Like most young boys, Zach Bost grew up idolizing his father.

The roles might reverse if he continues up this pace.

Bost, a junior at Jefferson High, completed his second straight undefeated tennis season this year, failing to lose a set once. For his efforts, Bost is The Times’ Boys Tennis Player of the Year.

“I think I just try more than most of my opponents,” Bost said. “I had a close match at state that I would have ended up winning, but they pulled us off because our team already lost.”

The shortened state tournament match was the second of Bost’s high school career. After going undefeated in his sophomore season, Bost dropped the first set of his match before winning the second. The Dragons were eliminated before the match could go any further.

“It would have been nice to finish off the match, but our team wasn’t at the level we should be at when competing for a state championship,” Bost said.

He is certainly doing his part to get to that level.

A tennis player since he was 8, Bost picked up the sport because of his father.

“When I was little, I always wanted to be like my dad, and he played a lot,” Bost said. “The coaches said I had a natural talent, and I got really serious around 10.”

He’s remained dedicated to the sport ever since. He started training in Athens with Debbie Beck, an assistant coach at the University of Georgia. At 13, he moved to the Hobson Tennis Academy in Snellville, where he perfected his craft until relocating to Norcross to train with Murphy Payne.

Bost isn’t the only Dragon under Payne’s tutelage, as incoming freshman Gage Thompson travels with Bost to Norcross to train. Thompson’s addition makes Bost optimistic.

“We’re losing our No. 2 and No. 3 singles, but we’re getting Gage and he’s very good,” said Bost, who added he thinks Jordan Tyler, a “very talented kid,” could fill the last singles spot. “I’m really looking forward to next year and getting back that region title.”

As important as the region title is, Bost is also going to try his best to finish his final season in a way he’s never done before: winning a state tournament match.

“That’s going to be a very important thing for me,” he said. “I’m going to try and play faster to give the team confidence that we have a win in singles and a chance to win the match.”

But before that can happen, Bost is focusing on life after high school, most notably securing a college scholarship.

According to Bost, NCAA regulations prohibit coaches from offering tennis players until the summer after their junior year. Those coaches who are interested will have a few times to take a look at Bost.

The junior is competing in the Georgia Qualifier in early June and Southerns in late June with hopes of rising from his No. 44 ranking so he can compete in the Super Nationals in Kalamazoo, Mich., in August.

“I’m just going to have to come out and play my best and get my name out there,” he said. “Maybe, I’ll get a couple upsets and get some bonus points to boost my ranking.”

It’s hard to believe a player with only one loss on his high school record would consider any win an upset, but Bost knows the competition at the tournament level is much more challenging than in high school. And it’s going head-to-head with that type of competition that Bost loves about the game.

“I just really enjoy competing out there because it’s an individual sport,” he said. “If I win or lose, it’s all because of me.”

While most tennis players have the same mentality, putting that to the side helps when — in Bost’s case, if — a high school tennis match gets close.

“Being on a team is a lot of fun,” Bost said. “I really enjoy it, and that’s why I play high school tennis. Whenever you’re out there, it’s nice to get some support from your teammates.”