FARMINGTON – The Mt. Blue High School Cougars tennis team has been surging lately. The Cougar girls (6-2) team faced Cony High School (4-4) while the boys (4-3) visited Hampden Academy (5-4).
The Cougar ladies took their visitors apart with a dominant 5-0 sweep of Cony. Addie Schanz in the first singles defeated Hannah Kibben 6-3, 6-4. Hannah LeClair followed suit by taking down Tori Lerette with a similar 6-3, 6-4 score. Grace McIntosh finished the singles winning way by beating Sydney Halle of Cony 6-1, 6-0.
Maeve Hickey and Brianna Jackson held serve for Mt. Blue by taking the first doubles match against Mel Harrington and McKenzie Lewis. Mariel Damon and Jordan Smith completed the Cougar shutout defeating Niketa Beane and Alayana Clark.
The boys had a trip to Hampden Academy, and there hands full against a talented team. Despite missing a Marshall, the Cougars would not be deterred. Tom Marshall got the ball rolling by winning the first singles match 6-0, 6-2 over Zach Flannery. Cougar Joe Crandall found himself on the wrong end of a 6-1, 6-1 win for Hampden’s Maxime Simonneau. Eliot Small, also of Hampden, beat Shain Heap 6-0, 6-0 to give the Broncos a 2-1 lead.
First doubles Andrew Haszko and Aubrey Hoes of Mt. Blue beat Bryce Nickels and Eric Smith 6-2, 7-5. Clinching a close 3-2 victory for the Cougars were Tristin McFarlane and Cole Dorman (6-0, 6-0) over Zach Frisch and Will Drake.
Coach of the boys team, Zac Conlogue, credited his team’s grit for much of the turnaround this year.
“We have been a scrappy team all season. We don’t have the star power, but grind out matches to get wins,” Conlogue said. “I think we can win at any spot vs any team.”
The Cougar ladies will face Messalonskee High School home on Monday May 15, while the boys will host Brunswick High School.
The Boys match has been postponed.