Fogarty's No. 5 for MHS? Sakes alive!
Jr. guard is secret weapon

Bob Gay/The Dominion Post

MHS's Seth Fogarty pulls down a rebound against East Fairmont.

BY JUSTIN JACKSON

The Dominion Post

He's No. 5 -- and knows it. He's No. 5 -- and loves it.

If it's true that putting together a good basketball team is like putting together a puzzle, then Morgantown High guard Seth Fogarty is the final piece of the Mohigans' puzzle.

He runs the floor, drives to the basket, plays tough defense and hits big shots -- so why isn't Fogarty talked about more?

Because he's No. 5.

A junior, Fogarty is the fifth starter on a 21-3 team that features four senior starters.

"Yeah, I'm the young guy on the team," Fogarty said.

Those four seniors all average double figures in scoring, while Fogarty chips in 7.6.

"If you were to scout us, Seth would be the last of our starters that would probably catch your eye," MHS coach Tom Yester said. "But, he's been a real key to our success. He's consistent and has been a perfect fit to this team."

He may be No. 5, but what a No. 5.

"He's probably our most athletic player," Yester said. "He's one of our fastest and he's strong enough to guard just about anybody. The other good thing about Seth is that he doesn't turn the ball over."

MHS will play Robert C. Byrd at 7:45 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the state tournament. When the two teams met earlier this season, Fogarty scored 11 points in a 73-63 victory.

Basically, Fogarty has become the secret weapon on a team that may be the state's best kept secret.

"I realize teams are going to pay more attention to the other four guys," Fogarty said. "What I've tried to do this year is step up when a team pays to much attention to the other guys. Usually when I drive to the basket, it's pretty open, because teams don't pay that much attention to me."

Make no mistake, Fogarty can be an offensive threat. His latest outburst was scoring 17 against University High in the sectional tournament.

"You're talking about a guy who could average about 12-15 points for just about any other team in the state," Yester said. "He just happens to be on a team with four other good scorers."

Then there's been other games where he just sort of stayed in the flow and finished with four or five points.

"This season has been kind of confusing to me in that aspect," Fogarty said. "To me, it doesn't matter if I score or not, as long as we win."

What's it like been like for Fogarty this season?

"It's been a lot of fun," he said. "All the guys on the team get along. Everybody contributes to this team, I think that's been the most important thing. Even the guys who come off the bench, they give us a spark with a pass or a basket or a big rebound."

Fogarty also possesses more state playoff experience than his teammates, although it's from football. Fogarty also doubles as the Mohigans' all-state receiver.

"The feeling has been pretty much the same," Fogarty said. "There's been a lot of anticipation to play, just like there was in football. I've been telling myself that I'm going to stay calm, but I know I'm going to get excited when it's time to play."

While Fogarty will be expected to increase his scoring and leadership next year, he's content with his role this year.

"Winning has been the most important thing," Fogarty said.

"I mean, this season has been so great. It's been the best feeling in the world."

In short, the Mohigans' secret weapon may be the most dangerous. "It takes all kinds to make a team fit," Yester said.

"He's not the kind of kid that will get rattled. He's very versatile and can fit into any situation. He's the final piece to our puzzle."