Top-seeded Rams oust Broncos in quarters Bangor cruises to 5-0 triumph

BANGOR – A year ago, the Bangor boys tennis team’s promising season was coming to a bitter end.

That fact was not lost on the Rams – particularly those returning from last season’s squad – as they faced off against No. 9 Hampden Academy in the Eastern Maine Class A quarterfinals.

There would be no quarterfinal round exit this year as the top-seeded Rams remained unbeaten by dispatching Hampden 5-0.

“Oh, Bangor’s solid. I see them in the finals, but it’ll be a real fight to the end,” said Hampden coach John Plourde, whose Broncos finish the season 5-9.

This was the third meeting of the season between the two teams, but the 13-0 Rams made it look easy as only one of the five matches went into a third set.

Bangor’s overall performance at the Bangor Tennis Club had coach Cindi Howard beaming. You see, Howard took a bit of a gamble Wednesday by essentially giving her players a day off.

“We played three matches last week, and that doesn’t even include the doubles tournament both our doubles teams played in and the state singles tournament, where one of our players got into the round of 16,” Howard said. “I wanted to get them a little more focused, but I was afraid they’d go into more of a relaxed mode.”

Now Howard can relax.

The doubles teams of junior Ricky Segal and senior Aaron Taft, and senior Matt Cronan and sophomore Ian McDonnell started things off with straight-set victories.

Top tandem Segal and Taft beat Hampden’s John Madigan and Wes Price 6-0, 6-1 before Cronan and McDonnell polished off D.J. Duplissie and James Faulkner 6-0, 6-2.

Cronan and McDonnell look like a veteran duo, but they hadn’t played together before this season.

“I think we’re still developing,” Cronan said. “We totally switched after our first game to opposite sides and that seemed to help a lot.”

McDonnell stepped in for Cronan’s graduated partner and the duo hasn’t missed a beat, going undefeated in regular season and postseason team play.

“I like to be on the baseline and Matt does better at the net,” McDonnell said. “My net play is one of my weaknesses and it took more backhand volleys away from me, and he does those much better.”

Singles was more competitive, but Bangor still won as No. 3 player, senior Zak Kubetz beat Hampden’s Sam Wood 6-3, 6-4 and sophomore No. 2 Will Cutshall outlasted Jacob Cravens 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

Even though the match was already won, junior and No. 1 singles players Adam Bernstein still had plenty of motivation for winning his match against Hampden’s Josh Groleau.

“This was revenge. This one wasn’t for moving onto the next round, this one was for getting back at Josh,” Bernstein said about the friendly rivalry.

Bernstein won the first match, but Groleau won the rematch 8-3. Thursday’s rubber match ended with a 6-2, 6-4 decision for Bernstein.

Even Bernstein had to admit he’s been pleasantly surprised by his team’s success.

“I was expecting this to be more of a rebuilding year and for us to try and take it next year, but everyone played a lot in the off-season and it has made a huge difference for us,” he said.

It’s that off-season work that deserves credit for the team’s quick start and sustained solid play despite the loss of three top players to graduation.

“I play a lot of tennis at Bangor High in the summertime, and it was a rarity when I went up and didn’t see one or two of their kids up there hitting balls,” said Plourde. “That’s where it all starts.”