When the Bedford High School girls tennis coach was playing boys high school tennis in Nashua, his teams were frequently bested by West squads packed with Bedford residents.

After accepting a teaching position at Bedford High, Peter Gagnon wanted to be on the other end of the spectrum.

Gagnon led the Bulldogs to a 10-5 record in their second season, which ended on May 27 with a 7-2 loss to top-seeded Hanover, which finished as runner-up to state champ Portsmouth.

Kirsten Jean lost a tight contest to Nat Donnelly, falling 9-7 at No. 1 singles, and the Bulldogs were unable to secure victories until the bottom of the ladder, when No. 5 Steph Johnson came away with an 8-2 win and No. 6 player Ally Mahoney earned an 8-0 decision.

Hanover swept the doubles matches.

“I told them after (the match) that just because there is only one team who wins the championship doesn’t mean every other season is a failure,” said Gagnon. “You don’t have to feel bad about yourself as long as you focused on continued improvement.”

After a season-opening loss to St. Thomas Aquinas, the Bulldogs reeled off nine consecutive victories and spent time fighting for the No. 1 seed before suffering a three-match losing slide near the end of the season.

Next season’s rotation should remain largely intact; the Bulldogs do not have any seniors on the roster. While Gagnon had hoped for a deeper tournament run, he also knows this season helped put his team on the map.

“I think it’s safe to say that Hanover and Bedford will have a good tennis rivalry for the next few years,” said Gagnon. “We’ve made ourselves known, and in the next few years we’ll be in the fight for that top spot.”