AURORA – Fountain-Fort Carson fans who made the trip to Overland High School stepped on the court postgame and embraced Trojan players and coaches.

Some parents wiped tears from their faces as well as Trojan athletes who played in the 5A boys volleyball championship game against No. 1-seeded Mountain Vista.

The Trojans, the No. 6 seed, lost 21-25, 23-25, 28-26, 28-30 to the Golden Eagles in the title game Saturday.

As Fountain-Fort Carson coach Allan Sacdalan watched some players leave the floor for the final time, he also became emotional.

“It’s all about player development and the opportunities I could present to them that they’ll take advantage of in the long run,” Sacdalan said. … “They established a legacy for the program and it’s been phenomenal to see what they’re leaving behind.”

The Trojans finished 16-8 last season, lost consecutive matches in their regional tournament and missed the playoffs.

This year, they started the season 4-2 and then ripped a 21-game winning streak, which included a five-set victory against Discovery Canyon on April 16.

The Trojans didn’t lose again until the semifinals, where the Golden Eagles beat them in straight sets.

Fountain-Fort Carson nearly lost a two-set lead in the playback match against Littleton Public Schools, but held on to win in five sets.

“We slowed down our tempo and that created some errors on our end,” Sacdalan said. “We managed to hold on for the win, but we got flatfooted and it was a turbulent ride.”

As was their rematch against Mountain Vista in the championship game.

The Golden Eagles, which had a three-hour rest between their first and final match, jumped to a 2-0 set lead in the championship.

As Fountain-Fort Carson called timeout with a 9-3 deficit in set three, Mountain Vista fans began “warm the buses” chants.

Not so fast.

“I didn’t think we’d have a lot of intensity left,” Trystan Maloney said. “We came back and gave them one heck of a fight. I think we redeemed ourselves from this morning when we (got swept) by them. I’m proud of how everyone played and stuck it out.”

F-FCbuilt a 22-21 lead late in the set and, after the Golden Eagles took a 24-23 lead minutes later, won 28-26 to stave off another sweep from Mountain Vista.

The Trojans held an 11-3 lead to start the fourth set, but a 17-5 run gave the Golden Eagles a 20-16 lead late in the match.

Although the Trojans pushed the Golden Eagles to the brink of a fifth set, Fountain-Fort Carson never regained the lead.

“I’m proud of each of them,” Sacdalan said. “I’m proud of them for everything they’ve accomplished on this journey. We did this as a team. … This took a village. Coach (Latricia Taifane) and coach (Michelle Lambayan) our team managers, school administration, they all made us what we are today.”

Maloney, who played on the team since its inception in 2021, watched the Trojans go from a 3-8 program his freshman year to second place this season.

Now, he hopes the Trojans build upon this season’s success.

“We’ve overcome so many obstacles to get here,” Maloney said. “There’s been so much growth and change in this program and I’m proud of what we’ve done. We had a lot of the JV kids in the stands watching and I’m happy they got to see the level that Fountain is capable of playing at and I hope they keep it going next year.”