Boys Tennis Outlook | It's teamwork to the Max for Kentwood ace

Max Manthou doesn't want to talk about just tennis.

The Kentwood High School sophomore won the Class 4A boys singles state championship last spring, but he'd rather talk about basketball, fantasy sports or Huskies football.

Manthou doesn't eat, sleep and breathe his sport. He wasn't raised in a tennis family or developed in an academy.

"I'm a pretty normal kid," he said. "I focus on my schoolwork, and play video games. You know, normal stuff."

But he isn't a normal talent. Manthou is one of the best players in the country in his age group.

TennisRecruiting.net ranks him the best in the Northwest and No. 15 in the nation among high-school sophomores, and rising.

Usually, high-school tennis doesn't mean much to blue-chip talents like Manthou who travel the country year-round to play in United States Tennis Association tournaments. Most top players avoid school teams altogether.

"High-school tennis is more fun," Manthou said. "It's totally a team atmosphere. I love pulling for the guys and rooting each other on."

And while he might be winning everything, it's not the only thing.

"This year, my motivation is my teammates," he said. "Coming into the season as the state champ I have to be a leader even though I'm younger than everyone on the team."

His father, Frank, a long-time coach at Kentwood who stepped away last year, admires his son's selflessness in a primarily individual sport.

"I'm most proud of how he helps others," his father said.

Max plays doubles for Kentwood during the regular season, partly for the camaraderie. But he'll be focused on singles at state-tournament time.

"I want to go back and win it again," he said.

Or maybe three more times. Manthou has a chance to be the first four-time Class 4A boys singles champion.

His personal coach, Jesse Walter, believes Manthou will be motivated by the chance to make history and impress college recruiters. Walter said the University of Washington already has "all but offered" Manthou a scholarship.

Playing college sports, however, wasn't always guaranteed for Manthou. When he was 8, he was diagnosed with a bone cyst in his right femur and confined to a body cast for about six months.

Less than a year later, he began training again and entering tournaments. According to his father, that's when the "trophies starting pouring into the bedroom."

The legs that once limited him now power him.

"His footwork is probably his best weapon," Walter said. "He's not the most powerful or biggest guy with an unstoppable serve. He's quick and he outlasts you."

The fleet Manthou also excels on another court, in basketball. He played guard last season on the Conquerors' freshman team.

"In two years, he could be Kentwood's starting point guard," said Walter, who won three Class 4A tennis titles at Eisenhower of Yakima from 1992-94. "He's such an all-around great athlete, he could succeed at any sport. If he wanted to be good at baseball, he could."

When he was a kid, Manthou told himself, "If I'm winning, I'll keep going."

And he hasn't slowed down since.