Agnew begins recovery after ACL surgery
Second MHS big man to suffer knee injury
BY KRISTIN KURELIC
The Dominion Post
When the Morgantown High boys’ basketball team played Woodrow Wilson in the Big Atlantic Classic in Beckley on Saturday, senior forward Austin Agnew was stuck at home listening on the radio while recovering from a season-ending knee surgery.
“I caught about half of it then my Percocet knocked me out,” Agnew said. “I got teased about the surgery during practice this week and [my teammates] were saying it was going to hurt and I was like, ‘It won’t be that bad.’ But it’s all true. They were all right. I’m aching.”
Agnew had surgery Friday morning, after Wednesday’s MRI confirmed that he tore the ACL (ligament) and the meniscus (cartilage) in his right knee.
“Austin did have successful surgery,” MHS head cocch Tom Yester said. “But such a good kid, such a hard worker, his senior season, it’s really sad.”
The typical recovery period for the injury is six months, but Agnew is already making quick progress. Many athletes with ACL injuries must strengthen the knee for several weeks to prepare for surgery. Agnew had his surgery just two days after his MRI.
“They said they wanted to get me back as soon as possible, to do aggressive rehab at Health-Works,” said Agnew, who starts rehab today. “I’m going to try my best to get in there and work hard and make it seem like I never even tore my ACL or anything.”
He said he is in the process of making his highlight film and hopes to garner interest from college coaches to continue playing somewhere next season.
Agnew (6-foot-4, 185 pounds) was averaging 12.2 points for the Mohigans (13-2) in the 10 games before the injury. He finished the season averaging 10.3 ppg in 12 contests. He was the Mohigans’ second-leading scorer at the time of the injury, making a large jump in production from his 4.96 ppg last season.
He fell and hurt the knee in the first quarter of the Mohigans’ 64-59 victory against then-No. 1 Martinsburg on Jan. 19. He worked with the MHS training staff and played off and on after the injury before he came out in the second quarter of MHS’s 76-71 double-overtime loss to University on Jan. 26 after another fall.
“I probably did tear it the first time against Martinsburg, but my leg was so strong that everyone thought it was fine,” he said. “The trainers and the doctor looked at it and said nothing’s torn and in two or three weeks and I’ll be back. I was walking on it fine, doing rehab and for most part it felt pretty good. I was walking, I could run, I could jump pretty well. Then I played in the University game and it was just a freak accident.”
Agnew plans to attend all the Mohigans’ games and practices once his recovery allows.
“Oh my gosh, this is tough. This is senior year, and it hurts to have a seasonending injury and it’s just tough watching the rest of the games,” he said. “I’m going to let them know even though I’m not out there, I’m still going to be supporting them.”
MHS will be without the services of both its starting big men for at least the rest of the regular season. Senior forward and WVU signee Nathan Adrian broke his foot in practice Jan. 23 and is sidelined for 6-8 weeks. He hopes to return for the state tournament if MHS advances that far.
“All in all, it’s God’s plan,” Agnew said. “I don’t understand why he did this, but he knows what’s best for us and He did it for a reason and I just have to trust and believe in him.”

Austin Agnew