MHS hammers Hawks, 79-47
Hewitt scores 14 on ex-UHS teammates
BY ERIC HANLON The Dominion Post

It may not be quite the same magnitude of Babe Ruth being sold from Boston to the Yankees, but when senior Ben Hewitt left University High for arch rival Morgantown High, the bad blood between the two schools got even thicker.
This much was apparent in the first meeting of the two schools’ boys’ basketball teams on Friday night, in which Morgantown beat up on University, 79-47.
Hewitt scored 14 points in his return to the UHS gym and played a big role offensively and defensively, despite being harassed all game by the fans.
“It was just like any other win,” Hewitt said. “It’s just like the 10 that we have now. I really try to zone out the crowd when I’m playing anyway.”
Regardless of his attempts to block out the crowd, from the moment the game began, the two sides of the gym relentlessly chattered at each other. Not to mention that every time Hewitt scored or missed a shot, one side or the other would chant his name.
But even with Hewitt getting heckled all night, he proved to be the bigger man, and MHS head coach Tom Yester reinforced that point.
“I’m glad he kept his poise and composure and made sure not to do anything stupid,” Yester said. “You’ll have to ask him, but I’m sure he knew what he was doing out there and I’m sure he was reminded of what it was like to play here. Overall, I think he handled it well.”
As for the rest of the Mohigans (10-2), the game was obviously big, but the idea of Hewitt coming back was more or less overlooked.
“There was definitely some extra motivation there, but there wasn’t much talk about it in practice this week,” MHS senior Zach Cooke said. “It’s nice to win for him, but it’s a cross-town rivalry and everyone is always pumped up for it.”
In general, it was obvious that Hewitt’s return actually was more of a motivational factor for the fans in attendance than for the players themselves. And there was still a game to be played.
Unfortunately, the game was basically over at halftime, as the Mohigans held a 23-point lead heading into the third. Also, the Mohigans were terrific from the floor, which destroyed any hopes for the Hawks of pulling an upset.
“We did a good job when we had the opportunity to put the game away,” Yester said. “We distributed the ball to all of the guys and of course, shooting 60 percent from the floor helps.”
Cooke was one of the biggest Hawk (6-6) killers on the night as he scored 16 points in the game, 14 of which came in that big half.
Then again, he could have had more if not for the firststring being taken out for almost the entirety of the fourth quarter and much of the second.
Along with Hewitt and Cooke, the Mohigans also had two other players score in the double digits, as senior Anthony Schifano hit two 3-pointers and scored 10 points, while junior Tyler Anderson came off the bench to score 12. “This was probably the best game of the year for Tyler Anderson,” Yester said. “We need to get him to stop jumping so much, but overall he was great. Just because you can jump high doesn’t mean you always should.” Yester was referring to some of the high flying tip-ins Anderson made on the night that dazzled the crowd along with his abrasive defensive play. What was nice to see that even with the ferocity of the rivalry, the Mohigans players had only good things to say about their opponents after the game. “I think we all kept our minds on the game and kept our composure,” Cooke said. “It was just a good game all around.” Hewitt agreed. “Both teams played well,” Hewitt said. “We played as a team today and beat a really good ball club.” Missing from the game was UHS senior Ryan Nehlen, who was out with an injury. “It is my understanding that he may have to have surgery,” Yester said. “I just want to make sure that everyone knows that we have nothing but respect for Nehlen and what he is as a young man. We wish him the best.”
Junior varsity boys Morgantown 83, University 69
Taylor Simmons scored 17 points, Ryan Parsons 13 and Sam Runner 11 in Morgantown’s win over University. Dominique Simpson led UHS with 20 points and Dyllan Johnson chipped in 17 points.

Todd Flint/The Dominion Post
Morgantown High’s Jay Fletcher
drives in for a layup, as University High’s Ryan Watts defends.