By Kevin Mills,Staff Writer

PORTLAND – Jessica Roy had a lengthy to-do list this weekend to wrap up her high school career.

In addition to graduating Friday, she had a state championship tennis match in the morning. Plus, she had project graduation in between.

She fully expected to make the best of her final weekend of high school and take care of some unfinished business at the same time.

Roy had lost in the state championship match in 2003 and watched her Lewiston Blue Devils fall short as well. This time around, she hoped to end her tennis career in better fashion than it began.

“It was something I was thinking about,” said Roy. “I didn’t want my senior year to end like my freshman year did. So I wanted to take it home this year.”

That she did. When Lewiston claimed the Class A state championship Saturday, Roy was the first to hoist the trophy. The Blue Devils beat Deering 4-1 to win its first state crown since 2002.

“It’s overwhelming,” said Roy, the team’s only senior who finished with a 48-3 record in doubles action. “I just graduated last night. So I knew coming into this, I wanted to end my senior year with a state championship.”

The win gave Anita Murphy her seventh state title with Lewiston. Though both Lewiston tennis teams won state titles in 1984 and 1987, this was the first time Murphy celebrated a state victory with her son, Ron Chicoine, coach of the boys’ squad.

“I think it’s great that it’s a double-whammy,” said Murphy. “I’m very pleased with the girls. I thought maybe this year we’d give it a run and next year would be our year.”

Lewiston faced a tough matchup against Brunswick in the regional finals, beating the Dragons 3-1. Murphy felt that challenge prepared her girls for Saturday.

“After we played Brunswick, I thought the girls were ready,” said Murphy. “I saw them play their best game ever against Brunswick. When I saw we were facing Deering, I was comfortable with the girls. I definitely thought we were ready.”

Lewiston got early wins from its doubles teams of Roy and Kasey Boucher and Ashley McWhorter and Audrey Bergeron. Chantalle Lavertu’s victory in first singles sealed the deal for Lewiston, but Julia Bergeron added a victory in third singles.

“I’m just so excited,” said Lavertu, a freshman that made the final four in the singles tournament and finished her first year 14-0. “It’s my first year on the team, and it’s a great experience to go all the way.”

Roy and Boucher had lost for the first time against Brunswick earlier in the week. They brought an extra fierce determination into Saturday.

“We just tried to play consistent and have fun with it,” said Roy. “We had our first loss in Eastern Maine’s. We didn’t want that to happen again. So we just tried to keep it smart and stay consistent.”

They won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2. That was after Roy had just three hours of sleep after project graduation.

“It was tough, but I knew I wanted this,” she said. “I wanted it last night. So I just had to do my best today. I didn’t want to let my team down.”

Deering got a win in second singles from Nicole Garland, who beat Katelyn Ouellette, 6-3, 6-0. Lewiston’s second doubles team of McWhorter and Bergeron beat Meg Helming and Jessica Hedrich, 6-2, 6-1.

“I was really pleased with my doubles teams today,” said Murphy. “My second doubles team I feel very comfortable with. They’ve been winning all along, and they played very well.”

Lavertu faced Jenna Finegold in the first singles match. Finegold played a six-hour match in the Western A final and plays a patient game that forces opponents to make mistakes.

“I was a little bit worried because my shoulder has been hurting lately,” said Lavertu. “So I was like If I have to play a long match, I don’t know what’s going to happen.'”

Lavertu didn’t want to fall into that trap. Though she got down early, she forced Finegold to the corners and left her little chance to continually lob back volleys.

“I had to play a lot more offensively and not defensively,” said Lavertu. “If I had played defensively, the match would have gone on for hours. I don’t know if I could have handled that.”

Bergeron played an equally crafty game to beat Rena Atayeva. Though her foe didn’t lob it as much as Finegold, Bergeron still had to control the game, and she did in a 6-1, 6-1 win.

“Julia is very smart,” said Murphy. “She’s very intuitive. She sees the whole court. She’s a very bright girl. She can adjust her game, and she did. She was able to adjust, and she played well.”