Yarmouth boys, Cape Elizabeth girls tennis win Class B South titles
Yarmouth and Cape Elizabeth secured hard-fought victories in the Class B South tennis finals on Monday at Bates College in Lewiston, setting the stage for high-stakes state championship matches on Wednesday. The Yarmouth boys dominated Cape Elizabeth with a 5-0 shutout to claim the regional title, while the Cape Elizabeth girls edged Cony 3-2 to advance to the state final against Waterville.
In the boys' final, Yarmouth (14-1) wasted no time clinching the win with three straight matches. Aidan Forrest opened with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Matty Berman at No. 3 singles. The No. 1 doubles pair of Aiden Brooks and Zach Young followed with a 6-2, 6-3 win against Leland and Thomas O’Reilly. John Nicholas and Pablo Sonenberg then sealed the title with a 6-1, 6-0 doubles triumph over Luke Schoenbean and Aman Khare. With the match decided, Yarmouth's Alexander Gordon cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 2 singles, and James Hartnett capped the day with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Kenyon Smith at No. 1 singles.
"It feels great," said Gordon, a senior. "We've been working pretty hard this season. We've had a lot of expectations the last couple of years. It puts a lot of pressure on the team. But we've managed to keep the focus on ourselves, and that takes some of the pressure off of us." Hartnett added, "I was just staying consistent. Getting to the net was working pretty well, attacking. Staying on the front foot, I thought, was really good. (Smith) is a great player and always tough. The last time, we went to three sets. It's always a pleasure to play him."
Yarmouth coach Gabe Gordon praised the team's resilience, noting, "It's always great to play another tough team, another tough program. Cape Elizabeth has been improving over the last few seasons. Even in this season, you can see a lot of depth and growth in each of their players." The Clippers, who finished 9-6, will now look to regroup as Yarmouth aims for its seventh consecutive state title against Hermon on Wednesday.
On the girls' side, Cape Elizabeth (12-3) overcame a tough challenge from Cony (12-3) to reach the state final. The Capers secured their win with three early victories: Sen Murdock beat Ava Habib 6-2, 6-3 at No. 3 singles; the doubles team of Kaia Craig and Gillian Lench defeated Rekah Goonesekere and Lucy Lord 6-2, 6-4 at No. 1 doubles; and Noelle Mallory and Genny Carignan swept Olivia Folsom and Addie Cerrato 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2 doubles. Cony fought back with wins from Kira Gregor (6-0, 6-0 over Emma Gebhart) and Lilah Goldey (4-6, 6-0, 1-0 (5) over Allegra Adler), but Cape Elizabeth held on for the 3-2 victory.
"We've had really good team morale, and I think that's helped carry us through for a lot of these matches," said Cape Elizabeth senior Emma Gebhart. Lench, also a senior, credited the team's winter training: "A lot of the girls worked hard over the winter. Allegra, Sen and Emma all did (offseason work) and I think that really helped. We got a lot better." Cape Elizabeth coach Sarah Boeckel was proud of her team's determination, saying, "They're too nice of girls (to have a chip on their shoulder). There was more of a chip on my shoulder. They really wanted it this year. We felt like we could beat Yarmouth (in the semis), we felt like we could get here. I think they just really locked in by the end of the season."
The Capers, who lost to Yarmouth in last season's semifinals, will now face Waterville in the state final—a rematch of the 2021 Class B girls final, which Waterville won 3-2. Cape Elizabeth is seeking its first state title since 2016, while Yarmouth looks to extend its dominant streak. Both state championship matches are scheduled for Wednesday in Lewiston, promising exciting conclusions to the season.
