LEWISTON – If you play tennis for Anita Murphy, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be playing for a championship at the end of the season.

The numbers don’t lie: In 14 of her 30 seasons at the helm of the Lewiston High School girls’ tennis program, Murphy’s teams have played in the state final. Nine times, they’ve won, including in each of the last three seasons.

Murphy has been recognized at the local and state level for her achievements, which also include 11 regional titles, 11 SMAA titles, a host of doubles team titles, as well as a 360-56 match record.

Now, she’s gone national.

The National Federation of State High School Associations has crowned Murphy the 2008 National Girls’ Tennis Coach of the Year.

“I’m so honored, it’s hard to put into words,” Murphy said. “It’s incredible, really. When Jason called me last week to tell me, I said, ‘No, I don’t think that’s right, I think you should look into it a little more.’ He called me back (the next day) and said, ‘You are the coach of the year.’ I was like, ‘Come on, you have got to be kidding me.'”

“This an absolutely huge honor, and it’s absolutely deserved, with the things she’s done,” Lewiston High School AD Jason Fuller said. “It’s a great honor for this community, and for the school, and more importantly, it’s a great honor for her.”

In addition to coaching at Lewiston, Murphy has run the Lewiston Recreation Department’s summer tennis program for better than 20 years, and has guided the local “Lewiston Smashers” entries into the Under-13 USTA Team Tennis events. In 1999, 2000, 2004 and 2005, the Smashers won the state team title. In each of those year except 1999, the team also won the New England tournament, and in 2005, the team topped the Northeast region and finished as one of the top four teams in the country.

“It’s more than just the winning, though,” Fuller said. “She’s made tennis popular in the city of Lewiston, and that’s a real tribute to her efforts in the summer. Had she not taken time to build that program, tennis at the boys’ and girls’ level would not be as successful as it is.”

“I’m sure that’s what they had to look at, overall,” Murphy said, “but it’s still incredible, for the whole United States. It still hasn’t sunken in.”

Last year, she suffered a heart attack while presenting two of her tennis players for a scholarship. She returned to the court in time to begin her 30th season as the team’s coach, and guided the Blue Devils to their third consecutive state title.

Year 31 for Murphy starts this spring, and accolades aside, she has no plans to stop now.

“I’m enjoying it, and I’m feeling great,” Murphy said.

Skowhegan field hockey coach Paula Doughty was also named a national coach of the year. Doughty, in her 33rd year at Skowhegan, has led the Indians to 11 Class A state titles, including the team’s current streak of eight in a row.