On certain Tuesdays and Thursdays during the spring, Stagg’s Mo Farhan pulls double duty.
After school, Farhan practices with the boys volleyball team. Then, after a short break, he takes a trip to Western Springs for a 90-minute workout with the Chicago Lockdown AAU basketball team.
The junior middle hitter acknowledged it can get a bit tiring on those nights.
“I have to make sure I drink a lot of water and stretch a lot,” he said.
Even though basketball is his No. 1 sport, it’s not a stretch to say Farhan is a valuable player for the Chargers on the volleyball court.
The 6-foot-5 Farhan recorded 11 kills and added four blocks Wednesday night, helping host Stagg pull off a 25-23, 16-25, 26-24 nonconference victory over Argo in Palos Hills.
Charlie Zeiler, Arkadiusz Garczek and Michael Kos each tallied seven kills. Kos put down the final two kills of the match for the Chargers (6-5), who uncorked a hearty celebration only 24 hours after suffering a 25-22, 25-21 setback to St. Rita in Chicago.
“The adrenaline was going and I didn’t know what to say to my teammates,” Kos said. “We were all screaming. It was much better than (Tuesday) when we were all quiet.”
McKendree recruit Sebastian Pardol led Argo (9-7) with 14 kills. Tristian Gonzalez added nine.
Farhan, meanwhile, got things going in a big way for Stagg with two kills right off the bat. He also tag-teamed with freshman John Kos on three block assists to help the Chargers take a 7-1 lead.
“He brings in the best blocking ever,” Michael Kos said of Farhan. “He shuts down all of the shots. It was one of his better games, for sure, but he is still really great every single game.”
Farhan was happy to pick Stagg early after the previous night’s loss.
“It was a good start for us and we were hyped from the beginning,” he said. “We had the adrenaline and the energy going.
“I don’t think I ever had a start like that, but we were all there. It was a great team effort.”
Stagg coach Pat Kelly enjoys watching Farhan put forth performances like that.
“Mo started as a sophomore for us and he just got bigger and stronger this year,” Kelly said. “He’s a basketball player and his athleticism makes him a good volleyball player.
“He’s also the energy guy. He’s always smiling. Sometimes, he gets a little on himself, but you can always count on him to bounce back.”
Farhan confirmed that he started playing volleyball because his sister, Masah, urged him to go to open gyms during the pandemic.
“I think it’s a really fun sport,” he said. “It helps you jump higher and that really helps me in basketball, too. I can get above the rim pretty well.”
After finishing 21-15 last season and returning some key players, the Farhan-powered Chargers are looking to string together some wins. Key returnees include Michael Kos, who led Stagg last spring with 206 kills, and Zeiler, a libero who last year became the first Charger to earn all-state recognition since 2006. He’s now getting work in at outside hitter.
Michael Kos believes a breakout is coming soon.
“I think we have to play with a lot of energy,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of bad downs and some good ups. We have to keep our momentum forward for some good ups.”
Farhan wants the Chargers to become road warriors.
“I think we a lot better at home than we do on the road,” he said. “We have to bring the energy that we have here on the road. If we play like this on the road, we would be a very good team.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
