The Greenwood High School tennis teams were slated to play this past week on the road to start their 2018 campaign. But the recent wet weather played havoc with their schedule. They had also been unable to use their home courts for practice due to long-planned and delayed renovations to the playing surface.
But the work has now been completed and the rain will abate soon enough for them to hit the courts for what should be another successful run this fall, especially for the GHS girls, just based on the numbers. Head Coach Ken Hamilton has 14 girls and six boys out this season.
“As a rule, tennis kind of breeds selfishness,” said Hamilton. “It's like golf. You're playing away from the school and for the most part you're playing an individual sport. It's all about you. Some kids thrive on that and some don't. But the hard thing is to [develop] a team mentality when you're playing high school tennis.
“But traditionally I've had the best group of kids on campus in sports and the best group of parents, because they've all bought into the team concept,” said the coach.
GIRLS
“This is the most competitive girls we’ve had in years,” said Hamilton. “I’m keeping meticulous records on the inter-squad matches, because at the end of the season I can only take six girls and six boys [to state], so I’ll have to cut the [girls'] roster in half.”
The Greenwood ladies are led by junior all-state honoree Olivia Gaston, the team's top singles player, having reached the state finals the past two seasons. Hamilton is confident Gaston's best tennis is still ahead of her.
“I’ve told her that if she sticks around, she will be a state champion by the time she graduates,” said the veteran volunteer coach of more than 20 years. “She just loves to play. She's a delight to coach and she's got a competitive mentality. She's a tournament player.”
Gaston has lost the past two seasons in the state finals to Mountain Home's Emily Heide, also a sophomore. But Heide won't be an issue this year, said the GHS star netter.
“The girl I normally play in the finals isn't playing this year,” revealed Gaston. “She's switching schools. She told me that at a tournament. She said, 'I think you can win it this year.' I told her, 'I appreciate that.'”
All joking aside, there are several excellent sophomore girls' single players in the state, something that Gaston called “very inconvenient.” But to prepare, she has continued to play tournaments on a monthly basis and spends time practicing almost every day.
But Gaston is not the only weapon in Hamilton's arsenal. Abigail Woodring is another player that received high praise from her coach. “If you put [Olivia and Abigail] out there, they compete very well against each other.” They will be the top two girls singles players.
But with more than a dozen girls on the squad, the Lady Bulldogs have plenty of depth this season, including senior Sarah Beshears, playing her first year of varsity tennis after competing in junior high. Junior Madie Pelt has also “really improved” during the off-season, said Hamilton.
“One of the best kids we’ve had,” said the coach of fourth year senior Amber Alzufari, among the team's top doubles players. “She has a great love for the game of tennis.”
Senior Leighton Haralson is another newcomer in her first year with the varsity. She played volleyball in the past. “She’s an athlete,” said Hamilton. “She's in the mix.”
Haralson is joined by another rookie netter, freshman volleyballer Chaise Hanna, also in her first year of tennis. Balancing her time between the two overlapping fall sports will be a challenge for the ninth grader.
Coach Hamilton also mentioned Katelyn Bailey, who played last year for the varsity and will look to compete for one of the six spots for the state tournament, along with junior Abbie Rudder and sophomore Lily Hobbs.
Senior Karli Fisher is also joining the tennis team this season, said the coach. She's also a member of the Lady Bulldogs' basketball team and she has the benefit of being left handed. “It is a real advantage in tennis,” said Hamilton.
Junior Breana Acosta will also be “very competitive” said the coach, who commented on her hard work during the off-season. “She has really improved,” adding that the hardest part of managing the expanded girls' roster this season will be “picking the top six”.
BOYS
While the GHS ladies are blessed with abundant numbers, the boys are experiencing something of a shortage this season, just two years removed from winning a state championship.
“It’s the fewest boys we’ve had in years,” acknowledged Hamilton. “It's cyclical. We'd like to have more boys to make it more competitive for the team, but you dance with what you've got.” That's not to say the cupboard is bare, however. The Bulldogs do have a few returning veterans.
Senior Kenny Sweeney is one of the first names that comes to mind. “He's an athlete,” said Hamilton of Sweeney, who also plays club soccer in addition to varsity soccer and tennis. “He's an excellent player that's always in shape and ready to play.” Sweeney, an all-stater last fall, will be the Bulldogs' top singles player.
Another senior, Auston Shown, is a returning letterman for Greenwood. Last season he earned all-state honors. “He could play at the collegiate level if he wanted to. He can jump, he can move, and he is an excellent doubles player. He's fallen in love with the sport of tennis.”
Senior Jack Gaston, the older brother of Olivia, is in his first year playing varsity tennis. He's a multi-sport athlete, running cross country and playing basketball as well. Coach Hamilton projects Gaston as a doubles player. “It's his first year to compete in varsity tennis, but he's a good athlete. He's very coachable and enthusiastic,” said the coach.
Zachery Beshears, who played doubles last season, will make the move to singles this fall, said Hamilton, who is excited to see what the sophomore can do. “He is a very smart kid. We call him cerebral.”
Another sophomore, Jonathan Mitchell, will be linking up with Auston Shown in doubles, said the coach. “Jonathan is a great athlete. He can do anything he wants to do.”
Micah Belue is “making progress” in the preseason before his first year playing varsity tennis, said Hamilton, who also called the tenth-grader “a very coachable player, but he's having to learn things.”
Hamilton believes the Greenwood boys and girls teams will be “very competitive in the conference” this season. “We've changed [leagues] again,” said the coach, referring to the new 5A West conference that includes Greenwood, Siloam Springs, Russellville, Greenbrier, Vilonia, Little Rock Christian, and Beebe.