Three years ago, Falcon Cove Middle School’s Mateo Foronda was still finding himself as a volleyball player.

He was a decent server, but he was still trying to sculpt the rest of his game.

Foronda, 14, now an eighth-grader who lives in Weston, did just that and helped Falcon Cove (12-0) blitz Silver Trail, 21-12 and 21-9, to capture the Broward County Middle School boys volleyball championships recently at Pompano Beach High School.

It was the first title for the boys since they won in 2015, when they defeated Westglades 21-5, 21-6 to also complete a perfect 12-0 season.

“I am so happy that I got this MVP,” said Foronda, who had 20 service points, including 12 aces and eight kills in the match. “Honestly, I have to thank my team. They are the best team in the world. They got me this.”

“I am pretty surprised that I have gotten to be pretty good,” he said. “I started off pretty bad. I was nothing, and seventh grade hit, and I said I have to get serious.”

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, there was no middle school volleyball season last year. So he put his improving talents on hold as he played club volleyball.

“This year to go out on top means so much,” Foronda said. “We didn’t have a season last year. I got to show my all. I had confidence that we would win. We beat every team and finished undefeated. This is great.”

The Falcons’ Foronda had nine service points in the first set and added 11 more in the second set to carry Falcon Cove to the championship. In the first set, he broke a 6-6 deadlock with a kill and seven straight service points to push the lead to 14-6. Silver Trail’s Nathaniel Silvestre recorded four service points to draw within 14-11 before Falcon Cove pulled away.

In the second set, Foronda again broke open a tight game with eight straight service points and the Falcons grabbed a 16-4 lead and coasted to the win.

Falcon Cove coach Gregory Giancarlo has coached Foronda all three years.

“Mateo was on the team as a sixth-grader and had a killer serve back then, but he really bloomed over the last couple of years,” Giancarlo said. He graduates 12 of the 15 players on the roster.

“The way the boys came along, and I expected to win it,” he added. “I had three players returning from the last team I coached and picked up a bunch of new players who never played volleyball before and the way they blossomed throughout the season, I just knew that we were going to go all of the way. After not being able to play last season, seeing them win it this year was just heartwarming.”

Silver Trail first-year coach Robert Rogers said he believed in his team from the first time he saw them on the court. The Mustangs finished 10-2 for the year, with both losses coming to Falcon Cove.

“Once I got in the gym and saw the raw talent that they had, I definitely believed they were a special group,” Rogers said. “As the season progressed, I thought this was where we belonged and where we should have been.

“We knew they were a good team,” Rogers continued, “but I thought this was our year and I thought we had them. We made a lot of improvements over the season and the first time they beat us it was only after one practice. Props to them. They have some incredible players.”

Jordan Quintanilla, Vincent Agero and Silvestre led the Mustangs this season.

Rogers said they are graduating seven of their eight players.

“I believe we can make it back,” he smiled. “Where there is a will, there is a way.”

– Gary Curreri is a South Florida Community News correspondent.