LEWISTON — It wasn’t even fair.

Three Deering defenders tried to swarm Lewiston attack Sam Cloutier. With a flick of his wrists, he found Curtis Robinson all alone on the far post, and Robinson relayed the ball into the wide open cage.

Less than five minutes later, Robinson returned the favor, setting up Cloutier for a virtual one-timer at the top of the goalkeeper’s crease.

Cloutier’s and Robinson’s success as a one-two punch for the Blue Devils has caused more than a few heads — those of opposing goalies and defenders as well as spectators and coaches — to turn, and it has given Lewiston a distinct offensive advantage on its way to the Class A state title game.

“They have confidence in each other,” Lewiston coach Bill Bodwell said. “They know, first of all, that he’s going to catch it, and has the ability to create offense out of that pass. Scarborough (Lewiston’s opponent in Saturday’s state showdown) is a little like that, too. They’ve got (John) Wheeler and (Jon) Blaisdell. They have two very good players up front, and I think there are similarities with our teams.”

“We finally started clicking our offense together,” Robinson said. “When we dodge, we have to keep our heads up because the slide usually comes early on us, and that leaves another one of our players open.”

And although Robinson and Cloutier know that often their first option is each other, the team is loaded with weapons, enough that if they feel like a team has figured the pair out, they have third, fourth and fifth options.

“The funny thing is, point-wise, Elliot Chicoine is nipping at their heels,” Bodwell said. “He’s had some big games, and if they try to shut down those guys, we have other guys that can step in, too. Elliot, Ryan Lemelin was all-conference second team last year. Brandon Tiner’s a smart player. We have guys that can help out, too. We’re pretty deep.”

But that depth only makes the Devils’ two-headed attack monster of Cloutier and Robinson more dangerous. Once the team established its depth attack, Cloutier and Robinson will find more opportunities in one-on-one situations.

“They are very shifty, and I certainly wouldn’t want to play defense against them,” Bodwell said. “Speed, it doesn’t matter what sport it is, speed kills, and they’re both very quick. They can go left; they can go right. That’s another big key in lacrosse. A lot of guys can go one way, but they can both go left and right.”

Defensive matchups against Lewiston become tougher for opponents, also.

“Most teams don’t have three really, really good poles, so they try to put one on me or on Curtis, and that usually leaves one of us to do some work behind the net,” Cloutier said. “When the slide comes, one of us is always open in front.”

Robinson took a more traditional route to find this year’s success, having played the game from the fifth grade. He learned the game, and a work ethic for the sport that Bodwell said is unmatched.

“Curtis, it doesn’t matter what drill we’re doing, he’ll stay in there all the time,” Bodwell said. “When other guys are wanting to come off and get a drink, he just goes and goes and goes. I’ve never seen anything like it. He just never gets tired. He’s one of the hardest-working kids I’ve ever seen.”

Cloutier entered the lacrosse fold later, playing sparingly in an injury-plagued eighth-grade season before picking it up full time as a freshman. But his natural athletic ability helped him pick the sport up quickly.

“Sam’s obviously a talented athlete,” Bodwell said. “He finished third in the state in scoring in hockey. I’ve seen him play basketball, and I’m sure he could have been good at soccer. He’s just a naturally gifted athlete.”

A year ago, as juniors, the duo was separated by position, with Cloutier predominantly in the midfield while Robinson worked at attack.

“It just started coming together this year,” Robinson said. “Coach started making us work together, put one of us behind, one of us at crease and run the offense together and work together. Last year, he ran mid and I’d run attack, but we’d stay separate.”

“I used to play midfield. I love playing midfield because you’re always in the game,” Cloutier added. “But when you get the ball on offense, it’s fun.”

Fun for him, and for Robinson, Chicoine, Lemelin, Tiner and anyone else wearing Blue Devil blue.

Not so much fun for the opposing defenders.

“Lacrosse is a game that has a lot of similarities to basketball,” Bodwell said. “A point guard, or any skilled offensive player, should be able to penetrate the defense and you have to read where the defense is sliding from and hit the open guys. That’s how most teams play, and we’re lucky we have two guys that can create those situations for us.”