LEWISTON — After a dominant run throughout the Maine Principals’ Association boys singles tournament, Matt Mourneault’s final step to a state title went through a familiar foe.

Morneault, a junior from Falmouth High and the No. 1 seed, beat two-seed Alberto Cutone of Kenebunk, 6-3, 6-4, in the final on Monday morning at Bates College.

It’s the second straight singles title for Morneault, who has played in three consecutive finals.

“It feels great,” Morneault said. “It’s a big thing to do, and I’m glad I did it.”

Morneault and Cutone have met in the singles tournament each of the past three seasons. They faced off in the semifinal round in 2024 and 2025. Morneault has won all three matches.

But his previous success offered him little comfort heading into Monday’s state final.

“I’ve been playing with Alberto for so long,” Morneault said. “I know his game. Going into the match, I was so nervous. I couldn’t eat any food or get any sleep. I knew I wanted to win and that it would kill me if I didn’t. I made sure I did.”

The match was a hard-hitting affair of contrasting styles. Morneault complemented a hard serve with a vicious forehand. Cutone, a lefty, also has a hard serve, but uses a backhand for soft volleys over the net, forcing Morneault change direction constantly.

“(Cutone’s) serve has gotten really big,” Morneault said. “I was staying pretty far back behind the baseline to make sure I could get it back. … (Cutone being a lefty) changes (strategy) a lot. Most lefty strategies are to get his left hand to my backhand and just target and pick on it. I did everything in my power to do the opposite of that.”

Falmouth coach Jamie Hilton praised Morneault for his leadership.

“(Morneault) is obviously a good tennis player, but he’s equally a good person and a great kid,” said Hilton. “He’s good at working with the other kids on the team, so he’s a leader that way, he leads by example. I’m just really proud of the way he plays and the way he carries himself.”

Both players picked up two-set victories Sunday to reach the final. Morneault beat Claus Hinck of Lincoln Academy, 6-0, 6-0; Luis Chavez of Fryeburg Academy, 6-0, 6-0; and Vivaan Churiwalla of Deering, 6-2, 6-0, before facing Cutone.

“My serve (has been key),” Morneault said. “I think I had one double-fault the whole match (Monday), and four the whole tournament. It’s something I can rely on, and the first serve is something I can always attack. It puts me in a good spot to finish the point.”

Cutone beat Aidan Forrest of Yarmouth; Felipe Noronha (6-1, 6-0) of Thornton Academy, 6-1, 6-0; and Joey Scordino of Camden Hills, 6-0, 6-2, on his way to the final.

“I’m pretty happy (with the match), a lot of work has gone into it,” Cutone said. “I actually play against Matt a lot, almost once a week in the winter. I wasn’t able to get it into my favor this time around, but a lot of work has gone into it and a lot of work is going to continue to go into it.”

Cutone will be joining his brother, George Cutone, at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. George Cutone, who won his third Maine singles title by beating Morneault in the 2024 final, is a sophomore on Navy’s men’s tennis team. Their sister, Olivia Cutone, is on the women’s tennis team at Boston College.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Cutone said. “Hopefully I can play some tennis with him on the team. I was really just working toward that goal during my high school seasons, on and off the court.”

Morneault’s victory continues a run of postseason success for the Falmouth boys. The Navigators’ team of Luke Kusel and Eli Sidhu repeated as doubles champion on Sunday with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Brunswick’s Brendan Shaw and Evan Williams. The Falmouth girls duo of Helena Nelson and Cici Benson also won the doubles title by beating Yarmouth’s Lia McNaughton and Barbara Day 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.