Playoffs next for ’Cat tennis teams
Sports Editor
The regular season is now complete for boys and girls tennis teams, and both local squads have qualified for the playoffs.
In boys tennis, Presque Isle (11-1, 130.2083 points) is second and the Wildcats host No. 7 Old Town (6-6, 57.9861) in the quarterfinals Thursday, June 3. A win by Presque Isle would set up a Saturday, June 5 home semifinal against the winner of the Caribou-Camden Hills match.
Presque Isle beat Old Town 4-1 May 24 in the only meeting between the two squads in the regular season.
In girls tennis, Presque Isle (9-3, 69.7222) is eighth and travels to No. 1 Camden Hills (12-0, 156.3889) for a quarterfinal match Thursday, June 3. Presque Isle did not face Camden Hills during the regular season.
If Presque Isle pulls off the upset, it would face the winner of No. 4 Ellsworth (9-3, 90.6250) vs. No. 5 Waterville (9-3, 83.4722) in the semifinals, Saturday, June 5.
“The top four [boys] teams in Class B East, Ellsworth, Presque Isle, Camden Hills and John Bapst, are all very strong and I feel could go all the way,” Presque Isle boys coach Sam Picard said. “ I know we are capable of beating all three, especially since we came so close to beating Ellsworth, the No. 1 seed, at the beginning of this season. Although I don’t want to speak too soon, I feel an Eastern Maine championship is definitely a possibility this year with the way the guys are playing.”
Monica Bearden, the PI girls coach, was pleased with the regular season and said her team faces a very strong opponent in the quarterfinals.
“I am very pleased with our regular season record of 9-3,” Presque Isle coach Monica Bearden said. “Our division was very strong this year, so even with just three losses, we are number 8 which is the last playoff spot. Unfortunately that means we play the number one team, Camden Hills who is undefeated. The have won all their matches this year either 5-0 or 4-1, so they really dominated. Their first singles player was seeded number 7 in the state and their second singles player was seeded number 12 at this weekend’s state singles tournament. So we really have our hands full. All I can ask of my players is to play their best game.”
Final regular-season matches were played Wednesday, May 26. Results from those matches were:
Presque Isle boys 5, Fort Kent 0 — At Fort Kent, the individual results, with Wildcats listed first, were: in singles, Caleb Mathers defeated Isaac Mitchell, 8-0; Connor Shaw bested Alex Charett, 8-5; and Chris Cawley defeated Lucas Woodward, 8-0.
In doubles, Kyle Gilson and Emerson Mendieta-Castro beat Alex Chasse and Logan Doak, 8-0; and PI won by forfeit in second doubles.
Presque Isle girls 4, Fort Kent 1 — At Fort Kent, the individual results, with Wildcats listed first, were: in singles, Kailee Ireland beat Becca Martin, 8-6; Dani Wolland lost to Carissa Pelletier, 3-8; and Madelyn Carson bested Sam Landry, 8-4.
In doubles, Lindsay Michaud and Divya Bisht defeated Roxy Pelletier and Amelia Stevens, 8-1; and Deidre Dicker and Kathryn Sharp beat Abby Stevens and Kiara Caron, 8-4.
Staff photo/Joseph Cyr
CONFERENCE – Head coach Monica Bearden discusses strategy with one of her doubles teams during a recent regular season match. The Presque Isle girls make the trip to to take on the No. 1 Camden Hills in Thursday’s EM Class B quarterfinal playoff match.
