As a Phoenix Sunnyslope student, Andrew “Andy” Page competed in varsity basketball and baseball. He also ran cross country and played on the golf team. But when he wasn’t competing in sports, he was the senior class student body president, and he was in a play during his senior year with the class of 1999.

Even though he had multiple titles in high school, they didn’t mean everything to him. Instead, actions and presence meant more. And that remains true today, making him the azcentral.com Sports Awards Unsung Hero of the Year, presented by Morehart Air Conditioning & Heating, winter finalist.

He returned to his alma mater as an instructional assistant in 2004-05, but that’s not his only job.

Page announces all football, volleyball and basketball games and travels with the teams to away games. He even created a Twitter account to update Sunnyslope followers during big events, including the boys basketball team’s state championship win.

“It’s a small town kind of feel in the middle of the big city, and I wanted to continue that,” he said. “It’s the No. 1 reason that motivates me.”

Athletic secretary Kathie Nunn works closely with Page because she said he will always volunteer for events and do everything with energy and enthusiasm.

“He’s what I like to call the voice of Sunnyslope,” she said.

He also helps with the student government (STUCO) and is the senior class sponsor, which includes planning school dances and the annual grad night at Disneyland. And whenever it’s spirit week on campus, Page is decked out with Sunnyslope pride.

“If we can make things more special or memorable, I want to be part of that,” he said.

“If there’s anything going on, you’ll see him there,” said Mike Fenton, a math teacher, coach and STUCO adviser.

Fenton was also Page’s baseball coach when he was in high school, and he said nothing much has changed.

“He didn’t care if he was on the bench or on the field. He just wanted to help everybody all the time,” Fenton said.

Page and Mackay Alpert, a friend and fellow alum, started an alumni cash scholarship for seniors called the 99 Scholarship. Every year, it’s given to an honors student in need who is involved on campus, has a GPA of 3.0 or higher and wants to go to college.

And despite all these responsibilities he’s volunteered to do, he’s still humble to credit his mother, who was a single parent, and his grandparents for his work ethic.

His grandparents moved to Sunnyslope in 1968 and still live in the same home today. And his mom, dad, aunts and uncles attended Sunnyslope, making Page a “Sloper.”

“Half the things I do aren’t special,” he said. “I just show up. You just have to show up and you’ll have fun.

“It’s all about the little details, and the little things that stand out and shine.”

Page is wrong about one thing though: What he does is special because they are the little things that stand out.

azcentral.com Sports Awards Unsung Heroes are people whose contributions to high school athletics are significant but might be unseen. There will be one more finalist announced during the spring sports season. All finalists will be invited to the azcentral.com Sports Awards event on April 30 at ASU Gammage where the winner will be revealed.

Avondale Westview’s Andrew Coke and Frank Minichiello are the azcentral.com Sports Awards Unsung Hero fall finalists.