They just like to play.

It’s an idealistic viewpoint that many people involved in youth sports would love to use when explaining why anyone plays a particular sport.

At Lisbon High School, in the case of its young tennis program, it’s absolutely true.

The Greyhounds are proving that having fun can also be the foundation upon which a team can win.

The boys and girls have combined to earn 16 victories against just four losses this season.

“I inherited some great players from coach (Claude) Rioux,” boys’ coach Paul Giggey said. “Honestly, these kids just love to play. They love to be here.”

“Our other co-coach, Katie Coppens, started this program and it’s great to see how much it’s grown already,” girls’ co-coach Georgia Ahlers added.

The Lisbon boys’ team has had the better track this season, posting a 9-1 record. The team’s lone blemish came in a tight, 3-2 setback against unbeaten Mountain Valley.

“We had the kids write down, at the beginning of the season, their strengths and weaknesses,” Giggey said. “We worked hard in practice on each of the things they wrote down. We have a lot of solid, three- and four-year veterans.”

Seniors Tyler Gaurys and Guy Jenkins lead the group as captains. The team, Giggey said, is looking forward to a possible rematch with Mountain Valley in the MVC title match.

But first thing’s first.

“We have two matches left in the regular season,” Giggey said. “It’s one step at a time for us right now.”

The girls, meanwhile, sit at 7-3.

“This might be the best season ever,” Ahlers said.

She’s not kidding. When the current crop of seniors were freshmen, the Greyhounds went 0-12.

“That part makes it that much more incredible for these girls,” co-coach Katie Coppens said.

The success of this squad starts at the top. Laura Giraldo has the inauspicious task of facing the top players in the MVC as the Greyhounds’ top singles player.

“She’s had some really, really good matches this year,” Ahlers said. “It’s tough to go up against the best all the time, and she handles it well.”

Giraldo’s sister, freshman Sarah Giraldo, holds down the fort at No. 3, while Carey Fullerton laces them up at No. 2.

“Singles play can be hard, all around,” Ahlers said. “One of the biggest things we talk about, and teach, is serving. We work on it all the time, and if you can get a good, hard first serve in often, you’re going to win a lot of those points.”

And there’s plenty of proof that the Greyhounds’ methods are working. A quick glance at the standings verifies that.

Century mark

If any coach in Maine has reached 100 wins faster than Lewiston High School’s Ron Chicoine, they’d have to be absolutely perfect.

No kidding.

Chicoine’s team eked out a 3-2 win over rival Mt. Ararat on Tuesday in a match continued twice due to rain. With that victory, the team’s ninth of the season, Chicoine’s record as the Lewiston boys’ coach tipped the 100-win plateau after just 101 matches calling the shots.

The Blue Devils began the season 91-1 under Chicoine, and were 9-0 this season through Tuesday. The team’s lone setback in this stretch came in a transition year – in more ways than one. During Chicoine’s inaugural season, the Blue Devils played a regular-season schedule in the SMAA for the final time, but were moved into the East for the playoffs.

Deering took out Lewiston during the regular season, but the Devils earned a measure of revenge by ousting the Rams in the state final.

Lewiston has a perfect 21-0 postseason record to go along with Chicoine’s 100-1 stretch.

Still unbeaten

Lewiston isn’t the only boys’ team still tracking toward an undefeated regular season. Bangor, in the KVAC North, is also riding a solid string of games and remains unscathed.

In the SMAA, Windham and Scarborough appear to be on a collision course for the final match of the season. Windham is at 9-0, as is Scarborough, and the teams will match up on the final day of the regular season for both teams, next Tuesday, May 26.

In Class B, the Mountain Valley boys’ team sits in second place in the most recent Heal Points standings, but is the lone Western Class B team without a mark in the loss column. Waynflete, in Western C, leads that bracket with a perfect 9-0 mark.

In Eastern B, Presque Isle and Ellsworth also continue to operate without a loss.

Still unbeaten, Part II

The boys aren’t the only ones having all the fun drawing zeroes in the loss column.

In Class A, Lewiston is the only undefeated team in the East, while Portland leads the Heal Points standings in the West with six wins against no losses.

Waterville continues to dominate Eastern Class B, while Ellsworth and perennial power Caribou have yet to lose, too. Falmouth leads Western B with a perfect record of 9-0, and Winthrop continues to mow down the competition in Class C.

Eastern Class C is the lone division without an undefeated team. George Stevens Academt sits atop those rankings at 7-2.