The Boothbay Region High School boys tennis team lived up to Coach Mark Gorey’s high expectations last week, defeating Dirigo and Monmouth Academy decisively at home and losing to Lisbon in a close match at Lisbon.

Against Dirigo on April 24, the Seahawks won every match, except one, and that ended in a tiebreaker.

“This is our first win against Dirigo in the now four years I've been coaching,” Gorey said. “Coach Thompson always brings athletes with skill to the match, and I think our strength and depth surprised Dirigo.”

Senior Sam Schwehm, playing first singles, lost to Dirigo’s Jeremy Grignon in a hard fought match that went 32 games and ended in a tiebreaker, 10-10, (5-7).

Gorey said he was pleased with Schwehm’s tenacity. “At number one singles, Sam modeled the mental strength and tactical grit I am encouraging all of our players to adopt. He was down 2-6 in the tiebreaker and saved two match points,” Gorey said.

In second singles, freshman Nick Gorey beat Yossapat Chanarune, 10-6. Gorey and the smaller Chanarune exchanged searing serves and return shots, but Gorey’s better control allowed him to dominate and win the match.

In third singles, senior Brady Duncan defeated Thomas Barnett in a close match, 10-8. In first doubles, senior Evan Stevens and junior Ben Betts won 10-5 against Cliff Boynton and Loren Keim. In second doubles, freshmen Raymond Perry and Daniel Drummond defeated Jesse Hutchinson and Griffin Smith, 10-7. Seahawks took the match 4-1.

At Lisbon on April 26, the Greyhounds squeezed out a 3-2 win over the Seahawks. Gorey at second singles and the first doubles team of Ethan Walker and Drummond delivered Boothbay’s wins for the day. Gorey dominated Lisbon’s Roger Jama, 10-4. All the other matches of the day were close.

In first singles, Schwehm lost to Levi Dussault, 8-10 and Brady Duncan was defeated by Mike Jenkins, 8-10, in third singles play. Walker and Drummond beat Jacob Bremmer and Nate Bergeron 10-8 in first doubles and Stevens and Betts lost to Mitch Austin and Zach Cribbin, 9-11, in second doubles.

On April 29 at home, BRHS won 5-0 against Monmouth Academy. Gorey unseated Schwehm in a pre-game challenge match and took over at first singles for the Seahawks. He defeated Monmouth’s number one singles player, Kasey Smith, 10-7.  At second singles, Schwehm easily won, 10-2, against Robert Vickerson.

In third singles, Duncan fought long and hard to finally defeat Ben Bostridge in overtime, 10-10 (7-5).

In doubles play, Drummond and Walker defeated Joe Menice and Mason Clement, 10-7, and Betts and Stevens won 10-8 against Karl Schkrioba and Keith Anderson.

Coach Gorey added the following comments after the Dirigo match, “I am ecstatic at the way each of our players dug deep when the scores pulled close; none of our players gave up. In several matches, once we got rid of the opening nerves, I could see the belief in the players' faces. We move forward now with increased confidence.”

The Seahawks travel to Mt. Abram for a match on May 1, face Spruce Mountain at home on Friday, May 3 and travel to Winthrop on Monday, May 6.

Sue Mello can be reached at 207-844-4629 or sumello@boothbayregister.com.