys’ tennis claimed their first Eastern Maine title with a perfect round against Belfast last Wednesday, 5-0.
In singles, Zehentner defeated Patrick LaCivita 6-2, 6-2; Belanger stopped Russell Varney 6-2, 6-0; and Lancaster won by forfeit. In doubles, Jepson and McElwain topped Levi Whitcomb and Jeff Morgan 6-0, 6-1. Wakana and Langlais defeated Luke Lindelof and Cassidy Alex 6-0, 6-0.
Also members of the 2008 Caribou boys’ tennis team are sophomore Nick Willey, freshmen Ezra Duplissie-Cyr and Phil Smith and manager Matt Cote.
Contributed photo/Brent Jepson
Caribou’s number-two singles player Shane Belanger returns a volley during the State Championship on Saturday.
Contributed photo/Brent Jepson
A cold celebration. Members of the Caribou tennis team douse head coach John Habeeb after winning their first State Championship on Saturday.
