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Athlete of the Week: John Wharton

Northside Eagle John Wharton is our Athlete of the Week.

It's time to shine the spotlight on a student athlete that is getting it done on the court and showing love in the classroom as well.

Marvin James introduces us to Northside Eagle John Wharton, our Athlete of the Week.

John Wharton has been playing the game of tennis for a pretty good while, following in the footsteps of a family tradition.

"Ever since I saw my sister play, I said, 'I want to do that.' My dad coached me at first then got some personal coaches, but it's been 8 years," said Wharton.

Eight years which have blossomed into an impressive career to date on the high school team and amateur circuit as well, and former coach/dad and prep coach Richard Turner couldn't be happier.

"He's undefeated in high school around 44, 45, and 0, never lost a match. He's currently ranked 15 in Georgia, I think, for USTA rankings. He's a Georgia state champion in doubles as a junior and an adult. Probably about 50-60 tournaments he's won, something like that," said Wharton Sr.

And even with all of that success, the team captain still makes helping out his teammates a top priority.

Turner said, "The kids really look up to them and he will help them with their footwork and their basic strokes that get them going. He's very patient with them and hes good with them, really."

"It's just nice to mentor young players that have much more talent these days then I had growing up, and be able to share my insight of the sport with them and watch them grow, it's a nice thing to watch," said Wharton Sr.

And in the classroom, he's serving a 3.94 GPA while taking several honors and AP courses, one half of his title, student athlete, that he takes equally as serious.

Wharton said, "Education always comes first. If your education is slack, then you need to spend less time on the court and more time in the books. You need to find a happy medium between those two, because if you're looking to play college, education is definitely first there. You're not going to college for tennis, it's definitely all about the education."

John and his teammates just wrapped up the regular season and begin region tournament play next week after spring break. We wish him luck in the state playoffs.

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