Sports in The Dominion Post

This article appeared in the Dominion Post Newspaper on March 22, 2003.
Martinsburg bounces MHS

Mohigans fall in semis

Ian Benson/The Dominion Post

M

organtown High's Seth Fogarty concentrates on his move to the basket in Friday's state semifinal game.

BY JUSTIN JACKSON

The Dominion Post

CHARLESTON -- The shots didn't fall, the defense lacked the intensity it had shown all season, and in the end, Martinsburg just proved to be a better team.

In a game featuring the two highest-ranked remaining teams in the state, No. 3 Martinsburg left little doubt in a 62-52 victory over No. 4 Morgantown High, Friday, in the state Class AAA basketball semifinals.

Martinsburg (19-4) advances to the title game to face Parkersburg South, at 7:45 p.m. today. The Mohigans (21-5) head home one game short of a state championship appearance for the second consecutive season.

"We didn't shoot the ball very well tonight," MHS coach Tom Yester said, "and when we did make a nice play, they were always able to come back and get a basket of their own."

It didn't look good for the Mohigans from the beginning, as the Bulldogs took a 12-2 lead that forced Yester to call a timeout. Making matters worse, MHS point guard Geremy Rodamer picked up two quick fouls, the second coming when he bumped into Martinsburg's Brandon Barrett while running down the floor.

Barrett is the one who edged Rodamer for the Kennedy Award as the state's best player during the football season.

The first quarter was lowlighted by numerous turnovers and poor shooting by MHS, and when it was all said and done, Martinsburg held a 21-8 lead.

MHS got as close as 10 points in the second quarter, but Martinsburg was able to hold off the Mohigans while both teams went cold from the floor and led, 32-20, at halftime.

"It was difficult trying to withstand the early run that they made," Kameron Law said. "Basically, you're losing energy trying to chip away at their lead while they get to conserve theirs. So we were losing our energy, and eventually we ran out."

The second half was a mirror of the first, as the Bulldogs, who last won a state title in 1994, simply answered whenever MHS scored.

It was not the same MHS team that breezed through the season, electrifying crowds with its ability to keep the other team from scoring and to knock down the 3-point shot.

It certainly wasn't the same team that beat second-ranked Woodrow Wilson, 65-60, in the first round, on Thursday night.

Try as they might, the Mohigans were victims of their own game. Martinsburg was the team that hit the long jumpers and got the fast-break baskets.

With 3:11 remaining in the game, Yester ran up the white flag and pulled his starters, down 60-43.

Jeff Horst led the Bulldogs, a team with just one senior and a sure bet to be the favorite next year regardless of the championship game result, with 19 points.

In his last game for the Mohigans, Seth Fogarty led the way with 10 points, while Matt Simpson added eight points off the bench.

"We still had a good season," Yester said. "We beat Wheeling Park at Park, we beat Beckley (Woodrow Wilson) down here, and we also beat Parkersburg South, who is playing for the championship.

"I wouldn't trade this season for anything."

Box score

MARTINSBURG 62, MORGANTOWN 52

MARTINSBURG (19-4)

Barrett 6-12 0-0 13, Sowers 4-9 0-0 8, Clise 2-7 3-3 8, Horst 9-12 1-1 19, D. Johnson 7-11 0-0 14, Benevides 0-1 0-2 0, Miller 0-1 0-0 0, Franks 0-1 0-0 0, Buzzell 0-0 0-0 0, J. Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Richmond 0-2 0-0 0, Bennett 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-56 4-6 62.

MORGANTOWN (21-5)

Benson 0-6 0-0 0, Rodamer 1-4 5-8 7, Fogarty 5-9 0-0 10, Law 3-7 0-0 7, Torsney 3-9 0-0 6, Murray 1-6 0-0 3, Dalton 1-2 0-0 2, Williams 0-2 0-2 0, Jones 1-2 2-2 4, Simpson 3-4 2-2 8, Holt 1-2 1-2 3, Minutelli 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 20-54 10-16 52.

Martinsburg 21 11 14 16--62

Morgantown 8 12 14 18--52

3-point goals--Martinsburg 2-12 (Clise 1-3, Barrett 1-4, Franks 0-1, D. Johnson 0-1, Sowers 0-3), Morgantown 2-13 (Murray 1-2, Law 1-4, Fogarty, Williams 0-1, Jones 0-1, Benson 0-4). Rebounds--Martinsburg 33 (D. Johnson 8), Morgantown 34 (Torsney 8). Assis ts--Martinsburg 15 (Sowers 6), Morgantown 13 (Benson 6). Total fouls--Martinsburg 13, Morgantown 14. A--8,470.

Return to the listing of articles of March 22, 2003.