Boothbay Region High School boys tennis coach Mark Gorey makes his post-season awards gathering for players and parents fun. Not only does he recap the players’ accomplishments, he also adds anecdotes of funny or heartfelt moments he remembers about each player occurring during the season.

Gorey, coach of the BRHS team for the past 13 years, held his awards night June 11 in the former computer room at BRHS following what was, according to him, “the best season I have experienced in my years of coaching.”

2024 was his first undefeated regular season (10-0, 11-1 overall) and the second straight year the team has won the Mountain Valley Conference championship.

Gorey began the night – which featured a buffet of food donated by parents for the nearly 40 attending family members and friends after the award presentations – by praising the “above and beyond” support by the parents of the players. Holding up a sample of the new uniforms for next season, “which came in today,” he said they were another testament to the parents’ generosity.

Losing to Waynflete in the semifinal of the Maine Principals’ Association Class C South tournament has prompted Gorey to work with BRHS Athletic Director Allan Crocker to perhaps schedule two out-of-conference matches next season to better prepare for the likes of Waynflete, Maine Central Institute and North Yarmouth Academy come tournament time.

“Waynflete is a Class C team but they play teams like Cape Elizabeth, Yarmouth and Greely, larger schools, which we don’t have the opportunity to do,” said Gorey. “If we could play some of these larger schools, we may be better prepared to face these other Class C schools during the tournament and perhaps compete for a championship.”

As each player’s accomplishments were described by Gorey, the player came to the podium and he awarded them with certificates of participation and other individual items – such as a letter for competing in a scored match, captain pins, service bars for veteran players, MVC certificates, or a tennis racket insignia pin.

The players were introduced in the following order: Nathan Percival, Sabine Pochee, Ronan Drage, Chase Mansfield, Harry Hinckley, Cole Hyson, Neal Baldwin, Andrew Fowlie, Rodi Mayne, Griffin Yereance and Cleyton Splaine.

Winning plaques this season were Splaine, MVP for the second straight year; Yereance, the Coach’s Award; and Hinckley, Most Improved Player. The second annual “Moxie Award” was presented to Hyson.

Winning awards from the Mountain Valley Conference, as determined by votes from MVC coaches, were first-team all stars Splaine and Yereance; second-team all stars Fowlie and Mayne; and honorable mention all stars Baldwin and Hyson. Mayne was also on the all-academic team.

Before the buffet line formed, co-captains Splaine and Yereance and seniors Fowlie and Mayne presented cards and gifts to Gorey, who thanked everyone for the “great season.”