By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
After going just 2-10 last year and missing out on the playoffs, the Caribou boys’ tennis team has turned it around to the point that it will be playing for an Eastern Maine Class B title this afternoon at the University of Maine at Orono.
Coach John Habeeb’s Vikings will take on No. 1 Mount Desert Island of Bar Harbor in the regional championship, beginning at 1 p.m. The winner moves on to the state
 |
| Contributed photos/jMavor Photography CARIBOU PLAYERS Zac Gorence, top photo, and Cameron Hill were key performers in the playoffs last week as the Vikings earned a berth into the Eastern Maine Class B championship, to be played this afternoon at 1 p.m. at the University of Maine at Orono. |
 |
 |
| Contributed photo/jMavor Photography ALEXA MASSEY rips a forehand shot during Caribou’s quarterfinal match against Presque Isle Thursday. |
championship against the Western Maine representative, either York or Cape Elizabeth, Saturday afternoon. The match will take place once again at UM-Orono beginning at 1 p.m.
Caribou, seeded No. 2 and now holding a 13-1 mark, advanced by defeating Oceanside of Rockland Thursday in the quarters and Washington Academy of East Machias Saturday in the semifinals. Both matches were held at the CHS tennis facility.
In the 3-2 victory over No. 7 Oceanside, Caribou won two of the three singles matches and split the doubles matches. Michael Marquis prevailed in a first-set tiebreaker and also took the second set in his No. 2 singles match, while Zac Gorence followed suit in third singles by also winning the opening set in a tiebreaker before cruising in the second set.
The doubles team of Brendan Cyr and Tyler Willey needed three sets, but still prevailed in No. 1 doubles.
Caribou’s No. 1 singles player Ethan Plourde and the second doubles team of Gabe Massey and Cameron Hill came up short in their matches.
On Saturday against No. 11 Washington Academy, Caribou won 4-1 as Marquis and Gorence were straight-set winners, as were the doubles combinations of Cyr-Willey and Massey-Hill. Plourde was bested in No. 1 singles.
The Viking girls fell just short of making it into the Class B finals. As the No. 4 seed, Caribou downed No. 5 Presque Isle in a home match Thursday before getting nipped on the road by No. 1 Ellsworth Saturday.
In the victory, the Vikes took four of the five matches as Ashley Richards recorded a 6-0, 6-0 win over Kayla Girardin in No. 1 singles and Alexa Massey stopped Sara Gilson in No. 2 singles, 7-5, 6-2.
Caribou’s doubles teams prevailed with Emma Duplissie-Cyr and Makayla Bouchard teaming for one win and Anna Soderberg and Bria Judd the other. Both matches needed three sets before being decided.
Clara Collins of Caribou lost her singles match to PI’s Hilary Boucher.
In Saturday’s match at Ellsworth, the Vikes’ victories came in No. 1 singles as Richards won in straight sets and in second doubles as Soderberg and Judd did not give up a game in a dominating effort.
Massey lost a three-setter, while Collins was defeated in the other singles match. Caribou’s No. 1 doubles team of Duplissie-Cyr and Bouchard was unable to come up with the victory in its match.
Caribou finished with a record of 10-4.
