McCoy, Cathey lead All-Area basketball teams
This story was published Thursday, March 17th, 2005
By Rene Ferran, Herald staff writer
There's a definite point to the Tri-City Herald's selections for this year's All-Area basketball MVPs.
Both players -- Richland senior Hayley McCoy and Hanford senior Tyler Cathey -- directed their teams to league titles and state appearances from the point guard position.
The programs made a clean sweep of the major awards as Bombers girls coach Cindy McCoy and Falcons boys coach Paul Mayer were honored as All-Area coaches of the year in a vote of the Herald sports staff.
"It's a big honor," Mayer said. "It signifies what a job this group of kids did. It's a real tribute to them, and it feels good for me."
Hayley McCoy picked up the scoring slack this season with the graduation of a pair of double-digit scorers (Jessica Miller and Stephanie Sax), more than doubling her average from 6.9 to a Big Nine Conference-leading 15.6 points per game.
"She really rounded out her game this year and stepped up knowing she had to," said Cindy McCoy, named the All-Area girls coach of the year for the second straight season. "Last year, when Hayley drove to the basket, you knew she was going to dish. This year, she did a better job of finishing, and she also improved her mid-range game, her pull-up jumpers."
Hayley, who also averaged four assists and four steals per game, was named the Big Nine Player of the Year as the Bombers won 15 in a row at one point to capture a share of their second straight conference title. They fell one win short of a state trophy, but McCoy had a fabulous three days in Tacoma, averaging a tournament-high 19.3 ppg and four steals.
"Hayley has always been overlooked because she's not a flashy player," Cindy McCoy said. "But she's a player you learn to appreciate if you watch her game in and game out."
While Hayley McCoy was a three-year veteran at the point for the Bombers, Cathey's move to the point this season was a calculated gamble by Mayer -- one that paid off in an 18-game winning streak to start the season and an eventual eighth-place finish at the 3A boys state tournament.
Cathey played off-guard last season and was primarily Hanford's defensive stopper, but Mayer was convinced he was ready for a bigger role this year.
"It was pretty obvious in the summer that he was ready to explode," Mayer said. "His athleticism, his shooting, everything had improved. I don't think people thought of him as a point guard. But I was confident he'd surprise a lot of people."
Cathey made his coach look like a genius. He flawlessly ran the show for the Falcons, guiding them to their first Mid-Valley League title since 2002 and first outright crown since 1985 to earn MVL Player of the Year honors.
In the postseason, he almost singlehandedly got Hanford back to state for the first time in four years, scoring 24 points in the qualifying game against Ellensburg, including eight straight late in the third quarter to help the Falcons gain control.
Cathey's all-around numbers (16.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists per game) only tell part of the story, however.
"He's the best leader we've ever had," Mayer said. "He did a lot of things without me asking, all of them good. He's one of the best players ever to play here, and he had a terrific year for us."
Cathey was joined on the All-Area first team by fellow Falcons senior Admir Beribak, Hermiston senior Paul Carollo, Kamiakin senior Paul Martin and Pasco senior Dean Colbray.
McCoy's fellow first-teamers were Bombers teammate Lori Conrad, Kennewick senior Rachel Johnson and a pair of sophomores, Columbia-Burbank's Lauren Rada and Prosser's Claire Raap.