Sports in The Dominion Post

This article appeared in the Dominion Post Newspaper on December 23, 2003.
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Carey finds a home at MHS

JUSTIN JACKSON

As far as Christmas presents go, Morgantown High guard Chris Carey has no idea what he's getting this year.

As much as he would like to peek a little early, Carey admits he doesn't even know where to begin.

You see, the Carey family moved to Morgantown over the summer from Bridgeport so Chris' father, Mike, the WVU women's basketball coach, could be closer to the university.

The family rented a townhouse near Mylan Puskar Stadium at Mountaineer Field. The family is still looking for a permanent residence.

"Right now, there's still a lot of boxes here and there," Carey said. "My mom has a great system going on. I don't know which boxes are from the move or which ones are Christmas presents."

Turns out Chris Carey has been the perfect present for the fourth-ranked Mohigans.

The junior scored 23 points, 15 coming from five 3-pointers, in the Mohigans (2-0) 66-39 victory over East Fairmont on Monday night. In his first game as a Mohigan, Carey scored 12.

"I was a little frustrated after the first game," Carey said. "I didn't really get into a rhythm like I know I can get into. I felt I should have played a better game. It felt good to get hot early tonight. It made me relax a little bit."

Carey is no different from any other teenager, except he has a father that just happens to be a Division I college basketball coach. That, of course, has put instant expectations on him since he was playing in youth leagues.

As a sophomore last year, Carey averaged a little more than 12 points a game, as Bridgeport advanced to the Class AA state basketball tournament. Carey made all-state on the honorable mention team.

He was a kid with lots of friends, just two years before graduating high school, a driver's license and what would seem not a care in the world.

Then the word comes -- moving.

"I was kind of down at first about moving to Morgantown," Carey said. "I had all of my friends in Bridgeport. I had grown up in Bridgeport. Everything I knew was there.

"I got to Morgantown and I got to meet some of the guys and I knew most of them from playing basketball with them. Everybody I met made me feel welcome."

And with that a chemistry has blossomed. Carey feels like he belongs and there's no hard feelings among teammates toward the new kid in town.

"I didn't want to leave my friends in Bridgeport, but I've made a lot of new friends here," Carey said. "I think my role with this team is to just add a little bit of everything. I just try to do what I can.

"There was a lot of hype about this team coming in. After we scrimmaged Beckley (Woodrow Wilson), I began to see just how good this team could really be. I think this team has a chance to go all the way if we keep working hard."

Carey does add a little bit of everything to the team. In what MHS coach Tom Yester wants to be a fast-breaking offense that shoots a lot of 3-pointers, Carey has seemed to fit right in with that system.

He started this game nailing his first three 3-point attempts, but has also shown the abilty to penetrate to the basket and pass the ball. That was the same role filled last year by Seth Fogarty, who moved on to play football at UConn. Fogarty was a better rebounder, but Carey is a better shooter.

Really all that's left for Carey in getting used to his new surroundings is figuring out where his classes are.

"I have a real bad sense of direction," Carey said with a smile. "There's one wing of Morgantown High that's probably bigger than Bridgeport High. That's probably my biggest problem right now."

JUSTINJACKSON covers high school sports for The Dominion Post. Reach him at jjackson@dominionpost.com


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