CCS tennis
Scotty Scott blew in like a whirlwindto Pinewood High this season, bringing with him high rankingsand high expectations. He didn’t disappoint.
The Panther junior finished his first tennis year at the schoolby winning the Central Coast Section singles championship at ImperialCourts at Aptos on Thursday, defeating Westmoor’s Rex Calaunan,6-4, 7-6 (7-3).
In the semifinals earlier, Scott ousted No. 2-seeded Chris Sandsof Los Gatos, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Thus, Scott – entering as the No. 3 seed – knocked off two higherseeds. Calaunan, who is the top-ranked player among 18-year-oldsin Northern California, was seeded first.
“He played extremely well, the best I’ve seen him play thisyear,” Pinewood Coach Bill Shine said of Scott, who finishedwith a 15-1 match record. “He served extremely well and foughthard. He was in a great mental groove as well as a great physicalgroove. He was just playing the way he is capable of playing.”
With the two big wins, Scott avenged losses to both opponentsearlier this season. He had fallen to Calaunan in a Northern CaliforniaTennis Association tournament and to Sands in a high school leaguematch. The latter defeat was Scott’s only one of the high schoolseason.
“I would say his (Scott’s) mental toughness and servingwere his best attributes today,” Shine said. “And hecertainly played well on the big points…He certainly has wonall of the big matches this year for me. I’m real proud of him.Like I said before, he’s a pleasure to coach and he makes thepeople around him that much better.”
Scott, who grew up in Marin County, transferred to Pinewood thisseason after spending the previous school year training and studyingat the prestigious Palmer Tennis Academy in Florida. As of thelast NCTA rankings, he was No. 1 in 16s (he’s now 17).
Scott’s championship made Shine’s last Pinewood coaching assignmenta victorious one – he’s moving to Menlo School next season – andhelped take some of the sting off of last Thursday’s bitter 4-3defeat to Palo Alto in the CCS team final.
“I know he (Scott) would have traded his CCS individualcrown for a team championship. I know that, that’s the kind ofkid he is. He’s pretty special. I’m going to miss him,” Shinesaid.
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