York tennis coach looks to youth

Second-year York Comprehensive High School boys’ tennis coach Rusty Graham knew the Cougars would be rebuilding in the 2015 season.

“We’ve got four seventh-graders and only eight players on the team,” Graham said.

He said all of the seventh-graders are improving.

“Seventh-grader Tyler Doan won his first match a week or so ago,” Graham said. “He’s really improving. I’m looking forward to having these guys the next several years.”

Though the Cougars have struggled to compete in one of the strongest regions in the state with inexperienced players, one bright spot has been the emergence of junior standout Matthew Goforth as one of the top players in Region 3-AAAA.

“Matthew is my No. 1 singles player,” Graham said. “We’re halfway through the season and he’s won three or four matches against our opponent’s best players.

“Compared to previous No. 1 singles players, that’s more wins than they had at this stage of the season.”

Graham has watched Goforth elevate his game since the season began.

“He’s trying really hard and he is doing really good,” he said. “He’s been playing for a few years and moved himself up to the No.1 spot because I lost everybody around him last season.”

Graham said Goforth’s play hasn’t gone unnoticed by opposing coaches.

“A couple of the coaches of the teams we’ve played mentioned how consistent his play is,” he said. “Matthew’s not an overpowering player, but he’s a very smart player and makes good decisions on the court.”

Graham is aware of the strong teams that play in Region 3-AAAA.

“We’re gonna win a few individual matches along the way,” he said. “In the next year or two, we look to start winning some overall team matches against tough competition.”

“We have a young team,” he said. “All of our kids are working hard to improve their game.”

The Cougars continue region play at 5 p.m. Thursday when they host Rock Hill.

This story was originally published April 7, 2015 at 10:42 AM with the headline "York tennis coach looks to youth."