AUBURN – If you think the six-time reigning Class A champion Lewiston High School boys’ tennis team is tough in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference, you should see the Blue Devils in practice.

“Coach does a good job keeping us on our toes,” said sophomore Eric Hall. “We never know when we’re going to play a ladder match, so we have to be prepared.”

There’s nothing most KVAC opponents can do to get truly ready for an encounter with Lewiston, which remained unbeaten Saturday with a 5-0 shutout of Edward Little.

No singles player or doubles tandem dropped more than two games in a set for the Blue Devils, who looked pretty sharp for a team top-heavy with sophomores and freshmen.

“We bring in (teams for exhibition matches) and our 8, 9 or 10 guys would be one or two,” said Lewiston coach Ron Chicoine. “Certain teams, like if you played basketball for EL, some teams you might be a starter but for EL you might be a role player. It’s the same thing.”

Lewiston’s one-two senior punch is no mystery.

Mike Butler survived a smattering of long rallies for a convincing 6-0, 6-2 win over the Eddies’ Danny Gleason. Ben McDonough didn’t drop a game against Clark Chamberlain.

“Besides the one and two,” said Hall, “everything’s open.”

So far, sophomore Scott Gagne has won the sweepstakes for the No. 3 singles. Gagne, who moved up from first doubles this year, outlasted Mike St. Denis, 6-2, 6-2.

The Devils cruised to 6-0, 6-1 triumphs in each doubles encounter. Sophomores Hall and Alex Chicoine downed Mitch Snowe and Nate Fairchild, while their classmate Eric Morin combined with junior Keagan Cote for a convincing victory over Phil Sears and Derrick Lacasse.

“It’s been a scramble for the doubles, because we really don’t know every day who our partners are going to be,” Alex Chicoine said. “There aren’t a lot of set spots. (Hall and I) do well together. We’ve played together since we were little.”

In addition to the competition for the coveted No. 3 singles position, Lewiston spices up practice with the occasional doubles round robin.

The results give coach Chicoine an idea who is his overall best team player, as well as which combinations seem to thrive together.

“It’s not done yet. We like to mix and match,” Chicoine said.

With Lewiston’s toughest regular-season test (Mt. Ararat) and the KVAC doubles championship less than 24 hours apart next weekend, Saturday’s lineup might be closest to the one that’s ultimately set in stone.

Though far beneath the level of its traditional rival, EL (2-2) is one of the league’s most improved teams.

Gleason and Snowe are the only seniors on the Eddies’ ladder.

“We always have a hard time with Lewiston, Mt. Ararat and Brunswick,” said EL coach Greg Vincent. “We went to a new, divisional schedule last year, and the old schedule was a little more competitive for us. It’s always tough against Lewiston.”

EL and Lewiston will play the second half of their home-and-home series under the lights later this month.