Andie Lamontagne knew all her Kennebunk teammates had finished playing.
And by the way they were cheering from behind a green curtain inside Apex Racket and Fitness, she figured her singles match Wednesday afternoon would determine whether or not the Rams would play Saturday for the Class A girls’ tennis state championship.
“I was already up (a set),” said the junior, “so I was just trying to remain in control and remain cool and confident.”
Early in the second set, Lamontagne maintained her composure through an extended – but amicable – discussion with Falmouth sophomore Gracyn Mick to unravel confusion about the proper score and who should be serving. Once they settled things, Lamontagne went on to win 6-2, 6-3, tipping the balance in Kennebunk’s favor, 3-2, in the Class A South final.
Top-seeded Kennebunk (15-0) advances to Saturday’s state final against North champion Brunswick (14-1). That match is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. at South Portland High School.
Later Wednesday , Waynflete earned its ticket to the Class C state final by rallying past Maranacook, 3-2. The No. 4 Flyers (11-4) will face North champion Washington Academy at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, also at South Portland High.
No. 3 Maranacook (13-2) opened an early lead when seniors Ella Stevens and Emily Lucas won 6-1, 6-0 at first doubles. Waynflete junior Anna Farmer and freshman Jenny Morrill tied the score with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) victory at second doubles.
Sophomore Lucy Hart put Waynflete ahead 2-1 with a 6-3, 6-2 victory at No. 1 singles, but the other two singles matches each went to a third set. Waynflete sophomore Vivian Rallis earned the clinching point with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 victory at No. 2 a few minutes before Maranacook junior Mary Hatt pulled out a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory at No. 3.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been in a match like that, where it’s been dependent on me,” Rallis said. “I just kept telling myself, ‘Just one point at a time.’ … She came back pretty hard in the second set, so I knew in the third set I had to focus.”
Waynflete’s losses this season have come against Class B Cape Elizabeth, Greely and Yarmouth (twice). Maranacook had lost only to Class B South champion Lincoln Academy, which shut out 2021 state finalist Cape Elizabeth on Tuesday in Lewiston.
“I expected a very, very tough match,” Waynflete Coach Linda Cohen said. “But this team, small as they are (with a roster of 11), they’re very tenacious. They never say die and they never surrender.”
The Class A South finalists had met in late April. Kennebunk swept singles and Falmouth doubles in that 3-2 decision. The same scenario played out Wednesday, although Lamontagne was facing a different opponent. Because of a foot injury, Mick was making her season debut.
“For not playing for two and a half months, it wasn’t too bad,” Mick said. “I’m glad I got the chance to play. It was really fun.”
Kennebunk took an early lead when freshman Olivia Cutone won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles, but Falmouth tied the match with a 6-1, 6-1 victory at first doubles, courtesy of seniors Avery Quinn and Liv McHugh, who teamed up to win the SMAA doubles title earlier this season.
Kennebunk senior Sadie Yentsch won 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2 singles, but again Falmouth responded with a doubles victory, as senior Natalie Glockler and junior Elise Gearan won, 6-3, 6-3. That left Lamontagne and Mick to decide the outcome.
With Lamontagne ahead 3-2 in the second set, they came together at the net after realizing they had forgotten to switch ends at the appropriate time, and then got mixed up about the score. Both head coaches eventually joined them, as did a tournament official, but the two players eventually sorted things out.
As for the knowledge that the overall outcome hinged on their match, both Lamontagne and Mick said they tried to tune out such thoughts and simply enjoy the competition.
“I’m so proud of all the energy (Lamontagne) brought to the court and everything she did out there, especially with the circumstances,” said Kennebunk Coach Jacqui Holmes. “You can so easily get tight or tentative in those situations, and she didn’t.”
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