It was a good weekend for the Park City High School tennis team. After a somewhat rough start to the season, the Miners finished fourth at the St. George Invitational Tournament over the weekend. The team won two matches against Ben Lomond and Parowan at the event after having lost all of its preseason matches leading up to the trip.
“We’ve been beaten and it’s definitely humbling,” said Park City head coach Schuyler “Scooter” Mastain.
The Miners lost to Spanish Fork in the semifinals and Logan in the finals to take fourth. Mastain said that they might have been able to beat Spanish Fork, but their lack of tournament experience hurt them.
“That was the theme of the weekend,” Mastain said. “We need more experience.”
Park City has only one senior, Alex Quitiquit, three juniors and a lot of freshman and sophomores this year.
The Miners were without their No. 1 singles player, Sam Miller, due to illness, so Mastain replaced him with Tyler Carpenter. Carpenter won only one of six matches at the tourney, but Mastain said that the experience he gained was invaluable.
“He has a great serve and good game, but isn’t experienced in match play,” Mastain said.
Mastain left the rest of the team intact, keeping them at their usual positions. All of the matches were pretty close, but Mastain said he was most pleased with the play of Jack Burrus at the No. 2 singles spot. Burrus had a number of three-set matches that he pulled out for wins throughout the weekend, finishing with a record of 5-2. Mastain was most pleased that he beat Logan’s No. 2 player twice.
“He played really well and had a great tournament,” Mastain said.
He said Burrus beating a Logan player individually a team they battle every year for the title at the state tournament — at any point is something that will help them mentally as they prepare for the state championships.
“To have that is a huge advantage,” Mastain said.
Mastain said that the tournament couldn’t have come at a better time for the team. Not only did they bond more, but they were able to play seven matches in four days, giving them match experience and upping their level of play.
“When they came in, they were timid and nervous,” Mastain said. ” the finals they had worked the kinks out. They are growing in confidence. That’s nice to see.”
Although the Miners haven’t won as many matches as previous Park City teams, Mastain is proud of his team and sees plenty of potential. He said that he hopes the community doesn’t compare them to past teams but rather celebrates their accomplishments. Right now he is focusing on improvements in mental attitude and skill.
“I think you have to let go of the expectations. My goal is to take it year by year, not to live up to the legacy,” Mastain said. “I want to create good players and help the guys grow into good young men.”
The Miners will likely benefit in the next week from having the home advantage. On Friday, they host Rowland Hall at the Park City Racquet Club at 4 p.m. and host Wasatch and Cottonwood on Tuesday and Wednesday at 4 p.m., respectively.