Playing a Key role in Phoenix success
Sonoraville senior makes impact in football, track
Tristan Key definitely uses his speed to his advantage on the football field and the track, but he also keeps a pretty high pace with his life in general.
The Sonoraville High senior stays busy throughout the year with a full schedule of athletics to go along with school and his personal life, but Key has found a way to fit everything in and excel in whatever he is doing on a certain day on the calendar.
This past Fall on the gridiron, Key was a major component of Sonoraville’s high-powered offense, combining for more than 1,000 yards rushing and receiving and scoring double-digit touchdowns. And while his senior season didn’t end the way he would’ve wanted it to with the Phoenix narrowly missing out on the playoffs, he said he was very proud of the way he and his teammates fought until the end despite numerous injuries piling up throughout the roster.
This Spring, Key has focused his attention on track and field, where he will be relied upon to score points for the team in multiple events, including sprints, relays and the long jump. After injuries nagged him throughout the season last year, he said he’s fully healthy now and has high hopes for his senior season for the team and himself.
While being a standout in both football and track, he has also played basketball during his time at Sonoraville and does all that while maintaining his grades as he is currently making plans for after high school, where he wants to get into graphic design or business.
Recently, the Calhoun Times caught up with Key to discuss the current track season, being fully healthy after an injury-plagued junior campaign, his final football season, his memories as an athlete at Sonoraville, the influence his coaches have had on him, what it’s like competing in local rivalry matchups, his future plans and more. Here’s what he had to say:
CT:
How is track season going so far and what are your goals or expectations for yourself and the team this season?
It’s going well. Really, we’ve had some things to overcome early in the season, but we’ve got a coach now that is going to be good for us. Our biggest goal as a team is to bring home a region championship, and my individual goal is to make it to State and place at State in long jump.
KEY: CT:
How good is it to be fully healthy after deal- ing with nagging injuries that held you back last Spring?
It makes a big difference. When I’m running, I don’t think about my quad or anything. I just run freely and as hard as I can with nothing to think about or hold me back. It definitely is big mentally. It may come up in the back of my mind sometimes, but it doesn’t affect me when I’m at practice or at a meet.
KEY: CT:
How do you look back on your final football season at Sonoraville last Fall? How tough was it to not go to the playoffs your senior season after going the previous three years?
KEY:
It was tough not going to the playoffs, but I learned a lot about myself and I wouldn’t have wanted it to end with any other group of people. Even though we had a lot of injuries as a team, we still fought hard as a team and gave it our best I think.
CT:
What has been your favorite memory as an athlete at Sonoraville?
I have two. The first one was against Haralson County ( in football).
KEY: