Beaufort’s Scheper, Seabrook’s Johnson claim crowns in Orlando
By Mike McCombs
The Island News
The American Tennis Association (ATA) held its 106th National Championships from July 24 through July 30 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla., and two men from northern Beaufort County can once again claim the title of national champion in the ATA National Adult Age Group Championship.
Beaufort’s Larry Scheper and his partner Kenneth Myers of Shreveport, La., won the Doubles title in the Men’s 55 and Over bracket, while Denton Johnson of Seabrook won the Singles and Doubles title in the Men’s 80 and Over bracket.
The ATA was founded in 1916 in response to the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) exclusion of black players from its events. It is the oldest Black sports organization in the United States.
The ATA National Championships, which began in 1917 with three events, is an annual historic tournament that brings hundreds of players of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities to compete on a national stage.
Johnson claims two titles
Denton Johnson thought the matches at the USTA’s National Tennis Center’s 100-court main campus were “nice and hot. I played some good players.”
On Wednesday, July 26, the third-seeded Johnson defeated Damon Council of Jacksonville, Fla., 6-3, 6-0. The next day, Johnson knocked off second-seeded Bobby Hampton of Chicago, 6-1, 6-4, setting up a match with top-seeded George Baker of New Orleans.
On Friday, July 28, stopped Baker 6-4, 2-6 (10-2) in the final to win the 80 and Over Singles championship.
“My favorite part (of the tournament) was winning the singles against George Baker, who won last year,” Johnson said. “I played him before in the men’s 75s and I beat him there, as well.”
That same day, Johnson also teamed up with Baker to win the 80 and Over Doubles title, 6-0, 6-1, over Reginald Belgrave (Cambria Heights, N.Y.) and Council.
“I thought I was competitive with the better players, and I had a chance to win, and it worked out that way,” Johnson said.
It’s not the first ATA crown for Johnson, who has won the 35 and Over Doubles, the Junior Doubles twice and the Mixed Doubles, as well.
Because he’s in such good shape, Johnson can afford to be aggressive on the court.
“I’m basically a fairly aggressive player,” he said. “I try to get to the net to end points. For my age, I’m fairly athletic. I have no knee problems or anything like that.
Johnson is set to play next in the early fall at Kiawah Island. He has no plans to slow down any time soon.
“Oh not now, my body is still working,” he said. “I have no debilitations, I’m just lucky.”
Scheper in familiar territory
Beaufort’s Larry Scheper is still all about tennis. Just about all day, every day. On top of running the Scheper Tennis Academy, he is still the tennis coach for Beaufort Academy, as well.
“All day, every day,” Scheper said. “I start at 7 a.m. I may get in the house at 10 p.m., but most of the times I end up getting home about 8 p.m. Even when I go take the vacation, well, I’m playing in the tennis tournament.”
Along with his teammate, Kenneth Myers of Shreveport, La., Scheper defended his title in the Men’s 55 and Over Doubles division, qualifying the duo to compete in the ITF World Games in November in Mexico City. According to Scheper, the pair has now won “seven or eight” national championships, though Myers missed the past two years due to injury.
“I played pretty well,” Scheper said. “I was told my footwork was in good shape. I felt really good, in shape, and well prepared.”
On Wednesday, July 26, Scheper and Myers, seeded second, knocked off John Albritton and Tim Baird of Orlando, 6-0, 6-1. On the next day, they made winning the championship look almost as easy, beating top-seeded Delvin Grant (Winter Garden, Fla.) and Marcel Henry (Atlanta), 6-1, 6-2.
Scheper didn’t play singles because he and Myers also finished as the runner-up in the Men’s 50 and Older Doubles, and players are limited to two events.
All total, Scheper has now won 16 total ATA titles since 2012. And all in all, Scheper enjoyed the tournament.
“The tournament was pretty good,” he said. “We had (more than) 300 participants in all the categories.
And Scheper uses the annual event to catch up with four of his Grambling State teammates who are all still playing and are all tennis pros.
“We talk about what we’re doing and what we need to be doing,” Scheper said. “We’re working on those things. It’s gonna take a little time.”
Back at home, Scheper is happy with the improved downtown Beaufort tennis courts.
“The courts are very nice. The kids seem to like them,” he said. “More participants are out there now, more teams are practicing. It seems to attract a lot of teams from out of town. And it keeps everybody healthy. “
