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ENLARGE
Scott Garfinkle returns a rally during practice Wednesday afternoon at the Incline Village General Improvement District Tennis Center.
Tennis might sometimes be labeled as monotonous, especially if you watch the heads of fans swinging from side-to-side like a pendulum as forehands are exchanged between players.
Just watching practice, the boys tennis practice at Incline High School looks anything but boring, though.
It’s a study of constant motion as the guys form two single-file lines on either end of the court and begin to whip a ball back and forth.
After each stroke, the player at the front of the line sprints to the back to wait for his turn again. If a player misses the ball, hits it long or hits the net, he has to sit where he goofed, doomed to statue-like stillness.
It’s a drill coach Joel Kivo participates in, and one that quite honestly looks fun.
“What I like about this team is that it is fun,” said Micah Johnson, a senior on the team. “On some teams it’s always about win, win, win. Here we have a really good time.”
Johnson, one of four seniors on the squad, is joined by Kevin Donovan, Jordan Graham and Frank Mascarich in their final season.
Kivo said the foursome of Highlanders can look forward to a challenge in a different schedule this season, which includes newcomers Carson and Churchill County high schools.
“New schedules can be a little tough because we’ve never seen those teams before,” Kivo said. “When you see teams again and again you get to know their style a little bit and it’s tough when you can’t do that.”
Kivo said his team, which is led in singles by the play of Donovan, junior Jimmy Sagan and sophomore Scott Garfinkle, is strong on its baseline ground strokes and needs to work on aggressive play. Kivo said his team must focus on its volley play and playing aggressively at the net, which isn’t a natural trait for the team.
He said Sagan, with a good first serve, is very capable of consistently delivering aces if he focuses.
Garfinkle was the player Kivo said improved the most since the last school year, working with father and local tennis talent Buddy Garfinkle over the summer to improve his game.
Graham, who Kivo expects to contribute in doubles, said he is excited for the season and views one of his strengths as playing at the net.
“I’m tall, so I really like to play at the net,” Graham said. “Tennis is one of my favorite sports so I look forward to pretty much every match we have.”
He said he’ll need to work on his serve to be successful this season.
Johnson, another player who will specialize in doubles competition this year, says his energy is a asset to his play.
“I think I’m good at staying in pretty good condition, I like to charge the net and play pretty aggressively in singles, but you can’t really do that in doubles,” Johnson said. He said he tailors his game differently for doubles than he does for singles, saying the conversion can be tough at times.
Mascarich is another senior who feels he has strengths and weaknesses in his game, but feels overall he has shown massive improvement since his freshman season.
“I’ve improved a whole bunch, I rarely played before I got to high school and I think my play has grown by leaps and bounds,” Mascarich said. “I’m especially proud of how much better my serves got from when I started.”
He said he’ll still need to work on his agility and hustling to get to the ball.
They’ll be joined by the team’s lone freshman, John Larson, who says he has developed his backhand, which is peculiar because he said young players generally develop a strong forehand before the other.
“I actually think one of the worst aspects of my game is my forehand, but I just really like my backhand, I’m not sure why,” Larson said. “I really want to work every day at tennis, though, because it’s my favorite sport.”
The team opens its season at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Spanish Springs High School. The players will be in action again later next week with the season’s first home match 3:30 p.m. Thursday against Damonte Ranch High School.
Just watching practice, the boys tennis practice at Incline High School looks anything but boring, though.
It’s a study of constant motion as the guys form two single-file lines on either end of the court and begin to whip a ball back and forth.
After each stroke, the player at the front of the line sprints to the back to wait for his turn again. If a player misses the ball, hits it long or hits the net, he has to sit where he goofed, doomed to statue-like stillness.
It’s a drill coach Joel Kivo participates in, and one that quite honestly looks fun.
“What I like about this team is that it is fun,” said Micah Johnson, a senior on the team. “On some teams it’s always about win, win, win. Here we have a really good time.”
Johnson, one of four seniors on the squad, is joined by Kevin Donovan, Jordan Graham and Frank Mascarich in their final season.
Kivo said the foursome of Highlanders can look forward to a challenge in a different schedule this season, which includes newcomers Carson and Churchill County high schools.
“New schedules can be a little tough because we’ve never seen those teams before,” Kivo said. “When you see teams again and again you get to know their style a little bit and it’s tough when you can’t do that.”
Kivo said his team, which is led in singles by the play of Donovan, junior Jimmy Sagan and sophomore Scott Garfinkle, is strong on its baseline ground strokes and needs to work on aggressive play. Kivo said his team must focus on its volley play and playing aggressively at the net, which isn’t a natural trait for the team.
He said Sagan, with a good first serve, is very capable of consistently delivering aces if he focuses.
Garfinkle was the player Kivo said improved the most since the last school year, working with father and local tennis talent Buddy Garfinkle over the summer to improve his game.
Graham, who Kivo expects to contribute in doubles, said he is excited for the season and views one of his strengths as playing at the net.
“I’m tall, so I really like to play at the net,” Graham said. “Tennis is one of my favorite sports so I look forward to pretty much every match we have.”
He said he’ll need to work on his serve to be successful this season.
Johnson, another player who will specialize in doubles competition this year, says his energy is a asset to his play.
“I think I’m good at staying in pretty good condition, I like to charge the net and play pretty aggressively in singles, but you can’t really do that in doubles,” Johnson said. He said he tailors his game differently for doubles than he does for singles, saying the conversion can be tough at times.
Mascarich is another senior who feels he has strengths and weaknesses in his game, but feels overall he has shown massive improvement since his freshman season.
“I’ve improved a whole bunch, I rarely played before I got to high school and I think my play has grown by leaps and bounds,” Mascarich said. “I’m especially proud of how much better my serves got from when I started.”
He said he’ll still need to work on his agility and hustling to get to the ball.
They’ll be joined by the team’s lone freshman, John Larson, who says he has developed his backhand, which is peculiar because he said young players generally develop a strong forehand before the other.
“I actually think one of the worst aspects of my game is my forehand, but I just really like my backhand, I’m not sure why,” Larson said. “I really want to work every day at tennis, though, because it’s my favorite sport.”
The team opens its season at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Spanish Springs High School. The players will be in action again later next week with the season’s first home match 3:30 p.m. Thursday against Damonte Ranch High School.
2008 Incline High School boys tennis roster
Kevin Donovan Sr.
Jordan Graham Sr.
Micah Johnson Sr.
Frank Mascarich Sr.
Connor Long Jr.
Jeff Mitchell Jr.
Jimmy Sagan Jr.
Tom Annese So.
Robert Baker So.
Kevin Cornell So.
Scott Garfinkle So.
Justin Mascarich So.
Graham Reddall So.
John Larson Fr.
2008 Incline High School boys tennis schedule
Tuesday, Sept. 2 3:30 p.m. at Spanish Springs High School
Thursday, Sept. 4 3:30 p.m. Damonte Ranch High School
Tuesday, Sept. 9 3:30 p.m. at Douglas High School
Thursday, Sept. 11 3:30 p.m. Galena High School
Tuesday, Sept. 16 3:30 p.m. Sparks High School
Thursday, Sept. 18 3:30 p.m. at Sparks High School
Tuesday, Sept. 23 3:30 p.m. at Reno Wooster High School
Thursday, Sept. 25 3:30 p.m. Bishop Manogue High School
Tuesday, Sept. 30 3:30 p.m. at Carson High School
Thursday, Oct. 2 3:30 p.m. Churchill County High School
Season recap: 2007 IHS varsity boys tennis
In 2007 the boys tennis team didn’t advance to the state playoffs, but three of its members did.
Then-junior Wil Prim, who is not on this year’s roster, advanced to the regionals along with then-freshmen Keith Cuadros and Scott Garfinkle.
All three advanced to the zone tournament, where Garfinkle and Cuadros, playing as a pairs team, were beaten in straight sets by an older and more experienced pair from South Tahoe.
Prim won his first three matches of the zone tournament and lost his final two to players from South Tahoe and Battle Mountain to finish out the season.
Overall, the team won two matches last season and dropped eight contests.
Kevin Donovan Sr.
Jordan Graham Sr.
Micah Johnson Sr.
Frank Mascarich Sr.
Connor Long Jr.
Jeff Mitchell Jr.
Jimmy Sagan Jr.
Tom Annese So.
Robert Baker So.
Kevin Cornell So.
Scott Garfinkle So.
Justin Mascarich So.
Graham Reddall So.
John Larson Fr.
2008 Incline High School boys tennis schedule
Tuesday, Sept. 2 3:30 p.m. at Spanish Springs High School
Thursday, Sept. 4 3:30 p.m. Damonte Ranch High School
Tuesday, Sept. 9 3:30 p.m. at Douglas High School
Thursday, Sept. 11 3:30 p.m. Galena High School
Tuesday, Sept. 16 3:30 p.m. Sparks High School
Thursday, Sept. 18 3:30 p.m. at Sparks High School
Tuesday, Sept. 23 3:30 p.m. at Reno Wooster High School
Thursday, Sept. 25 3:30 p.m. Bishop Manogue High School
Tuesday, Sept. 30 3:30 p.m. at Carson High School
Thursday, Oct. 2 3:30 p.m. Churchill County High School
Season recap: 2007 IHS varsity boys tennis
In 2007 the boys tennis team didn’t advance to the state playoffs, but three of its members did.
Then-junior Wil Prim, who is not on this year’s roster, advanced to the regionals along with then-freshmen Keith Cuadros and Scott Garfinkle.
All three advanced to the zone tournament, where Garfinkle and Cuadros, playing as a pairs team, were beaten in straight sets by an older and more experienced pair from South Tahoe.
Prim won his first three matches of the zone tournament and lost his final two to players from South Tahoe and Battle Mountain to finish out the season.
Overall, the team won two matches last season and dropped eight contests.
