Football, fellowship and fish

He’s busy, as usual.

Reece Foy has a lot on his mind, even in the middle of summer while most high school seniors are galavanting around the island, hitting the beach and malls and … well, he has his share of fun. But his summer wasn’t quite what he had hoped.

The trip to Darfur didn’t happen. Since his freshman year, the ‘Iolani quarterback has bent over backwards trying to make awareness of the plight in Darfur, Sudan, site of heinous crimes and genocide of women and children. There have been T-shirt sales, bake sales, a Facebook page shared with keiki in Darfur. Friendships have been forged, and the mission continues. One year, they raised $10,000 and sent it to Darfur. Teenagers doing amazing work.

"He was going to Africa this summer, but that kind of fell through," ‘Iolani football coach Wendell Look said of his starting quarterback. "He’s very into the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), the spiritual side of life. That kind of makes him more well-rounded, I think. He’s come a long way in his years here. It’s nice to see him mature and become a complete person."

There’s football all summer, working out with returning receivers, throwing the ball, honing his footwork — gradually chipping away what used to be a hitch in his mechanics. The result?

Through his first three games, all interleague battles, Foy’s numbers were astounding: a 72.5-percent completion rate (50-for-69), 712 yards, 10 touchdown passes and zero interceptions. His state-leading passer rating of 206.97 was astronomical, even better than what Marcus Mariota did two seasons ago for Saint Louis (Foy’s next opponent).

Then came another miraculous, come-from-behind victory, a 16-10 win over Pac-Five with a last-minute touchdown pass from Foy to Tanner Nishioka.

Sweat. Pain. Injuries. Blood. Foy and his Raiders brothers have paid the price.

But set aside Foy’s charity work and heroics on the football field and in many ways he’s just a regular guy.

Last week, everything else in his life took a backseat for an hour or so — as it was time for Stormy Weather 808 to step up to the virtual podium and announce its draft picks.

Yes, Reece Foy is a fantasy football geek. In the second round, with the 19th pick, he took his quarterback — Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons — projected as a 41st pick by Yahoo! Sports. Foy might be one of the few who see this: Like ‘Iolani, there are multiple weapons in the Falcons’ passing attack. Ryan has Roddy White, Julio Jones, Tony Gonzalez, a solid blocking back in Michael Turner and a whiz-kid playmaker off the bench named Jacquizz Rodgers.

Foy’s got a group of relative unknowns who have built up some of the state’s best statistics: Nishioka, Chase Kanekuni, Chad Hanaoka, plus running backs Kody Mento and Yuuya Kato. Nishioka was a prolific playmaker last season, but Kanekuni and Hanaoka are coming into their own as first-year starters.

"They spent all summer throwing together, so that helps," Look said.

IT IS A SYMPHONY of bubbles in the home of John and Terri Foy, at least in the room of their son, Reece. A 90-gallon tank houses at least 20 different fish, and for the most part, they all get along. There’s a 12-inch black ghost knife. Freshwater species cichlids from Lake Malawi, native to Africa. Reece is hooked on a show called "Tanked," which airs on Animal Planet.

And yes, Foy likes to eat fish, just not the ones in his tank. His mom makes him furikake salmon at least twice a month. But the fish in his room provide an escape. The serenity is priceless, a balancing mechanism to daily competition in academics and athletics. Look and his staff never stop challenging their team to improve and develop.

"It’s about putting ego aside and throwing the right pass, and Reece has learned that," Look said. "He has a natural instinct to make plays with his feet, and I don’t want to curb that."

Foy’s cerebral approach as a senior is vital.

"I do believe defenses can take away some things," Foy said. "But they’re also giving something else up. Coach Joel (Lane, ‘Iolani’s quarterbacks coach) says, ‘You can’t go broke making a profit on every play.’ So I take the 5-yard hitch or the 3-yard out route."

That seasoned perspective is one reason the Raiders keep succeeding, whether Foy throws 21 touchdown passes (as a sophomore) or just 13 (as a junior). It might be the ticket to a roster spot in the Ivy League. He made unofficial visits to Harvard, Lafayette and Lehigh over the summer, and he participated in football camps at Holy Cross, Princeton and Yale. Foy’s pushing hard in the classroom with three AP courses. His 3.6 grade-point average as a junior pushed his cumulative higher (to 3.4).

The tight schedule doesn’t stop Foy. He laughs a lot of the time. He’s driven. He has goals. Some of them happen to be closer to home, right there in his room.

"A couple of the fish will chase each other, but they pretty much get along," he said. "It’s about creating the perfect ecosystem."

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See more on Reece Foy, including his fantasy football lineup and a link to the Operation RAD (Raising Awareness for Darfur) video by Foy and his schoolmates at hawaiiprepworld.com.