Unstoppable

Faulk named tournament MVP, leads Kerens past Italy in championship

By Todd Wills

Pat Faulk put up double figures in all three games in the Kiwanis Classic and was named the tournament’s MVP.

The junior guard played a major role in Kerens winning the boys championship — which was capped by an emphatic 69-55 victory over Italy on Wednesday night at the K. and Ida Wolens Special Events Center.

To which you say, “No surprise.” It’s Pat Faulk.

Just like in football, where Faulk was named the Golden Circle Player of the Year for a second straight year, when it comes to Kerens, he gets most, if not all, of the spotlight.

And it’s well deserved.

But unlike football, where it’s not always as noticeable, Faulk, while being Kerens’ best basketball player, is really just a cog in a pretty powerful machine.

In fact, going into the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s final with Kerens leading 45-36, Faulk was not my pick for tournament MVP (the Daily Sun was handed the honor of selecting the team, either because our publisher, Raymond Linex, is on the tournament committee, or because someone thinks Shawn Edwards and I know something about basketball).

Instead, I was leaning to DeAndra McAdams, who had scored 18 of his 20 points in the first three quarters. Faulk had only five points after three quarters.

McAdams produced on the offensive end when Kerens had to get back in the game in first half, and then when the Bobcats took over the game in the third quarter, outscoring Italy 21-10.

For those of you who don’t have internet access or who weren’t spending your New Year’s Eve at the Wolens Center, the Bobcats fell behind 23-11 early in the second quarter. The Gladiators were outrunning Kerens.

That’s when Kerens coach Don Enis called a timeout and implored his players to concentrate on the defensive end.

The Bobcats took the message and took over the game.

“I just told them to play defense and be a little smarter with the ball,” Enis said.

Kerens had a crucial 14-0 run in the second quarter, keeping Italy off the scoreboard for more than six minutes. Faulk started the run by burying a 3-pointer, and then McAdams scored six of his team’s nine points as Kerens took a brief 24-23 lead with 1:08 left before halftime.

“I was just trying to help the team win,” McAdams said.

Italy did actually take a 26-24 lead into halftime when Colton Campbell made a 3-pointer for a 26-24 halftime lead, but that shot didn’t do much to stem the momentum that Kerens created.

McAdams continued to spark the Bobcats, scoring a team-high five points in the pivotal third quarter as Kerens built its 45-36 lead. But here’s where Faulk being just a piece of the puzzle showed up.

Junior post Stephon Thomas scored four points in the quarter. So did senior guard Byron Mitchell and sophomore guard Trey Lindsey. Faulk had only two points in the quarter.

Faulk was the man in the fourth quarter as the Bobcats never get closer than 11 points on Jasenio Anderson’s 3-pointer with 4:38 left (Anderson, who scored a game-high 22 points with Cowboys strong safety Keith Davis in attendance, is another story because he might be Italy’s next big thing).

Faulk, the big man on campus at Kerens, scored 10 points in the fourth quarter. He made a clutch 8 of 10 free throws. He also had three beautiful assists.

Faulk averaged 16 points per game in the tournament. He is an unselfish player, as are most of his teammates.

“Sometimes are team is too unselfish,” Enis said.

I told Enis after the game that I was leaning to McAdams as the tournament MVP, and asked him if the sophomore would have gotten a “big head” from winning a major award. Enis said not at all.

“He’s a little rough around the edges as a player, but he would have taken it really well,” Enis said. “He has a bright future.”

McAdams is a 6-4 post with a wing span like a 747. Who knows what the future holds for him, or for Faulk.

One thing is for sure, if Kerens keeps spreading around the basketball, and slows its game a little bit with a double-digit lead late in the game, who knows what the future holds for Faulk, McAdams and anyone else on this basketball team.

Championship Game

Kerens 69, Italy 55

Kerens 11 13 21 24 — 69

Italy 16 10 10 19 — 55

Kerens: Stephon Thomas 7, DeAndra McAdams 20, Byron Mitchell 10, Pat Faulk 15, Trey Lindsey 9, Eric Tolliver 8.

Italy: Heath Clemons 6, Oscar Gonzalez 3, Diamond Rodgers 2, Colton Campbell 6, John Isaac 6, Jasenio Anderson 22, Desmond Anderson 3, Dan Crownover 7.

Records: Kerens (12-3); Italy (14-5).

BOYS

MVP

Patrick Faulk, Kerens

ALL-TOURNAMENT

DeAndra McAdams, Kerens

Thomas McDonald, Mildred

Jasenio Anderson, Italy

Sam Stroder, Frost

Sam Gunter, Rice