If there’s one thing coaches love on a team, it’s having experienced players to set the tone with good play and leadership. As head coach of the Jordan High School boys tennis team Matthew Bell has this luxury. 

The Beetdiggers have several players who are in their third or fourth year in the program. The value of match experience can’t be overstated. Consequently, Bell expects big things from his team this season. 

“Everything is going really well so far,” he said. “We have very high expectations this year.”

Interestingly, however, Jordan’s top player is arguably JT Buxton, who is just a freshman. Buxton holds down the first singles spot and has a chance to go far this year, Bell said. 

“[Buxton] is a great player that has a lot in his bag to make things difficult for his opponents,” Bell said. “He has a complete game and is happy to work with his teammates to better develop their game.”

Two other singles players, who are seniors, are standout performers on the varsity squad. George Hill and Hayden Gardner should be consistent threats to earn points for the team. In addition, Keegan Grow and Will Coccimiglio, who play doubles, are key senior leaders for the Beetdiggers. They are also student body officers at Jordan. 

“[Hill] is a great leader,” Bell said. “[Gardner] works super hard. [Grow] and [Coccimiglio] are good examples during workouts.”

Jordan began the year with a successful performance at a tournament in St. George. Buxton reached the finals, and the team as a whole finished high in the standings. Bell is excited to see what the team does in region play and throughout the rest of the season. He is wary of the injury bug and how it can hamper the team’s play. He’s crossing his fingers that the Beetdiggers can stay healthy. 

“Health is a factor,” he said. “We have had a few injuries already come up, including a season-ending torn ACL for one of our guys,” he said. “Otherwise, we do have a lot of the right players that will be accomplishing some great things this year.”

Bell would like to see the players improve on some areas of their game. 

“We need to improve on general strategy and also recognizing personal strengths that make things tough on the opponent,” he said. “This is always something that develops over the course of a season. It is a fun process, and I’m excited to see it develop over the course of this season.”

Jordan will spend April in tournaments and matches against region opponents and others. The Region 10 tournament will determine which players qualify for state. Bell is hoping to see multiple players reach the Class 4A state tournament. It takes place May 10 and 11 at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City. 

Achieving the team’s goals will be challenging, and there are barriers that may stand in the way. Staying composed and focused will be crucial for the Beetdiggers, especially late in the season. 

“Our biggest challenge will be to stay calm during the end-of-year tournaments,” he said. “We have the talent, but how we handle our nerves will probably be the biggest factor on how far we go into the state tournament. We welcome that challenge and hope that we can make some good memories facing it.”

Win or lose, Bell is thankful for the chance to coach these boys. He appreciates and admires their work ethic and attitude. 

“They are always ready to work,” he said. “We hit the weight room, do a lot of running and do lots of tennis, of course, and they get it done without complaining. They know that everything adds up to getting better.” λ