Sports in The Dominion Post
This article appeared in the Dominion Post Newspaper on December 16, 2003.
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Mohigans want more than state semifinals
MHS loaded with top talent
Bob Gay/The Dominion Post
Kameron Law is one of the leaders of Morgantown High's fourth-ranked boys.
Class AAA
preseason poll
CHARLESTON (AP) -- The Associated Press boys high school preseason basketball poll released Monday, with first-place votes in parentheses, points and last season's final poll ranking:
Team Pts Pvs
Class AAA
1. Martinsburg (6) 87 3
2. Woodrow Wilson (3) 81 2
3. Parkersburg South (1) 79 5
4. Morgantown 76 4
5. South Charleston 49 --
6. Wheeling Park 33 9
7. George Washington 31 --
8. North Marion 25 --
9. Riverside 22 6
10. St. Albans 15 --
Others: Hedgesville 14, Parkersburg 9, Greenbrier East 9, Capital 6, Fairmont Senior 5, Huntington 4, Robert C. Byrd 3, Jefferson 1.
BY JUSTIN JACKSON
The Dominion Post
For the past two seasons, Morgantown High boys' basketball coach Tom Yester has guided teams to the state semifinals.
Neither team was expected to be there.
Not the case this season, as the Mohigans are preseason ranked No. 4 with a team that returns three starters from a 21-4 season and a high-profile transfer from Bridgeport High in Chris Carey, the son of WVU women's basketball coach Mike Carey.
"As far as rankings and preseason hype, we've pretty much ignored that," Yester said. "Now, we do expect to be pretty good. We certainly have a chance for some nice opportunities.
"It's all part of building a program and creating something that kids will want to work hard for. We've been to the semifinals the past two years, but these kids want to go a little further."
Leading the way is 6-foot-7 foward Kameron Law, who is looking to add on to what was a successful junior season. As a junior, Law averaged 13.2 points and connected on 30 3-pointers.
Law also was named the North Central Athletic Conference's Player of the Year and was captain of the all-state second team.
"Kameron gives you that inside-outside presence," Yester said. "He hit a few 3s, but I would like to see him take a few more this year. We need Kameron to develop into that type of player that can go out and get you 15 to 20 points a night.
"The thing with Kameron, though, is he also is a very good passer. Sometimes he's a little too unselfish."
Joining Law will be Tyler Benson, who averaged 11.7 points and led the local area with 61 3-pointers. Benson was a third-team all-state selection last season.
"Benson is one of the premier 3-point shooters in the state," Yester said. "He's still growing. When he first came here as a freshman he was little and we didn't think he was going to get big enough.
"Now, he 6-foot-5. He's worked on his game, but he needs to be able to take the ball to the basket more."
The third returning starter is center Ben Torsney (6-foot-6), giving the Mohigans one of the tallest lineups in recent memory. Torsney began to come on later in the season and averaged 5.1 points.
Yester calls Carey, who also stands 6-foot-4, the perfect complement to Benson at the other wing posistion. As a sophomore, Carey earned honorable mention on the all-state team for Class AA, while at Bridgeport.
The family moved to Morgantown during the summer, so Mike Carey could be located closer to the university.
"Carey is the slasher, while Benson is the shooter," Yester said. "It's a good combination to have. Chris has come in and it took some time for him to get used to the new system.
"In our second scrimmage, you could see a big difference in him from our first scrimmage. I think with him and Benson, hopefully we'll be able to get 15 points a night from each of them."
The only true MHS starter without starting experience is point guard Dusty Kerns.
"Point guard is a natural position for him, because Dusty is a very good distributor of the ball," Yester said. "I think with who we will have to start the games, Kerns can make a big difference for us by being the guy who runs the offense."
Overall, Yester said he would like to see his team average 70 points after averaging 63 last season. His main concerns right now focus on creating depth behind the starters.
"Overall, we have good height, but I'm a little worried about our rebounding," Yester said. "Getting our second five up to speed is a problem. This should be an exciting season for us and the guys are certainly looking forward to getting started."
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