The crown fits so well, the Derryfield School boys tennis team doesn’t want to take it off.

For the seventh consecutive season, the Cougars won the Class M-S state championship after knocking off topseeded Gilford, 6-3, on May 30.

Bedford’s Carsten Christandl earned an 8-2 win at No. 2 singles and paired up with Kemal Kadic for an 8-0 victory at No. 2 doubles.

The match marked the 16th time in the last 19 years that Derryfield has been in the championship tilt, winning 13 times in that window.

Head coach Bruce Berk said the thrill of victory remains fresh with every title.

“Every year I have three or four new kids on the team,” said Berk. “For them, it’s brand new. There have been years we’ve been really dominant and some that we just squeaked by. I told them the day of the finals that I thought it was going to be 5-4, so be prepared for that.”

One of the Derryfield players approached Berk earlier in the season and spoke with him about the pressure the team felt entering the tournament, not wanting to be the squad to end the reign of dominance.

“I had never thought of it that way, but I guess they know the streak is riding on their back,” said Berk. “I am much more concerned about how they conduct themselves than if we win or lose. We need to be respected not only for the level of our game, but also for how we compete.”

Derryfield’s top three players each won their matches by 8-2 margins, and the victory was sealed following Anuj Vadalia’s win.

Bedford’s C.J. Keyes also was a mainstay in the Cougars’ rotation, but he was bested in the championship match by a tight 8-6 score.

One of the key matches in singles play for the Cougars came from No. 4 player Finn Westbrook.

Westbrook lost to his Gilford foe in the regular season, so it was a match Berk knew could have gone to the opponents in the title match.

Despite trailing for most of the match, Westbrook battled to a 9-7 win to shift the tone of the afternoon.

With so much success in recent years, Berk hasn’t had to do much recruiting to entice players to come out for his teams.

Even athletes who haven’t played tennis previously want to be a part of the program and have found success under the seasoned coach.

“The recipe for success has been a little bit of talent plus a lot of good athletes,” said Berk.

“You give me a basketball player or a soccer player with good footwork, and I can make them a good tennis player.”

Berk said he has had players who could be stars on the lacrosse team, but they opt to pick up a racquet instead because of the team’s success.

As for the streak, Berk knows it won’t last forever. “I’m prepared for it to end. I know it’ll end,” said Berk. “They’re more worried about the streak than I am.”