LEWISTON — As dominant as the Lewiston High School boys’ tennis team has been in the past decade, for as many playoff games in which they’ve played — and come out on top — the one that the handful of seniors on this year’s edition remembers most isn’t a win at all.

It’s last year’s stunning state finals loss to Windham.

With a chance to return to the Eastern Class A championship on the line, and with their sights set on returning to the pinnacle of the sport they’ve dominated in recent years, the Blue Devils took the court Monday guns a’blaze.

It took less than 40 minutes for the Devils’ second doubles tandem of Brett Vallee and Jake Berube to dismantle Mike Adams and James Oliver, and only another 10 beyond that for Alex and Ben Chicoine to follow suit at No. 1 doubles over Max Johnstone and Nick Ciminelo, leading Lewiston to a 4-1 victory over Mt. Ararat in the teams’ Eastern Class A semifinal.

“We’re really excited (to get back to the Eastern finals),” Alex Chicoine said. “We’re going to do what needs to be done.”

“Both doubles teams are solid, they’ve been playing together all year,” Lewiston coach Ron Chicoine said. “They’re playing well together.”

The Lewiston girls, with a streak of their own still intact after another state crown a year ago, followed suit in a closer-than-the-score-indicated match with Hampden, also dismissing the Broncos by a 4-1 count.

“They came in 11-1, so we knew they’re very talented,” Lewiston girls’ coach Anita Murphy said.

The clinching match for the boys came at No. 3 singles, where Eric Morin, after fighting through the first set and prevailing 6-4, settled into a groove in the second, forcing his pace of play on opponent Nate Cloutier to come out ahead 6-1 in the final set.

“I started out slow, and I realized after it was a close first set that I had to pick it up,” Morin said. “I had to focus on every point, and I wasn’t doing that early.”

Morin’s effort, and that of Scott Gagne at No. 2 singles (a 6-1, 6-1 winner over Malcolm Marshall), were typical of the outcome opponents have expected from Lewiston all season. The match at No. 1 singles was not.

Adam Levesque of Mt. Ararat, the No. 9 seed in the recent MPA singles tourney, and Eric Hall of Lewiston, the No. 7, had some solid battles against one another this season. Monday, Hall struggled to find any momentum, and Levesque defeated the Lewiston senior 6-0, 6-0.

“We won the match, but a couple of people aren’t performing right now, and we need to find it,” Lewiston coach Ron Chicoine said.

On the girls’ side, Murphy had to find a replacement for a missing doubles player, who was out for personal reasons. The move worked, as Paige LeBlond helped new partner Kenzi Masselli acclimate to playoff tennis. The pair shrugged off 7-6 (6) win in the first set and a 2-3 deficit in the second to finish strong, winning its final four games to post the clinching match win over Hampden Academy’s Logan Huston and Elena Cravens.

“Kenzi was a little nervous, but I knew having Paige there would help her out,” Murphy said. “They’re both good players, and once they started playing together a bit more, they came back and won the match.”

Brittany Martin and Kirsty Beauchesne led the Blue Devils to an early advantage with a 6-1, 6-1 win at first doubles. Becca Lessard followed with a 6-2, 6-1 victory at third singles.

“Once I got into a grove I figured it out,” Lessard said. “It took a few games. She was very consistent.”

After winning the first set, Lewiston’s No. 1 player, Jessica Bowen, dropped her final two against Ashley Woodside for the lone Hampden point of the match.

“I think (Woodside) figured Jessica out after the first set,” Murphy said.

Shortly thereafter, Abby Blaisdell polished off a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Sarah Ellen Gilden for the 4-1 win.

Both Lewiston squads remain on track for a pivotal rematch. The boys defeated Hampden Academy last week in the KVAC championship match, and will face either the Broncos or Bangor, which they saw during the regular season, in Wednesday’s Eastern final.

“We need to play better than we did today if we want to win, no matter if we play Bangor or Hampden,” Ron Chicoine said. “And we’re going to get them on a neutral site this time. Anything can happen.”

The girls will likely match up with Brunswick for the fourth time this season, having fallen in each of the previous three matches, 3-2.

“It was so close the last time against them,” Murphy said. “We know if we play our best, we have a chance.”

The Eastern Class A finals begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Colby College in Waterville.