Wildcat tennis teams bound for post-season
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — At the midway point of the tennis season, both the Wildcat girls’ and boys’ teams are once again in good shape to reach the playoffs.
The Presque Isle girls are in seventh place in Class B North with their 4-2 record, while the boys are in ninth at 3-3. Teams in the top-12 move on to the post-season.
Monica Bearden has coached the girls’ tennis team for 11 seasons. PI has four experienced players back in Michelle Cawley, Sarah Morneault, Miranda Bragan and Sedona Lucas and the addition of some newcomers means the squad will not have to take a forfeit in No. 2 doubles as it had to last season.
“At the end of the season we ended up forfeiting two matches because of a injury,” Bearden said. “I feel we are ahead of the game this year having a full squad and that certainly takes some pressure off the players.”
Hilary Boucher, who played first singles in 2015, was the lone player off last year’s team to graduate, so Cawley moves into the No. 1 singles slot as a senior and Morneault, a junior, moves up to No. 2 from No. 3 last year.
Bragan played doubles as a freshman but has made a good transition in her new role. Lucas, a senior, teams with freshman Anna Robinson on the first doubles team.
“Sedona really improved her game last year until an injury unfortunately ended her season,” Bearden said. “I’m going to really rely on her doubles experience, including her net play, to help guide the remaining first-year doubles players.”
Emily Colligan, another senior, joins sophomore Ellie Goheen and junior Savannah Levesque as the other doubles players who all entered the season with no varsity experience.
“I am fortunate to have such a hardworking group of young ladies to work with and that is a huge part of being successful,” Bearden said.
Third-year boys’ coach Brian Massey has a much more youthful roster than the girls, but so far the results have been solid. Only one singles player returns in senior Byron Winslow, who is back in his No. 2 position.
“He is my do-all player and never quits,” Massey said.
Junior Denny Young played doubles last season but has moved up to the No. 1 singles slot.
“Denny has improved his game and is a solid hitter who uses alternating styles against opponents as needed,” Massey said.
Freshman Andre Daigle handles to third singles position, while the doubles teams are sophomores Colin Daigle and Jordan Bonville in the No. 1 slot and freshman Mason Young and senior Tyler Ayotte at No. 2.
Sophomores Gage Young and Austin Moreau are the reserves.
“We got onto the courts early this year and that is a plus,” said the coach, “but we have a very tough schedule with teams who are playoff-bound for the most part. We should, with a few good bounces, factor into the top eight.”
The teams are coming off a busy week, beginning with 5-0 losses at Caribou last Tuesday and 3-2 victories at home over Fort Kent the following afternoon. The PI squads played both Foxcroft Academy and Mount Desert Island at home on Saturday, with the girls earning a split (beating FA, 3-2, and falling to MDI, 4-1) and the boys losing both (3-2 and 4-1).
The Wildcats played at home against Houlton yesterday and their singles players will compete in the regional tournament in Caribou Saturday. The next regular season matches are Monday at Houlton and Tuesday at Fort Kent.
