Killian wins district

Although the adage calls revenge a dish best served cold, the Killian boys' volleyball team would argue that it is best served in district championships.

The Cougars (20-3, 13-1) avenged their lone district loss of the season by defeating Palmetto 25-16, 25-15, 25-12 and won the District 16 Championship.

''I'm surprised myself,'' Killian coach Clinton Reid said of his front line's performance. ``We had been having some problems with that all week, even all season. But today they put it all together.''

Said Palmetto coach Jen Bradshaw: ``It was the best season we've ever had. But Killian just shined.''

The Panthers (21-6) had their moments during the match but could not overcome middle-of-the-floor mistakes and a dominant Cougars front line.

At the center of the action was Killian's Walter Davis, who had 16 kills, 11 service points, three blocks and a healthy dose of enthusiasm that kept his teammates and the raucous Killian crowd in the match.

''Coach Reid had a talk with the team and he let us know what we needed to do,'' said Davis. ``And we just did it.''

'We had a little talk, went through a few `psychological' drills, to bring us together as a team,'' Reid said.

In the second game, Davis controlled the play from the beginning. At one point, the Cougars had 10 unanswered points, seven of which Davis was responsible for. With the score 13-3, Davis took a set from Gabriel Arias-Maduro (31 assists) and unleashed a kill that was hit so hard, it knocked a Palmetto player on his backside and drew gasps from the crowd. The spike was the highlight of what Reid called Davis' ``best game of the year.''

In trying to avoid Davis, Palmetto was forced to play to front-liners Mauricio Palacios, David Giles and Eric Hanscombe. The trio combined for 18 kills.

The Panthers were not without their moments. Sporting matching Mohawks, the Palmetto front rotation sparked runs in the second and third games. Michael McInerney played a strong match and was backed up by Phillip Bourraine and Daniel Cope.

But each rally was squelched when Davis returned to the Cougars' rotation. His high-energy gyrations, which drew jeers from the Palmetto crowd, served as a calming influence to his team. After leaving the second game with a 17-4 lead, Davis watched as the Panthers narrowed the margin to 18-14. His return coincided with a 7-2 run that ended the game.

In the third game, George O'Brien (14 digs) stymied the best efforts of Palmetto's spikers, volleying to Aries-Hernandez, who set up Davis, Hanscombe, and Palacios for the bulk of Killian's scoring.

After two of out-of-bounds calls went the Cougars' way, the Panthers scored three consecutive points to narrow the gap to 18-9.

But after a missed serve by Palmetto, David Giles slammed a kill into the middle of the Panthers' lineup to extend the lead to 23-11. Four plays later, Davis slammed the match-point off the side of a Panthers player.

'I told Walter, `If you're good, you're good,' '' Reid said. ``Nobody can take that away from you.''

Killian will face Southwest in the State Quarterfinal Berth 4 game.

• District 12 Semifinals -- HML d. Krop 19-25, 25-13, 37-35, 25-18: Angel Dache led the Trojans (21-3) with 26 kills and 17 digs. Giovanni Roman added 14 kills, 20 assists, and 16 digs. Luis Yantz had 16 digs.

• District 12 Finals -- HML d. Pace 25-20, 25-14, 25-21: Angel Dache led the Trojans (22-3) with 16 kills and 13 digs. Giovanni Roman added 11 kills and 13 assists. Kevin Marrero had 14 assists and five digs.