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Senior Spotlight: Clark Heller (Effingham County High School)

By Prep Sports Report Staff | May 24, 2020

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Off to another strong season with a 5-1 record, Effingham County High School senior tennis player Clark Heller had to put his tennis racquet on the shelf. Then finally the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) postponed the season because of the coronavirus pandemic. Heller and his Rebel teamates never got a chance to play a region match.

Clark has been very successful on the high school tennis court and the United States Tennis Association Junior Tennis Team (USTA JTT) circuit. Heller has been a four-year varsity tennis player at Effingham County High School, a Region 2-6A All-Region first team player and his high school teams were very successful.  In Heller's high school career, the Rebels never missed making the state playoffs. Clark and his teammates reached the GHSA Sweet 16 his freshman year and the GHSA Elite 8 Class 6A Elite Eight for the next two seasons. 

During the off-season Heller was a member of the Effingham Stars Tennis Program. Clark as a member of the Stars captured the United States Tennis Association Junior Tennis Team (USTA JTT) 2017 South Carolina Team Championship. Then in August 2019 Heller’s Effingham Stars team made a run to the  USTA JTT Sectionals in Rome, Georgia just missing a chance at the Georgia USTA JTT Championships. 

Clark got his start when he was in middle school and the middle school tennis coach encouraged him to try tennis.  Tennis coach Patty Onorato gave him a few lessons on how to play at the net and the rest is history. Heller has always put the team first on the court per his school coach Deanna Spacick from his junior year. Clark has had a new coach every year in high school. Heller stated that the team always had a strong bond and that is why they were always successful.

Heller also credits his family for his success. His family was always there pushing him every day to be the best student and tennis player he could be. Clark feels he is a successful student athlete because he understands the balance between school work and playing a sport. Heller succeed on the tennis court because of his endless amounts of time on the court whether it be at practice or playing.  Not bad for a kid who started playing tennis in middle school. Clark's understanding about time management between academics and athletics paid off.

Clark signed a National Letter of Intent back in January to continue his academic and tennis career at Piedmont College in the fall. Heller will major in History Education.

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The "Coach" Karl DeMasi has been teaching and coaching for the past 35 years on all levels of academia and athletics. One of his hobbies has been writing, announcing and talking about sports. DeMasi has been involved in the Savannah Area sports scene since 1995, and he created the high school magazine "The Prep Sports Report" in 2000. In 2010, the "Coach" started broadcasting The Karl DeMasi Sports Report. He's still going strong, broadcasting on Facebook live and Twitter live every Saturday morning. You gotta love it!


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