With the Homestead crowd cheering wildly for its team, sophomore wide receiver Harrison Fong wanted to prove a point during the a JV football game on Oct. 23. By the end of the first quarter, he had racked up two touchdowns; by the end of the game, Fong had scored an eye-popping six touchdowns.

After the game, Fong was amazed at what he was able to accomplish and was congratulated by all his teammates.

“I was happy that I was able to do that,” Fong said. “This is one game that I will never forget.”

Fong started his athletic career in third grade when he began playing basketball. He became more motivated to play the game after he learned to create amazing plays, such as his winning shot in a Redwood Middle School semi-final game against Price Middle School in seventh grade.

In the seventh grade, Fong decided to pick up volleyball, following in the footsteps of his older brother, senior Gabriel Fong. In high school, Fong has continued to play volleyball as his spring sport of choice.

In his freshman year, he played water polo but then football in his sophomore year. He only chose water polo in ninth grade because his father would not allow him to play football at that time, since he wanted Fong to stay healthy for the basketball season. Fong was unable to change his dad’s mind and had to continue with water polo. Eventually, his dad relented, allowing him to play football this year.

Out of all his sports, the 6-1 Fong said that basketball has always been his favorite.

“When I first started playing in the NJB (National Junior Basketball), I instantly fell in love with basketball and never looked back,” Fong said.

Since Fong plays three sports, he has to familiarize himself with each position he plays: wide receiver and cornerback for football, shooting guard for basketball and middle blocker for volleyball. He says that his position in football and basketball rely mainly on speed so that he can lose his defender. For volleyball, on the other hand, he tries to focus on his jumping skills since he usually has to either block or hit the ball.

Fong enjoys playing sports during all three seasons in high school because of the opportunity to meet more athletes. He plays basketball and football with his friends during offseasons in order to prepare for the respective seasons. Fong used to play for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) for basketball; however, he left that behind to focus primarily on school basketball.

One of Fong’s basketball teammates, senior Jatin Mohanty, said that Fong’s skills are clearly advanced and has made a smooth transition to the varsity team.

“His shooting and ball handling has shown that he really spends a lot of time practicing,” Mohanty said. “It really shows how much he cares about the game.”

As a teammate, Mohanty said that Fong is carefree and always cracks jokes around his teammates. Mohanty said that he is a great person to be around.

In games, Mohanty remembers one moment during a home game against Monta Vista on Jan. 6. He said that Fong missed the game winning shot, but instead of putting the blame on his team, he put all the blame on himself. Mohanty said that Fong’s action was really admirable since the whole game was not Fong’s fault at all.

Mohanty continues to prepare Fong for varsity level basketball and primarily focuses on his mental awareness. Mohanty hopes to continue encouraging Fong to become an even better athlete than he is now.

Due to the intensity of his sports, Fong said that he listens to music and takes a nap in order to calm himself before games. It helps him “concentrate on what he will do throughout his game and works for each sport.”

Even though he does these activities to keep him calm, he still encounters hardships maintaining three sports all the time, especially if he has a test the day after a game day.

“I usually just feel that I'm not performing to my highest capability on those days,” Fong said.

Along with keeping on top of school work, Fong also has to keep his body healthy. Last year, Fong dislocated his wrist, which kept him from playing basketball for three weeks.

“It felt awkward because I was around the sport all the time, but instead of playing, I was watching,” Fong said.

Despite these setbacks, Fong hopes to continue playing three sports for the rest of high school.

“I enjoy the feeling of making a great play and being with your friends in sports,” Fong said. “These memories can last for a lifetime.”