Fallon senior Garrett Kalt returns a backhand during practice. The Greenwave open the season Sept. 3 at Reno High School.
Martin and Tyler could be the beginning of a small town’s tennis pack.
Sprinkle in a Garret and Adam, mix and pour and the four may represent Nevada’s Oasis at the Division I-A state tournament in October.
The Martin and Tyler are Martin Beyer and Tyler Wood, the first Greenwave boys tennis players to reach the state tournament in more than a decade. The No. 1 doubles tandem, along with the No. 2 team of Garrett Kalt and Adam Wadsworth, could challenge for Northern supremacy this season.
For coach John Moore, the promise of the two doubles teams is eye-raising. Beyer and Wood, both juniors, nabbed their berth after a solid regional performance, while Kalt and his departed partner Dustin Squires fell in the regional quarterfinals. Wasdworth, meanwhile, lost in the first round of singles action.
Paired together, though, Moore feels he has a winning combination.
“They are just as good as Martin and Tyler,” he said. “I think we can get them to state as well.”
As for the singles lineup, Moore said five players are competing for three spots. They include Josh Inglis, Wei Dang, Joseph Jamieson, Jumel Billacarlos and Dallin Conner.
Jamieson has made big strides over the summer, Moore said, adding his young player will play at No. 2 singles or No. 3 doubles.
“They are all going to fight for it and we’ll see how it goes,” Moore said.
The energy surrounding the program, though, is a newfound experience for Moore. Like his wife, girls coach Julie Moore, John Moore said he has adapted his style of coaching.
As the expectations from the players have grown, John Moore wants to push his players to become the best they can be.
“I have changed my coaching style a little bit more this year,” he said. “We’re doing more live ball drills verse dead ball drills. We added a new coach this year, (former Lady Wave standout) Joycelyn Conner, and she knows a lot of drills.”
Unlike other Fallon sports, the tennis programs compete for their league titles against the DI schools in Reno, Carson City and Minden then split for separate regional and state tournaments.
The competition, though, is stiff and Moore would not want it any other way.
“We just want tough competition heading into the regional and state,” he added. “I think last year it proved that it does make you better.”
Beyer and Wood, meanwhile, aim to keep their status as one of the best in their division. The two ran through the league with a 6-0 record to lock up the No. 1 seed in the regional.
After securing a berth to state, the Fallon duo were seeded seventh at state, but were bounced in the first round by the eventual state champs.
This year, though, the two aim for a better performance in the postseason.
“We want to do the same in the regular season, but in regionals step up,” Beyer said.
As for practice, Beyer said the intensity and focus has increased. As for their game and cohesion, Wood added the two have concentrated on their serves.
“This will be our third year playing together, so we know how to play together as a team,” Beyer said.