Jon White might not be in a class by himself when it comes to Pleasant Valley tennis history, but it certainly doesn't take long to do the roll call.

If White isn't the class valedictorian, he's definitely the salutatorian."Without a doubt, Jon is one of the best to have ever played tennis at Pleasant Valley," said Bears coach Mark Allison. "I'd put him right up there with Jarrett Siwiec as the best players I've coached."Those remarks are obviously high praise, but when you consider the credentials of both Allison and Siwiec, they become even more impressive.Allison is the only head coach in Pleasant Valley tennis history, having just completed his 21st season. It's safe to say that no one knows the Bears' tennis history better than he does.Meanwhile, Siwiec is the only player in program history to play Division I tennis. A 2008 Pleasant Valley graduate, Siwiec was a two-time District 11 singles finalist before going on to play four years at Siena College."It's really an honor to be mentioned in the same conversation with Jarrett," said White. "He was a few years ahead of me in school so I never met him, but I have heard what a great player he was. The fact that he went on to play Division I tennis speaks volumes about his skill and ability."I'm flattered that coach Allison thinks so much about my game that he would put me in that type of company."White's accomplishments this season and over his four-year varsity career prove that he belongs in that type of elite company. It's also the reason why he is this year's Times News Tennis Player of the Year.This past season, White advanced to both the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and District 11 Class AAA singles semifinals and to the District 11 AAA doubles finals."Jon had an outstanding career and topped it off this year with another tremendous season," said Allison. "The singles competition in the district the last couple years has been outstanding so it says a lot about Jon's ability that he made it to the semis the last two seasons."But for as well as White has played in singles, it's probably doubles play where he has made his biggest mark on the Bears' program and also had the most fun."Jon is an outstanding doubles player," said Allison. "To make it to the District 11 championships two straight years with different partners each time really says a lot about his talent, his versatility and his ability to adapt to his partners' strengths and weaknesses."Last year, White teamed with Jon Walmach to become the first Pleasant Valley players to ever win a district championship and advance to States. This year, despite the fact that Walmach graduated, he was able to team with Erik Ammermann to get back to the district championship match before losing."I really love playing doubles," said White. "It's the most fun I've had playing high school tennis."This whole season was a blast. I tried to make a point of taking it all in and enjoying my final season of high school tennis, and I definitely did that. But as much as I like singles, nothing is as enjoyable for me as playing doubles. I love having to count on my partner and him counting on me. The team aspect of doubles in a sport like tennis, where you typically have to rely on only yourself, is something that I definitely enjoy."That's not a surprise to Allison, who said that for all White's talents and skills on the court, what he'll remember most about him is his off-court demeanor."Jon will always be a big part of Pleasant Valley tennis history," said Allison. "Teaming with Jon (Walmach) to be the first PV tennis players to ever reach states is a memorable accomplishment."But what I'll remember most about Jon is what a great leader he was, how he inspired the younger players on our team, and how respected he was by opposing players and coaches. He's just a really great kid and he deserves all the accolades that have come his way."White, who started playing tennis with his father when he was about 4 years old and is primarily self-taught, thought that he might have a chance to play Division I tennis in college. But he eventually decided to continue his academic and tennis career at Division III Wilkes University."I've played some Division I kids in tournaments over the years and thought I might be able to compete at that level," said White. "But I didn't get any offers, so I tried to find a Division III school that had a strong program in my major (nursing) and a strong program in tennis. Academics definitely had to come first, but tennis is also very important to me. Wilkes was the perfect answer to what I was looking for in a school."When it comes to his future and what role tennis is going to play in it, the perfect answer is exactly what you would expect from Jon White.After all, when it comes to tennis, he is at the top of the class.