Male:

BRENDAN MCCARTHY, Senior-Tennis

    • State singles champion

    • WMC all-star, first-team, singles

McCarthy enjoyed a charmed spring, winning the state singles title, then helping Falmouth capture Class A as a team for the first time.

McCarthy was a four-year fixture on the Yachtsmen boys’ tennis team, alternating between first and second singles. After battling mononucleosis as a sophomore, McCarthy played No. 1 singles as a junior and made it all the way to the final of the state singles tournament (which he lost to Lincoln Academy’s Jordan Friedland), McCarthy’s goal was simple for his senior campaign: win titles as an individual and as a team.

He achieved those goals and did so in perfect fashion.

With the return of teammate Justin Brogan, McCarthy moved back to number two singles for most of the season (although he did return to one singles after Brogan suffered an injury) and he handled every foe in the regular season.

That set the stage for the singles tournament, which saw McCarthy return to the final and this time prevail, 6-1, 6-2, over Mt. Ararat’s Nick Mathieu.

Falmouth, which lost to Cape Elizabeth in last year’s Western B playoffs, took part in the Class A postseason for the first time and McCarthy made sure that run ended with a title, as he capped his undefeated campaign with four more victories, leading the Yachtsmen to the pinnacle.

It was nice to (win) as a senior,” McCarthy said. “We’d never played Class A teams before. We were confident going in, but we brought 100 percent. It was a great season. I’m pretty competitive. What I like about tennis is that everything is on me. I’m in control.”

Someone who knows McCarthy well, Olivia Leavitt, the girls’ team’s standout, now two-time girls’ singles champion and his girlfriend, says that he has many aspects which make him close to unbeatable.

Brendan can hit his backhand anywhere and he has a really big forehand,” Leavitt said. “His left spin messes people up.”

McCarthy, who golfs for fun, plans to play tennis and study finance at Bentley University in Massachusetts next year.

He figures to quickly make a mark at the college level as well. Brendan McCarthy, Falmouth’s Spring Male Athlete of the Year, saved his best for last and etched his name into program lore.

Coach Bob McCully’s comment: “Brendan has been an inspiration to his teammates and also to me. He’s confident without being arrogant and he’s a fierce competitor who is also an exceptional sportsman. He’s well liked and highly respected by players, parents and coaches from the teams we compete against. He has steadily improved his game in the four years he has played for Falmouth. This is the result of physical maturity, dedication and a lot of year-round hard work. Brendan is very athletic, but focuses on tennis and has a genuine love of the sport. Tennis is essentially an individual sport, but Brendan has been a leader, role model and mentor for his teammates. His dedication has been vital for the success of our team. I am confident Brendan will be a huge asset and genuine student-athlete for the Bentley tennis program.

Previous winners:

2013 Thomas Fortier (baseball)

2012 Thomas Fortier (baseball)

2011 Matt MacDowell (baseball)

2010 Dan Hanley (lacrosse)

2009 Tommy Winger (track)

2008 Ethan Shaw (track)

2007 Ethan Shaw (track)

2006 Chris Morrison (tennis)

2005 Antonio Floridino (track)

2004 Aaron Paradis (baseball)

2003 Antonio Floridino (track)

2002 Matt Dissell (track)

Female:

OLIVIA LEAVITT- Junior-Tennis

  • State singles champion

  • WMC all-star, first-team, singles

Leavitt continued to make the state of Maine her personal playground this spring, repeating as singles champion, then helping Falmouth extend a remarkable match win streak, culminated by a seventh consecutive state championship, this time in a new class.

Leavitt had already established her legend and added to it this year. The longtime tennis aficionado played first singles for a team which won every match, 5-0, during the regular season.

Leavitt then set out to defend her singles title, something which wouldn’t come easily. In the championship match, she dropped the first set to rival Maisie Silverman of Brunswick, but refused to be denied, rallying to win the next two sets to become the first repeat champion since Christine Ordway in 2006 and 2007.

Repeating was my goal,” Leavitt said. “I want to do it each year.”

Leavitt then went out and helped Falmouth roll to four more 5-0 triumphs to win Class A for the first time, extending the program’s record match win streak to a mindboggling 109.

The streak comes with pressure, but I like being in the No. 1 spot,” Leavitt said.

Leavitt’s boyfriend, boys’ singles champion Brendan McCarthy, said that Leavitt’s game has many layers.

Her forehand, volleys and speed are her strengths,” McCarthy said. “She’s willing to fight for every point.”

Leavitt is now 33-1 for her high school career (48-2 if you count singles tournaments) and has made the Western Maine Conference all-star first-team three years running. She’ll be favored to win another singles crown and lead Falmouth to another championship as a senior.

In the meantime, Leavitt, who reached the finals of the recent sectional tournament and should taste a great deal of triumph this summer, is deciding where next to take her talents. She said that she’s considering colleges from, “D.C. on up” and clearly has many options.

She’s already one of the great girls’ tennis players we’ve seen and her legend is still being written. Olivia Leavitt, Falmouth’s Spring Female Athlete of the Year, consistently rises to the occasion and simply has no peer.

Coach Sandra Stone’s comment: “Olivia truly worked hard to get as strong and healthy as she could after the bicep strain she endured at the end of last season. She’s a dedicated and passionate player of high performance and endurance, which helped her prevail at the singles tournament. Although intense, she has her own pre-match routine which keeps her focused and relaxed. She tenaciously and successfully anchored the team. She’s consistently been in the hot seat, playing the best that competing schools have to offer. Having Olivia at the top of the ladder gave the team incredible depth as well as confidence. She’s such a capable, competent and powerful player.”

Previous winners:

2013 Olivia Leavitt (tennis)

2012 Jenna Serunian (track)

2011 Kelsey Freedman (softball)

2010 Analise Kump (tennis)

2009 Annie Criscione (tennis)

2008 Hallsey Leighton (tennis)

2007 Carly Applebaum (track)

2006 Kristen Meahl (tennis)

2005 Eileen Brandes (softball)

2004 Kristen Meahl (tennis)

2003 Beth Rubenstein (track)

2002 Beth Rubenstein (track)

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.

Sidebar Elements


McCarthy

McCarthy

Leavitt

Leavitt


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.