Boys volleyball player of the year
Name: Kevin Tong
School: Catalina Foothills
Year in school: Senior
Sport: Boys volleyball
From the archives: Two matches. Six games. Three hours.
That's what it took for the Catalina Foothills boys team to win its first volleyball state championship on Saturday.
After a win over Sabino in the semifinals, second-seeded Foothills (40-7), fueled by a quick lunch and some pre-game adrenaline, clinched the 4A/5A-II state championship, upsetting Sahuaro 18-25, 25-18, 25-23 in a thriller at Mountain View High School.
Led by Kevin Tong's 10 kills and a relentless defense, Foothills earned only the second boys' volleyball crown by a Southern Arizona school in state history.
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"It's always nice to take out the top dog," Foothills coach Andrea Fyock said.
Sahuaro (38-3) breezed through the semis with a win over Pueblo. The Cougars looked like the top seed in Game 1 of the championship when senior Colin Hosto drilled three consecutive kills to give them an 18-13 lead.
Teammate Alex Keicher took the reins and posted six kills to give Sahuaro a 25-18 win in the first game.
Still, Foothills hitter Tong wouldn't let his team be disheartened. "(I told them) that if we just kept confident, we'd do it," he said.
The Falcons' did just that. They entered the court recharged in Game 2, led by Tong, who sunk six kills in the frame.
A laser by sophomore Sam Magill ignited a three-point scoring run that gave Foothills a 17-13 lead.
Shortly afterward, setter Kalen Johnson made a key block to give the Falcons a 25-18 win and force a third game.
Sahuaro jumped out in front early and took a 16-13 lead on a kill by outside hitter Adam Foard.
Outside hitter A. J. Wysopal joined in the surge, notching five kills, his last one putting the Cougars ahead 22-20.
The Falcons were spent. Bent over and hands on their knees, Tong rallied the team.
He rocketed a kill off the hands of two Sahuaro defenders, sending the ball out of bounds to tie the game at 22.
Tong struck again moments later, splitting the Cougar defense with another kill off the right side to gain a 24-23 lead.
A rattled Sahuaro front fumbled the ball between players before letting it fall to the court on the ensuing play. It was all the Falcons needed to secure the victory.
Tong said an outstanding team effort helped the Falcons prevail.
"By myself I can't do anything," he said. "It's a team sport, and I needed everybody else to be there." — Peter J. Stevenson, 2006
