MHS’s busy Berryhill strives for straight A’s

For The Dominion Post
BY WESLEY MCKINNEY

Often times when students get involved with athletics at the middle school and high school level, they lose concentration and focus in the classroom.

For one particular Morgantown High student-athlete, this is not the case.

Evan Berryhill is the starting point guard for the boys basketball team, a top-notch golfer for head coach Doug Goodwin and more importantly a 4.0 student in the classroom.

“I haven’t had any interaction with Evan in the classroom since middle school, but I know he’s one kid I don’t have to worry about with grades,” Goodwin said. “He’s usually in the 3.8-4.0 range every semester.”

Berryhill’s basketball coach, Tom Yester also commented of his point guard’s efforts in the classroom.

“I’ve had him in the classroom and I know that his parents expect him to do well in school and he expects the same out of himself,” he said.

What makes Berryhill’s athletic ability and academic success more impressive is the fact that Berryhill is essentially a three-sport athlete rather than a two-sport athlete.

Normally, golf season gets under way in early August and runs until early October. Then, around Thanksgiving time basketball practices and scrimmages are beginning to take place around the area. The high school basketball season lasts until mid-March when fall and winter sport athletes are given a chance to recoup from two marathon seasons.

When Actually for studentathletes like Berryhill, who play basketball in the winter and do not have a spring sport, means the AAU circuit is just right around the bend in April.

“Between the high school basketball season and AAU, I take off a week at the most,” Berryhill said.

Berryhill says he can relate golf and basketball together.

“In golf, I can’t think about my last shot and basketball is the same way if I make a bad pass I have to forget about it,” he said.

According to coach Yester, Berryhill is a thinker on the floor during games and the MHS coach is quick to credit Berryhill’s smarts to his play on the hardwood.

“Point guards have to be smart people on the floor and Evan fits the exact mold,” Yester said. “Evan is probably the best passer on the team and has great court vision.”

Besides excelling in the classroom, Berryhill is a very hard worker during the offseason honing his skills in both sports, according to his coaches.

“Evan had a really great offseason and he’s looking to be a leader this coming year for us,” Yester said.”

According to Berryhill, he was in the gym over the summer especially during the threeweek workout period with Yester working on his game.

“I was in the gym on average five days a week, then I would also play golf with Eric Wyant on the weekends,” he said. “I started playing more rounds when golf season started to get closer.”

Also, Berryhill began lifting two days a week this summer.

“Lifting helps me hit the ball further and it helps with my basketball game, so that worked out really well.”

“I understand that [Evan] played a lot of basketball this summer, but at the same time I know he worked on his golf game over the summer when he had the time,” Goodwin said.

Berryhill does see one advantage that golf has over the rest of the fall sports.

Golf is the first fall sport to finish its season, which gives him a month or so to prepare for the basketball season

“Even during golf season I’m already preparing for basketball,” Berryhill said. “And I usually only take one week off between high school basketball and AAU season.”

According to Berryhill, it is tough to juggle a full sports schedule and keep the grades up in the classroom.

“I’ve spent several late nights up studying,” he said. “I know that letting my [GPA] slip is not an option.”

Goodwin and Yester have also noticed something aboutthe senior in the past.

“Evan is a very competitive kid, he expects the best of himself every time he picks up a club,” Goodwin said.

Yester spoke of the same sentiments about his point guard.

“He’s is a good competitor on the floor,” he said.

As Berryhill enters his senior year at Morgantown High, he has several athletic goals on his mind.

As far as basketball goes winning a state championship would be a storybook ending for Berryhill.

“Since I was a little kid, I’ve dreamed about playing at MHS and winning a state title in basketball,” he said.

Last year, MHS was the only team in West Virginia to beat the Noah Cottrill-led Logan Wildcats.

“Beating Logan and getting to the state tournament was nice last year, but I want to go a couple of steps further,” he said.

“Winning NCACs in golf is our number one goal,” Berryhill said. “Hopefully we can make it states and make a run at the state title.”

Bob Gay/The Dominion Post file photo Berryhill plays a large role on both the MHS golf and basketball teams.

Bob Gay/The Dominion Post file photo MHS senior Evan Berryhill dedicates himself to academics, despite playing basketball and golf during school. Berryhill hovers around a 4.0 GPA.