Boys Tennis Coach of the Year: Evans steers Walton to state title

Through stories of success and state championships, to heartbreaking losses in intense playoff matches, coaches are there to be a shoulder to lean on and guide their team to the next victory.

Learning from postseason setbacks and leading his team to a state championship, Walton’s John Evans was named the 2022 Cobb County Boys Tennis Coach of the Year as voted on by his peers.

“It means everything, and it’s all about the players and their sacrifice, commitment and dedication to the team,” Evans said. “It allows me to do what I do and be who I am.”

Walton secured the Region 3AAAAAAA title for the second straight season, but that was not going to satisfy the Raiders as they had their eyes set on defeating Alpharetta, who swept them in the state quarterfinals last season.

“Coming back from something when we were knocked down and being able to come back and win — it is the driving force behind athletes in general,” Evans said. “The loss to Alpharetta was the driving force that makes them get up early and go to workouts, And that’s kind of the driving force behind these kids that they put into work.”

Walton had made the state playoffs every season since its last championship in 2015, but the 2022 season took the Raiders’ best efforts to pull off.

“We ended up playing Lambert, who was last year’s state runner-up, in the quarterfinals. Then, we played North Gwinnett, who was defending state champion last year,” Evans said. “If we beat those two, we knew we’d have a chance. The team wanted to put it all together and make it a complete season and go out on top.”

Walton proved superior against Lowndes and Milton in the first two rounds of the state playoffs, sweeping both teams. Lambert did not go down easily as it took a doubles win for the Raiders to propel them to a 3-2 victory and the state semifinals.

Next up was North Gwinnett, which kept it close before Walton won 3-2 on Bailey Raymond’s singles win. The championship round then welcomed the familiar face of Alpharetta.

The series was tough as both teams were equally matched, but in a story of triumph, Walton defeated Alpharetta 3-1 to win the state championship in Rome.

“This group of seniors had some unfortunate circumstances in their four years,” Evans said. “The team wanted to put it all together this year and make it a complete season and go out on top.”

The Raiders won their first state title in seven years, and the program’s 10th overall.

“I’ve seen them go to work every day, put in the work and do their thing,” Evans said, “and to see all that pay off, that’s kind of what it’s all about, to let these young people create their own path, leave their own legacy. I said this is the pinnacle of high school sports, and the guys, now have they made their legacy and solidified their place in history. It means the world to me.”