Focused group
Calabasas tennis squad remains mentally strong
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

EYES ON THE BALL- Calabasas High junior Amir Ahmadi prepares to hit a forehand return during Tuesday's Coyote victory at home over Agoura. After losing out on the Marmonte League championship a year ago to Westlake, Calabasas is back atop the league standings early on in the regular season.

New leader, same results.

Although the Calabasas High boys' tennis team has a new interim coach, Cleo Harper, the Coyotes just keep on winning. Entering today's match at Westlake High, Calabasas' record is 8-1 overall and 5-0 in the Marmonte League.

In the past, Calabasas has been a Marmonte League powerhouse. Last year was the first time in five seasons that CHS didn't win the league championship (Westlake High took the title).

Harper, an assistant to former coach Kim Kinberg for the last three years, said the biggest reason for the Coyotes' early success is their on-court savvy.

"I've been training them mostly in the mental aspect of their game rather than the physical side because, let's face it, at a certain age anyone can hit the ball hard," Harper said. "The ones that think a lot on the court are the ones that play better."

This season, Harper has implemented weekly meetings with each player to go over what they are doing right and wrong on the court.

"I stress good communication on this team," Harper said. "At the beginning of the year I looked for what players had the best chemistry working together when I would decide who would play doubles. If you look at our record, you'll see it's working tremendously for us."

If there was one pair Harper didn't have to think about too much, it's the combination of his No. 1 doubles team, seniors Jeff Rebhun and Darin Rosen. Rebhun and Rosen (22-5 overall, 141 in league) have been playing together since their sophomore seasons.

"Rebhun is a backhand player, and I'm a forehand player, but we both will play the net," Rosen said. "We've been playing together for so long that we know each other's tendencies. On a random ball, I'll know right away if I should get it or if he's going to get to it."

Harper said Rebhun and Rosen are leading the team, not only on the court but off the court as well. Before the season, the pair was named co-captains.

"They've been playing together for a while, so the chemistry is definitely there with those two," Harper said. "As captains, they've done a real good job making sure everything runs well."

Also contributing in doubles play for CHS are seniors Jason May and Yakov Fridman (19-3 overall, 12-1 in league), along with the combination of junior Shaya Nayerhabibi and senior Matt Mueller (17-2 overall, 10-1 in league).

"Doubles is definitely the backbone of this team," Rebhun said. "If a match is close, we look to our doubles to be the ones to help squeak out a win."

The Coyotes' singles play is led by junior Josh Gartman. Gartman became the squad's top singles player last season and is currently 15-5 overall and 14-1 in league.

Junior Jake de Golish and sophomore Will Sokurski have also contributed.

Jake de Golish "has one of the best strokes you'll ever see," Harper said. "His understanding of the game is now coming into play, and because of that he's on the threshold of being a top singles player. . . .

"Sokurski is really going to be a great. He's the one the majority of opposing teams' parents are talking about at matches. He's like a human backboard- he always keeps the ball in play. When his maturity comes around, he's going to be something special," the coach said.

Junior varsity players Joshua Guss, Brett Ploussard and Adam Shapiro have spent some time at the varsity level, and all have made an impact.

The Coyotes may have started the season strong, but they know they'll have to continue playing their best to overtake top teams such as Thousand Oaks. The Coyotes defeated TOHS in the teams' first meeting earlier this month.

"Thousand Oaks has a great team with many great players, but I think we're a little better," Rebhun said. "They may have some better individual players, but our team has a lot of depth, and in the end I think that's what separates us."

Rather than concentrate on Thousand Oaks, Harper wants his players to focus on the task at hand during each match.

"As a coach, I tell them we can't worry about Thousand Oaks," Harper said. "We have no control over what they do. We only have control of what we do.

"This team is full of teenagers, however, and they do look forward to playing Thousand Oaks because they know it will be competitive. But we need to worry about everyone else in this league, too."