You could find hundreds of former high school coaches who still might carry a clipboard and wear a whistle if they were surrounded by athletes versatile, unselfish and eager to do what they’re asked as the Lewiston boys’ swim team.

Me-first specialists need not apply to share the pool with the Blue Devils this winter.

When sophomore Kurtis Stocker swam the 500-yard freestyle in 5 minutes, 43.81 seconds Friday night at Lewiston YWCA, easily winning the event, it completed a rare sweep in the Devils’ camp. Stocker is qualified for all eight individual events in the Class A meet next month at the University of Maine.

Now, Stocker obviously can’t compete in all those events, but that’s hardly cause for Lewiston to panic. Juniors David Tirabassi and Derek Morris are eligible to swim in seven of the eight races. Senior captain Patrick Roy may take his pick from six. Colby Miles, Tucker Adams, Nate Chaloux, Devin Carrier and Ted Blaisdell bring the Devils’ total of state qualifying times to a whopping 39.

“It is really hard to say what their events are,” noted second-year LHS head coach Becky Angelides, “because these boys are well-rounded swimmers and will swim anything.”

In a sport that rewards consistency and sheer team size more than it celebrates any one standout’s scorching speed in three or four events, that’s the kind of depth that could help Lewiston ascend to an elusive Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference championship and possibly land its best-ever finish at states.

Lewiston hinted at that potential Dec. 19, when it defeated Morse in head-to-head competition. The Shipbuilders captured the Class A title only two years ago.

“Morse has dominated the KVAC for as long as I’ve been swimming,” said Roy. “We don’t have any individual star. We barely won any events against Morse, but we got a lot of seconds, thirds and fourths. That’s what it takes to win at the KVACs.”

The Blue Devils are unbeaten in six weekly competitions headed into Friday’s triangular home meet with Lincoln and Wiscasset.

Edward Little is the final obstacle on Feb. 1 headed into the KVAC showdown Feb. 9 in Bath.

“We have a lot of boys who excel in different areas,” said Adams, a senior who has cleared the Class A qualifying threshold in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly. “The good thing about our team is that you have a mix of swimmers. You have good swimmers and you have people who are just learning. And nobody really dominates.”

Two factors have contributed to Lewiston’s long-term improvement in boys’ swimming.

The school’s switch from the Southern Maine Activities Association to the KVAC earlier this decade has provided more equal footing in regular-season meets. And the continued strength of the Twin Cities Swim Team teaches competitive techniques to future LHS racers as early as preschool.

“My freshman year there were 13 guys. Now there are 23 or 24 of us,” said Roy. “I think the ‘Y’ is offering a good program, so everyone has experience. People start swimming when they’re seven or eight years old, and they come in and are stars as freshmen. My freshman year I could barely hold my own in the water.”

“Our squad might be smaller than some, but the quality of our swimmers has gone up,” said Miles, a freshman who has competed since first grade.

True to its unselfish nature, Lewiston won’t make any boastful claims about KVAC title aspirations. Morse remains a worthy foe, the Devils said. So does Cony.

Nor will you catch the Devils discussing themselves in terms of “best ever” or comparing this squad favorably to last year’s.

“I don’t want to say we’re better than the teams of the past,” Tirabassi said, “because I miss them so much.”