But Falvey's expectations went through the roof when Italian foreign exchange student Amedeo Cornacchione landed in Southeast Alaska. At 6-foot-5, Cornacchione instantly became the team's tallest player and provided the post presence it had been missing.
Falvey admitted he started to think state championship.
"The first day I picked him up at the airport I saw he was tall and I was like, 'Oh, yeah,' " Falvey said with a smile. "When we got on the court he was dunking. All the team was down there. It was great."
Cornacchione didn't disappoint in Saturday's championship game of the Class 3A boys state basketball tournament, grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds along with scoring nine points to help Haines beat Heritage Christian 41-30 at Sullivan Arena.
It was the first time a boys team from Haines cut down the nets in celebration of winning a state title. The Glacier Bears finished second in 1995 but haven't qualified for the state tournament in a dozen seasons.
"I'm so excited right now," said Falvey, who collected 10 points. "I don't think many people thought we'd make it this far, and then to perform at state like this ... I'm so glad for the Haines community because they support us so much."
Haines (19-3) won despite Fossman barely broke double figures with 12 points. This coming from a 6-foot sniper who had combined for a staggering 70 points in the first two tournament games, including a 39-point performance in the opener.
It wasn't necessarily that Fossman struggled; he made 4-of-7 field goals and 3-of-5 free throws. Most of it was because Heritage Christian's defensive specialist Jonathon Millar shadowed his nearly every move and made life tough on the all-state guard.
"He gave us a great chance to win," Heritage Christian coach Brad Lauwers said of Millar. "He's had a phenomenal defensive year. He did a great job."
Fossman agreed, crediting Millar's blanket coverage and the Eagles' defensive focus, for slowing him down.
"They were doing a great job defensively," he said. "Our other guys really stepped up on offense. That helped a lot."
In addition to Falvey and Cornacchione, the Glacier Bears got key contributions from James Hart and Ryan Olsen, who each bagged five points. And it was Falvey, Cornacchione and Olsen that combined for all the scoring in a pivotal 12-2 run in the third quarter that gave Haines the lead for good.
"We knew they'd come out and focus mainly on Kyle," Falvey said. "We knew we just had to take smart shots. We knew the other guys had to step up."
But it wasn't like Fossman didn't deliver his signature highlight-reel plays. Like the consecutive fallaway jumpers he buried with Millar playing textbook in-your-face defense. Or the beautiful jumper he banked high off glass to beat the double team. For the record, he said he called glass.
Still, it was his defense that made the biggest difference in the second half. Fossman collected three steals and blocked a shot to help Haines pull away. His third steal resulted in a breakaway, left-handed finish on a layup that provided a 26-17 cushion.
Heritage Christian (21-5) got as close as 35-27 on Matthew Millar's late 3-pointer, but it was too little, too late. Haines closed out the game by sinking 7-of-11 free throws.
The loss overshadowed the solid inside play of Steve Hanks (10 points, 10 rebounds) and the all-around hustle and muscle of both Millars. Matthew Millar, a senior, played his heart out in his final high school game, collecting 10 points, five rebounds and three steals, and sweating through his uniform like he showered in it.
"He's really led our team the last couple years. You just don't have to worry about the point guard position with him. That's been a pleasure," Lauwers said.
It was the first time Heritage lost in the state final. The Eagles won it all in 2005 and 2006.
"I'm really proud of them. Our other groups went into the championship games knowing they should win. I thought today was a pretty even battle. We just came up a little short," Lauwers said. "They take a lot of pride knowing what the other kids started for them and they want to leave the program at a high level and I think they've done that."
Find assistant sports editor Van Williams online at adn.com/contact/vwilliams or call 257-4335.
Nome 60, Eielson 56
Jesse Blandford scored 21 points, grabbed five rebounds and recorded three steals as Nome jumped ahead early and held on for a 60-56 win over Eielson in the third-place game of the Class 3A boys state tournament at Sullivan Arena on Saturday.
Jeremy Head added 18 points and eight boards for the Nanooks, who built a 21-9 lead after one quarter. Josh Head chipped in 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Colten Growden led all scorers with 27 points in defeat.
Petersburg 43, Grace Christian 42
Cameron Severson's 21 points and six rebounds helped defending champion Petersburg fend off Grace Christian at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.
Cody Smith added 10 points for the Vikings.
Leif Karlberg scored 17 points and had seven steals to lead Grace. Kellan Moll added 15 points for the Grizzlies.
ASAA/First National Bank
Class 3A Boys State Basketball Tournament
At Sullivan Arena
Championship
Heritage Christian 10 5 2 13 -- 30
Haines 10 5 7 19 -- 41
Heritage Christian -- M. Millar 10, J. Millar 2, Ramirez 3, Miessner 5, Hanks 10.
Haines -- Olsen 5, Hart 5, Cornacchione 9, Falvey 10, Fossman 12.
Third Place
Nome 21 9 14 16 -- 60
Eielson 9 14 17 16 -- 56
Nome -- Miller 3, Samuels 6, Je. Head 18, Blandford 21, Jo. Head 10.
Eielson -- Sparrow 4, McConnell 9, Growden 27, King 2, Miller 8, Fearon 6.
At Wells Fargo Sports Complex
Fourth Place
Petersburg 10 11 7 8 -- 43
Grace Christian 10 10 9 7 -- 42
Petersburg -- Mazzella 3, Smith 10, Severson 21, Thompson 6, Akers 1, Birchell 2.
Grace Christian -- Arnold 2, Karlberg 17, Moll 15, Groeneweg 4, Wolber 3, Visser 1.
3A boys all-tournament team
Kyle Fossman, Haines; Steve Hanks, Heritage Christian; Cameron Severson, Petersburg; Jesse Blandford, Nome; Leif Karlberg, Grace Christian; Colten Growden, Eielson; Orion Falvey, Haines; Amedeo Cornacchione, Haines; Thomas Kalistook, Bethel; Jeremy Head, Nome.
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