The stage is set.
Final home game of your career. 997 points. Senior Night.
Unsure of his actual career points entering tonight's game, Kol Tolan knew he was close. Coach Lillebo confirmed Kol would only need 3 points to reach 1,000. "Yeah, it's pretty special. Hopefully he gets to 1,036 tonight", Lillebo joked. A 39-point outing would have helped the Tigers tonight, but Tolan was able to put together a dozen and etched his name in Taft sports history, surpassing 1,000 career points in the first quarter versus Dayton.
"It feels good. I was a little nervous. I'm glad I got it here, and I feel like there was no better way to get it than a home game on senior night", said Tolan.
Although the databases are not up to date, it is a fair assumption that Tolan is one of the first boys' basketball players to reach this historical benchmark for the Tigers in the modern era. He'll have one more opportunity to rack up a few more points next Friday against Amity, but only to make it harder for his younger brother, James, to reach the same pinnacle.
Kol will finish his sports career at Taft as an "Iron Tiger". An honor only a few athletes receive each year, participating in three sports, all four years.
Congratulations, Kol Tolan! I'm sure I speak for many when I say it has been an honor watching your sports journey the past 10 years. You've made your Tiger community proud! -Coach Boone