The season began in earnest for the entire Mountain Valley Conference last week and there were some interesting developments.

There are several unbeaten teams that are thriving on their fast starts. On the other end of the spectrum, other schools have rebounded after stumbling in their season openers.

The girl’s side features a trio of unblemished teams that include Dirigo, Boothbay and Winthrop.

Dirigo has been led by Raylee Brown at No. 2 singles and No.1 doubles Christina Chow and Danielle Glover. Brown was certainly tested in three sets and then pulled out an 11-9 win in pro sets. Sophomore Jenn Harvey dropped a three-setter, but rebounded with a 10-0 shutout.

“We are off to a good start,” Dirigo coach Art Chamberlin said. “No surprises really. I know that Winthrop has been winning; they have a match with Boothbay this week before we get (Boothbay) on Friday. I was surprised (by some scores already). The Jay girls will be a tough go for a lot to teams to, if they have any doubles players. Nikki Smith will get their singles a boost where ever she is on their ladder. This week’s matches will really show who is who.”

Lyndsay Kerr is at third singles, while Angie Hamann and Mallory Child comprise No. 2 doubles.

Winthrop appeared to be down after having graduated its three singles players. This has proven to be wishful thinking because the Ramblers won two meets by scores of 4-1. No. 2 singles Cayla Frechette and both doubles tandems remain unbeaten. Ally Dick lost a 6-4, 7-5 match against Moriah Cormier of Mountain Valley, but responded with a three-set win over Kelsey Robertson of Wiscasset.

Cormier is one of those who returned at No. 1 and is showing the benefits of having played opposite the best competition. The Falcon senior has won both matches.

“To be honest with you, Moriah is the most poised, talented overall player I have ever coached,” Mountain Valley coach Elaine Michaud said. “I do believe she (will) be very successful this year. As for the team, I was pleased with our play against a very good Winthrop team.”

Mountain Valley returned six seniors and looked even better in a 4-1 win against Mt. Abram. Megan Buckley of Monmouth and Grace Hilmer of Madison also are unbeaten.

Dirigo stands out with wins by singles Gabe Bedoya, Matt Chamberlin and Trevis Knapp. Bedoya, an exchange student, hasn’t dropped a game, while second doubles Steve Erskine and Mike Holmquist have won 22 of 27 games.

Trial by fire

There will be adversities to overcome during a season and the Edward Little boys’ team hope it has seen its share already. The future continues on an upswing after the Red Eddies got on the winning track following a 5-0 win against Skowhegan.

The team was forced to take it on the chin in two shutouts during vacation. A majority of the players, who had originally won challenge matches, were away through out vacation. The lineup was rearranged, however, as several junior varsity players performed admirably.

Since returning, Adam Platz is unbeaten at No.1 singles. Jason Riethmann has won twice with two different partners at No. 2 doubles.

No place like home

The new courts next to St. Dominic’s High School are certainly a welcome site because the Saints finally have a home base. For years, the Saints have had to travel across the Androscoggin River to play on courts at Lewiston. This created scheduling conflicts, but the new surroundings will hopefully translate into successful tennis.

Although the record doesn’t indicate it, the performances by the boys’ team has provided plenty of reason for optimism. The team lost a tough 3-2 to Fryeburg, but then earned its initial win the next day against Gorham, 3-2.

The meet was tied 2-2 when freshman Joe Theriault won 6-2 to seal the deal. The No. 2 singles player has shown lots of potential and also has a great style of play.

“Joe is very coachable and a nice young man,” Saints coach Chris Roy said. “He always keeps his composure, so it’s hard to tell if he is winning. He is learning more and more each day, now we need to get him the confidence to use what he has learned.”

The team played well against the Rams, especially Tom Gosselin. The sophomore, who has been playing doubles, made a smooth transition into the singles play. Roy echoed the frustrations of his colleagues over the short season and harsh weather.

“It’s really tough on the players,” Roy said. “We have canceled numerous practices, so it’s been tough teaching the athletes tennis tactics, but we are coming along. The two most important things have been accomplished. Players are improving and they are having fun.” >