CLARK FORK — During his decade-long tenure as the Clark Fork head tennis coach, Jeff Emmer has never had a turnout this low.
Wesley Simko, Blaine Williams and Eli Engelhart. Three players — that’s it.
With those kinds of numbers, the Wampus Cats certainly won’t be contending for any district or state team titles this spring, but Emmer believes the small group still has the potential to do something special.
All three seniors are extremely dedicated to bettering themselves on the tennis court, and Simko is a perfect example of that.
When last season was canceled due to the pandemic, Simko was rightfully devastated. But, he looked on the bright side of an unfortunate hand he was dealt and saw a chance to get a leg up on his competition.
“I think it was a great opportunity to try and get ahead,” he said.
And Simko took full advantage of that opportunity. Every day he could, Simko was out on the single tennis court at Pend Oreille Shores Resort practicing. If he didn’t have anyone to hit with, he would take a bucket of dead balls and hit serve after serve.
And when the weather wasn’t ideal or he couldn’t find a way to make it to the court nestled on the shore of the lake in Hope, he hit balls indoors against a wall.
He did whatever it took to sharpen his game, and so far it’s paying off.
“He is a much stronger player this spring than he was last spring,” Emmer said about Simko.
Simko and Williams joined the team as freshmen, and have been nearly inseparable since. In their first year, they were the only boys on the team, so naturally they played doubles together.
The duo saw immediate success and earned a trip to state. They did the same as sophomores and had their sights set on three straight state appearances in doubles last spring.
COVID-19 ruined those hopes and now the pair is contemplating splitting up this season and playing singles.
Emmer said he hasn’t put any pressure on the duo to choose one over the other and is letting them pursue whatever they want.
Simko and Williams are expected to play both during matches throughout the season, and once the 3A District 1-2 tournament rolls around they will make their final decision. Either way, Emmer believes both will earn a berth to state when it’s all said and done.
In Emmer’s eyes, Simko is at the top of the league in singles and Williams is right on his heels. But Emmer also knows the level of play the pair would encounter at state would be a real eye opener.
“If they go to state in singles, the competition hits a lot harder down there,” he said.
Fortunately, Simko and Williams have witnessed that competition firsthand and will be ready for whatever they see come state time. It also helps that the pair practiced with the Sandpoint tennis team over the summer and into the winter, giving them a taste of what they could face down the road.
“I feel pretty good,” Williams said about his game. “A little bit rusty, but getting back into it.”
Simko said the court time and experience he got over the offseason has given him a confidence boost heading into the season.
In terms of Engelhart, Emmer said he has quickly seen his level of play rise over the first few weeks of practice thanks in part to facing Simko and Williams day in and day out.
Engelhart joined the Wampus Cats as a sophomore and it was his first time picking up a racket. His improvement since has been exciting to watch, Emmer said, and he’d love to give Engelhart the experience of state in his final season, but it will be tough.
Engelhart will play singles this spring and the district is given five qualifiers per event. If Simko and Williams pursue singles, they will fill two of those five spots and only three will remain. Emmer believes Engelhart has a good chance to grab one of those berths, but he will certainly have to fight for it and earn it.
Simko’s older sister, Lily, played for Clark Fork and he said he started pouring all his efforts into tennis after being dragged along to all of her matches. Emmer also hooked him on the sport by fostering a supportive environment that gave him plenty of room to grow.
“Jeff just kind of creates a pretty great atmosphere to be a part of,” he said.
Obviously, the Wampus Cats would love to have more players on their team, but having such a small group has its advantages. Just two years ago, Clark Fork had 16 players on its team and that made sharing one court for all of them during practice quite the challenge.
Now with three, there’s plenty of room.
“This is definitely a big difference,” Simko said about the court space. “We get to hit a lot more balls.”
It also allows Emmer to get a lot more one-on-one time with each player and tell them what to focus on.
“It almost feels like personal lessons,” Williams said.
Williams said tennis has become a big part of his life and he plans on soaking up every moment he gets on the court this spring.
The team opens the season Thursday, April 1 with a match at Troy High School.