Mike DiMauro: H.S. volleyball provides more magnificent Mohegan memories

Oct. 10—MOHEGAN — Scene to scene, moment to moment, the shapes and forms of Monday night at Mohegan Sun Arena offered a glimpse of sports at their ascendancy.

Scene to scene, moment to moment, there was competition, appreciation, sportsmanship, laughter, singing, celebration, hope and wonder, touching the participants in ways often hard for them to fathom. Or describe.

A state record crowd of 1,457 for high school volleyball watched six schools and hundreds of kids experience, in their words, their once in a lifetime moment. And just as declining societal decency echoes a louder and louder toilet flush, we discovered all over again that sports can be fun and wholesome, too.

"I told the kids this is always about making memories. Yeah, you want to compete. But this is about memories. I've been to two state championships and this is right up there with that. This is a once in a lifetime experience," Southington coach Richard Heitz said, after his team defeated RHAM of Hebron.

"When the kids got off the bus and had to walk to the locker rooms, it was like the stuff they see on TV. Like Sunday Night Football or the baseball playoffs. You see the players walking through the tunnel and into the arena or field. The experience is phenomenal."

You want phenomenal?

Try the Fitch team picture in front of the "signature wall," an otherwise mundane ode to concrete in an arena hallway, except it features the signatures of virtually every act to play in America's Most Beloved Arena.

Or the scene in the Joel Barlow locker room, where the kids celebrated their victory over Waterford by singing and inhaling donuts from several boxes of Krispy Kreme.

Or the looks on the kids' faces when they saw their faces on the Jumbotron.

Or the stirring national anthem performances by RHAM's Alana Calhoun, Waterford's Sophia Fioravanti and the combined choirs of Ledyard and Fitch.

Or this inspiring act of sportsmanship from Southington's Erika Davies. Her team was about to get a point because it had appeared a RHAM player's kill attempt went out of bounds. Davies volunteered to the official that she actually touched the ball and the point was awarded to RHAM instead.

How many other athletes would have acted accordingly?

"Honestly, if that happened to me, I would want the other team to call the same thing on themselves," Davies said. "I feel like volleyball is all about honesty. It's really the only way to keep the game fair. The refs always have the final call, but if I can do anything to help out, I will. Honesty is all the game's about."

Those of us who believe in karma should sleep better knowing that young Ms. Davies ought to have good things coming her way.

Speaking of karma: You've heard that doing good unto others brings good in return? Tom Cantone, the Senior Vice President of Sports & Entertainment for Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, is the reason high school sports happen in the arena. He is under no obligation to open the doors to a world class venue and ask for nothing in return.

Yet he does.

And then Monday night, Cantone got to present his daughter's team, Fitch, with a trophy for defeating Ledyard. Cantone got to watch his daughter, Tessa, a senior, earn the game's Most Valuable Player Award as well.

Ponder, perhaps, the excitement and opportunity tethered to Tom Cantone's job, booking world famous acts, meeting entertainment's most influential people. And yet of presenting his daughter the "Sun Cup" on behalf of Fitch volleyball, Cantone said:

"A proud, pinch me moment for both of us. A memory for life."

Sorry. But does it get better than that?

"Truly an amazing moment being in such a big arena, but it also feels like home," Tessa Cantone said. "I wanted to make my dad proud and I didn't want to see him give (the cup) to someone else."

As always, GameDay remains thankful to Cantone and all the gang for all their help and cooperation, making memories for the kids.

"A once in a lifetime night," Davies said. "It was so cool, like everything was happening in slow motion. We are very thankful."

Cantone: "We helped give birth to the fastest growing female sport in America, and the community who came out in record numbers tonight proved how popular it is. We are proud to keep the doors open for our kids to play in a world class venue."

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro