Fluid. Graceful. Perfect. As Austin Maloy scooped up the ball and tossed a perfect ball over to first, all of those adjectives could describe that play. The senior shortstop from Monticello High School was born to play the game. He could run, field and hit. He flipped the leather and trotted around the diamond like no other Buckaroo before him. Probably the best player to ever play for Monticello.
Maloy never thought he was the best though and every time someone brought the idea up he shook his head and smiled.
"I'm no Randon," said Maloy, "in fact without him I wouldn't have been anyone.
Maturity and understanding have always been a strength for Maloy. He could see things as they were, and he completely understood how important watching Randon Keyes suffer through his season meant.
"Without that season baseball would've been cancelled," Said Maloy, "I owe my high school baseball career to him."
It was quite the career. Maloy hit over .400 during his time as a Buckaroo and helped the team to three winning seasons. Most importantly Maloy carried on the example set by those who went before him. He played with heart and honor and always made sure he was never bigger than the game.
Maloy became a role model of his own in the rural community. His work ethic, dedication and kindness made him a fan favorite in the little place he called home.
"The kid just gets it," said Maloy's baseball coach Brian Bowring, "he plays like baseball is everything, but knows it isn't."
That sense of how to play the game right was something that Maloy credits to examples like Keyes.
"I saw him play like that. It made me want to play the right way and build something," said Maloy.
He built something alright. Monticello might now be the powerhouse of 2A Utah baseball, but they compete. They've come a long way since Keyes' winless senior season. Because of Keyes' legacy, which was continued by Maloy, the Buckaroos are a competitive program that projects to hang around for a long time.
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