New Head Coach Tallman asks Mohigans for toughness 6-18-2014

KRISTIN KURELIC
TheDPost.com
MORGANTOWN — New Morgantown High boys’ basketball coach Dave Tallman Jr. kicked off the three-week practice session with a little bulletin board material.

“Coach Tallman came in here and told us that in interviews he went to, the media told him that we were soft,” MHS senior Zakeem Davis said. “The first word he heard about us was that we were soft, and we were weak, and we are going to prove everyone wrong about that.”

The Mohigans knew Tallman, who coached at St. Mary’s Ryken, in Leonardtown, Md., which is a member of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, has always focused on toughness with his teams.

So about 40 players showed up for Tallman’s first practice Monday (June 16) afternoon, determined to prove they were just that.

The Mohigans fought through an intense three-hour workout that began with an hour in the weight room, then moved outside where players ran hills and pushed sleds and flipped tires on the football field, then concluded with basketball drills on the Rowdy Center court.

“That’s his main thing,” MHS junior Steven Solomon said. “Toughness is a big thing to us right now, getting in shape, rebounding was a big thing for him today as well, and pushing in transition.”

Jimmy Galusky leads the boys’All-Dominion Post team 4/20/2014

BY KRISTIN KURELIC
The Dominion Post

Jimmy Galusky always had an aptitude for putting the basketball in the hoop. He was known as a premiere outside shooter throughout his early career at Preston High, averaging 17.1 points per game as a sophomore and 18.7 as a junior. In his final campaign this past season, Galusky was the second-leading scorer in the state in Class AAA, averaging 25.6 ppg. It was the highest scoring average in school history, and he became the Knights’ all-time leading scorer, with 1,467 career points. He also finished his career with 18 of the top 50 single-game scoring performances in Preston history.
The way he did it this season was the most impressive, and it’s how Galusky earned the title of The Dominion Post’s Player of the Year. He tops the all-area team of Clay-Battelle’s Zach Chisler and Tristan Haught, Morgantown’s Scottie Core and University’s Tevin Dixon.
Galusky, who has committed to play baseball at WVU next year, grew from being a prolific scorer to an all-around player who led his team in nearly every statistic.
“Jimmy liked to score, whatever it takes to score,” Preston head coach Barry Sanders said. “If rebounding and defense helped him score, he was going to do it the best he can.”
The 6-foot-4 senior guard grabbed 9.8 rebounds, made 4.3 steals and dished 3.1 assists per game, leading the Knights (11-14) to a Class AAA Region I final.
Galusky, who this year became the first Knight to earn Class AAA first-team all-state honors since T.J. Thompson, in 2010, scored the majority of his points on fast-breaks off steals, and put-backs off offensive rebounds.
“He’s fast, very speedy and very talented, so it was a little easier for him to make steals and score than for him to score with someone guarding him tightly,” Sanders said. “His rebounding and defense helped his scoring too. When you make four steals a game, that’s eight or 10 points, and when you get nine rebounds a game, you get putbacks on at least a few of those. Most games, probably 60 percent of his points came that way.”
Once his opponents learned how dangerous Galusky was as a set shooter, they began to faceguard him tightly everywhere on the court. He still made 30 3-point goals, but he became assertive and aggressive at driving to the hoop.
“First of all, he is faster than anyone who covered him, so he did a great job offensively to get open,” Sanders said. “He used his teammates’ screens and things of that nature. When teams realized what he could do, his 3-point totals from his sophomore to his senior (year) went down, but his foul shot attempts went up. He probably shot 60-75 back then.”
Perhaps most impressively, Galusky shot 199 free-throw attempts this season, and scored 134 points from the foul line (67 percent).
“He was a really physical specimen,” Sanders said. “He got beat up in every game, and he would still came out and play the next game. There was none of this 40 points, then four points stuff. He had a double-double in almost every game and led us in every game. He had a great career.”
Zach Chisler
Clay-Battelle recorded its best season in 18 years, and much of that success was thanks to its leader Chisler.
The senior forward was the picture of consistency, averaging 15.4 points and 12 rebounds.
Chisler, who was named Class A second-team all-state, could knock down long-range shots, making 35 3s on the season.
However, he most benefited the Cee-Bees in the lane as the center of their inside-out offense. With his 6-foot-5 height, he was tough to defend, but opponents didn’t want to send him to the foul line, either. Chisler made 71 of 101 free-throw attempts (70 percent).
“The amount of time Zach puts in in the offseason is fabulous,” C-B head coach Josh Kisner said. “He was always playing, whether it was with a travel team or with a school team. He really worked hard and it showed his senior season.”
His dedication spread to the team, as he led C-B to a 21-6 record, including wins against Class AAA University, Class A state semifinalist Notre Dame, state quarterfinalists Valley Fayette and Greater Beckley Christian, and ranked Bishop Donahue and Madonna.
They also won the WV HIT, and claimed Region I and Region I Section II titles to qualify for the state state tournament for the first time since 1996.
They advanced to the state semifinals with a 61-56 victory against Greater Beckley Christian, before falling to Wheeling Central.
Tristan Haught
Haught complemented Chisler in leading the Cee-Bees.
The senior point guard always seemed to have the ball in his hands at the end of the Cee-Bees’ many close games, and it always seemed to lead to good results.
Haught was known for ability to drive to the rim, and especially for his clutch shooting, whether from 3-point range or the foul line.
He averaged 9.8 points, knocked down 34 3s and made 60 of 80 free-throw attempts (75 percent), usually under high pressure.
“Late in the game, we wanted the ball in Tristan’s hands, or in Zach’s, whoever was the go-to guy that game,” Kisner said. “In the end, they believed we were going to win, and they executed whatever it took.”
Haught also led the Cee-Bees in assists, with 4.7 per game, and steals, with 4.5 per game.
Both he and Chisler topped the 1,000 career-point mark this season, but both were more concerned with the team’s accomplishments.
“They’ve accomplished some fantastic goals as individuals, but they are both team players,” Kisner said. “Tristan made a comment just the other day, ‘I’d rather score 999 points, as long as we win that last game this year.’ They are not only good basketball players, they are good kids too. They are very coachable and it’s been a pleasure to have them on my team — or actually, to be a part of their team. It’s their team.”
Scottie Core
If anyone was a team leader this season, it was Core for the Mohigans.
MHS started the season 2-5, but turned around to finish 15-11, winning the OVAC championship, a Region I Section II title and a Region I title, and making a state tournament appearance.
The improvement of the Mohigans went hand-in- hand with the growth of Core.
“When we struggled, Scottie struggled, but he matured nicely,” MHS head coach Tom Yester said. “He rebounded pretty good, he was a pretty good passer, he became a much better defender, and he was the captain and he assumed the leadership role. Once he got there, we gained our footing.”
three rebounds and two assists. He added 45 3s and made 74 of 92 free-throw attempts (80 percent).
“He was instrumental in shooting foul shots. That helped us a lot in close games,” Yester said.
An invited walk-on at Fairmont State, Core finished his high school career with success in the Scott Brown Classic and the OVAC all-star game.
“I think the important thing was, he finally understood he had to take a bigger role as far as leadership was concerned,” Yester said. “I was happy for him because he improved a good bit. When he was younger, he saw things through his own eyes instead of the team. It was nice when he recognized that and we began to play much better as a team.”
Tevin Dixon
Dixon filled the leadership role for the Hawks, with a team-high 11.6 points per game and 55 3s on the season. He also added two rebounds, two steals and two assists per game.
The senior point guard had the ball in his hands nearly constantly, bringing it up the court and executing the UHS offense to create shots for himself or his teammates. When the game was on the line, there was no doubt who would make the play for the Hawks.
“Tevin is a special player, he’s really very driven to want to excel,” UHS head coach Paul Ingle said. “I just really was proud of Tevin. He was the area’s leading 3-point shooter, I think the team really looked for him for leadership and he picked them up when times were tough. He found the ball in his hands in many cases when the game was on the line, and we really counted on him.”
Dixon was a thrill to watch when he had a good shooting day. He could knock down 3-point goals from yards behind the arc and often did so in incredible spurts.
“He had great range, and when he was hot there was nobody like him,” Ingle said. “We were in a Christmas tournament playing against Robert C. Byrd, and we were down double digits in the fourth (quarter), and he made four 3s in a row. We went from being out of the game to within a single score. He has that ability, and when he got hot like that, it was fun to watch.”

Bob Gay/The Dominion Post file photos
Preston’s Jimmy Galusky (right) takes a shot over Bridgeport’s Michael Lindsey.

 

Bob Gay/The Dominion Post file photos
C-B’s Zach Chisler (left) and Tristan Haught.

MHS’s Scottie Core (left); UHS’s Tevin Dixon.

BOYS’ CLASS AAA ALL-STATE BASKETBALL
Preston’s Galusky first team
MHS’s Core, Solomon, UHS’s Dixon honored

Staff, submitted reports

Preston High senior Jimmy Galusky was named to the Class AAA boys’ basketball all-state first team, as chosen by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association and announced today.
The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 25.6 points per game — the second-most in Class AAA behind George Washington senior Jon Elmore, who poured in 31.5 ppg and was named the captain of the all-state team.
Morgantown’s Scottie Core and Steven Solomon and University’s Tevin Dixon were also honored.
Galusky tore down 9.8 rebounds, made 4.3 steals and dished 3.1 assists per game for the Knights (11-14), who challenged Parkersburg South in a Region I final before falling, 70-66, in Parkersburg.
Galusky, who has committed to WVU to play baseball, finished his career as Preston’s all-time leading scorer, with 1,467 points.
He is the first Knight to make the all-state boys’ basketball team since T.J. Thompson, in 2010.
Core, a senior guard, was selected to the third team, after averaging 14.7 ppg and leading the Mohigans (15-11) to an OVAC championship, a Region I title, a Region I Section II title and a state tournament appearance.
Solomon, a sophomore point guard who scored 11.2 ppg, and Dixon, a senior point guard who scored 11.6 ppg, earned honorable mention.
Other first-team picks were Washington senior guard Dominique Newman (21 ppg), Hedgesville senior guard C.J. Burks (20 ppg), Musselman senior forward Trevon Wesco (22.2 ppg, 13.5 rebounds per game), Greenbrier East guard Rondale Watson (22.7 ppg), Lewis County center John Riley (24.8 ppg and 13.4 rpg), and South Charleston guard Brandon Knapper (18.9 ppg).
Woodrow Wilson senior guard Donte Nabors was chosen as the captain of the second team, while South Charleston junior forward A.D. Cunningham was named third-team captain. Nabors averaged 17.2 ppg, Cunningham 15.5.
Evans Award
George Washington’s Elmore won the Evans Award, given each year by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association to the state’s top boys’ player.
Second-place Brandon Knapper, of South Charleston, finished with fewer than half of Elmore’s total votes.
Elmore’s 31.4 ppg average was the state’s highest since 2011. That year, Ripley senior and current Brigham Young University guard Chase Fischer averaged 32.1 points and also won the Evans Award.
Elmore broke Eddy’s school season scoring record with 815 points in 26 games.
Elmore’s father, Gay Elmore, won the Evans Award while a senior at South Charleston, in 1982. It’s the only father-son combination to each win high school basketball’s highest individual honor in West Virginia.
Girls’ Player of Year
Huntington St. Joe guard Mychal Johnson earned the honor from the sports writers group.
Johnson won four state championship at St. Joe, and her teams never lost a game against West Virginia competition.
Johnson, who also won the Gatorade West Virginia State Player of the Year award for the second-straight year, averaged 20.3 ppg, 5.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 3.9 steals for the Irish, who finished 23-3.
The Notre Dame commit concluded her career in West Virginia basketball having never lost to an in-state opponent in middle school or high school.
University High’s Mariah Callen finished third in the voting.

Core, Dixon to play in OVAC all-star game
The Dominion Post
Morgantown senior Scottie Core and University senior Tevin Dixon were selected to play in the Ohio Va l l e y Athletic Conference ( OVAC ) all-star game, April 6, in St. C l a i r s v i l l e, O h i o.
The game will tip off at 4 p.m. at Ohio Eastern U n ive r s i t y.
Dixon, a senior point guard, averaged 11.6 points per game, and made 55 3-pointers on the season.
Core led the Mohigans to the OVAC championship, a Region I title, a Region I Section II title and a state tournament appearance. He led MHS in scoring with 14.7 points per game and set a record by scoring 25 points in a 5A OVAC championship game.

Yester, Ingle resign
UHS, MHS head coach jobs open

BY JUSTIN JACKSON AND KRISTIN KURELIC
The Dominion Post

Both Morgantown and University high schools will have new head boys’ basketball coaches next season.
According to Monongalia County Superintendent Frank Devono, his office received resignation letters from MHS coach Tom Yester and UHS coach Paul Ingle this week.
Devono said both resignations would need to be approved by the Mon County Board of Education (BOE), which meets Tuesday. “That step is pretty much a form a l i t y, ” he said.
Ye s t e r ’s resignation came after 42 years as a head coach, 32 of them with the Mohigans.
MHS finished 15-11 and played in the state tournament this season. The Mohigans fell to top-seeded Washington, 81-61, in the first round We d n e s d ay.
“I am retiring, and I just want to thank all the players that I’ve ever had for the great times that we’ve had,” Yester said Friday evening. “It’s nice to watch a lot of them grow into their professions and their families and that type of thing. That’s been particularly pleasing for me. This group this year was a good group. Got a lot of kids coming back, but when it’s time, it’s time.”
Ingle, who was hired as the Hawks’ boys varsity coach in 2009, but also served as the UHS freshman boys’ and assistant girls’ varsity coach in previous years, said he was appreciative of his opportunity to coach at UHS.
“I was fortunate to have been the University High School basketball coach,” Ingle said in a text message. “I wish all those in the program and the next head coach the very best of luck.”
Ingle, who is a technology teacher at UHS, will remain in that position with the school.
The Hawks finished 6-17 in Ingle’s final season.
Yester, who is a retired teacher, won 629 games during his 42 seasons and guided the Mohigans to 15 state tournaments and seven state semifinal games.
“I’d like to thank all the great coaches that have worked with me,” Ye s t e r said, naming Allan Collins, Jeff Hoffman, Bill Hines, Dick Parsons, Jason White, Kamela Meikle, Denny Crouso and Dennis Kerns.
“Thanks to them for all we’ve been through together and I enjoyed it. Thanks to all the coaches and other players I’ve gotten to know through this process. I need to thank my administrators and my athletic directors. I’ve had three at Morgantown High: Vic Bonfili, Kelly Geddis and Dan Erenrich. And my principals Ed Jenkins, Tom Hart, John George and Bob DeSantis.
“Most of all, I’d like to thank my wife and kids for being my rock and my support. Wish Morgantown High all the success.”
Ye s t e r ’s final season was marred by a three-game suspension in January after the family of a player alleged their son was assaulted by the veteran coach.
Yester denied all allegations and no charges were filed.
The player eventually quit the team.
When asked if the suspension played a role in his resignation, Yester declined to comment.
He coached five former players to first-team all-state honors and the Mohigans won 13 conference championships under Yester.
“It’s certainly two big positions to fill,” Devono said.
Devono said he expected both openings to be posted by the board by April 1.
According to state law, the openings must be posted for a minimum of five working days and a maximum of 10.
After the postings are closed, a short list of candidates will be determined by each school.
“It will probably be two or three names (for each school),” Devono said.
Interview teams, including a member of the county’s board office, according to Devono, will be set up and the candidates will be called in for interviews.
Under that time frame, it’s possible two new coaches could be hired by the end of this school year.


WASHINGTON 81, MORGANTOWN 61
Unbeaten Pats overpower MHS
Mohigans bow in first round of state tourney

BY KRISTIN KURELIC
The Dominion Post
CHARLESTON — When a team is not only the favorite at the state tournament, but also projected to dominate, it can be hard to live up to such lofty expectations.
This past season’s top dog, Martinsburg, found that out when it narrowly defeated Huntington, 60-50, in the 2013 quarterfinals, after the Highlanders had the game tied at 48 with 3:50 minutes to play. After the scare, the Bulldogs and their star, Donte Grantham, went on to win the state title.
This year’s top seed, undefeated Washington High, was immune to any such pressure in its opening 81-61 win against Morgantown High, on Wednesday evening, at the Charleston Civic Center.
Wa s h i n g t o n’s closest game this season was a 69-66 win against Maryland’s Oakdale, in its season opener. Hedgesville gave the Patriots (25-0) their closest in-state contest, falling, 49-44, on Feb. 18.
As the first Class AAA team to enter the state tournament undefeated since Woodrow Wilson, in 1994, Washington has won the rest of its games by double figures.
The Patriots continued that streak against the No. 8 seed Mohigans (15-11).
“At the beginning of the season, we were named Number 1, but I never even heard the kids really talk about it that much,” Wa s h - ington head coach Don Bullett said. “They haven’t talked about it all year long. This group, they enjoy playing the game of basketball. They enjoy playing with each other and it hasn’t been a focus being Number 1. I didn’t think we would come down here and feel any pressure. Our kids just say, ‘One game at a time, one possession at a time.’ ”
The Mohigans briefly held a 4-3 lead after two minutes, before the Patriots went on a 20-4 run to lead, 23-8, after the first quarter. Washington led, 43-20, by halftime and had its largest advantage at 59-32, with 11 seconds left in the third quarter.
With the win, the Patriots advance to the semifinals to face the winner of t o d ay ’s contest between No. 4 George Washington and No. 5 Huntington. Tipoff is 5:30 p.m. Friday.
“I thought our kids did a nice job in transition and I thought we also did a nice job defensively. We were able to rebound and push the ball up the floor. We also did a nice job in our half-court set when we needed to,” Bullett said. “So I thought the kids played well tonight, but I think we can play better.”
When Washington standout guard Dominque Newman swished a 24-foot 3-pointer with just 11 seconds off the clock Wednesday, the tone was set.
“We just go out there and try not to rush things. Coach Bullett stresses letting the game come to you, so we just stay patient and stay unselfish,” Newman said. “If you give me space, I’m going to shoot it. When I get it, I’m going to shoot it, and that was a good look.”
The Patriots gained immediate momentum and confidence, while the Mohigans were forced to extend their defense to cover Newman. It gave the 6-foot-5 Kendell Smith and 6-4 Josh Dudley too much breathing room in the paint.
Newman and Dudley had 18 points and four rebounds apiece, and Smith grabbed 16 rebounds with his 15 points. Jerome Jones added 11 points and eight boards, and Maleke Jones scored 10 to give the Patriots five players in double figures.
The Patriots were taller, stronger and, most significantly, faster at every position. They scored most of their baskets in transition, as a result of steals from their smothering man-toman defense.
The Mohigans struggled to get open looks at the basket and had 16 turnovers. Ten of them came in the first half, when Washington had just one.
The Patriots also controlled the glass, with 40 rebounds, but MHS kept it close, with 34.
“That was wonderful, as far as I’m concerned,” MHS head coach Tom Yester said. “But we shot bad shots, and we paid for it. They are very quick and very good to the rim. And of course, Newman can shoot the ball a little bit, as well as some others. Very impressed with their athleticism, but I thought (in the) second half we hung in there and kept fighting and I believe we won the second half by [three points], so you have to look for those things.”
The Mohigans refused to quit, finding some success in the second half with what was simply hard work and physical defense. They sent the Patriots to the foul line, where they struggled to make 20 of 32 attempts (62.5 percent).
“They are obviously really good, and we just had to go out and play our hardest,” said sophomore point guard Steven Solomon, who led MHS with 11 points. “We tried to simulate that in practice, but that’s really hard to simulate, that tall and that athletic. But we played our hardest and I’m proud of the guys, and I wouldn’t want to play on any other team in the state, or have any other teammates.”
While Washington’s roster featured seven seniors, the Mohigans had just three. Scottie Core (seven points, three rebounds), Shaun Carden (nine points, five boards) and Andy Vac ended their MHS careers.
Junior guard Zakeem Davis and sophomore forward Elvin McNally added nine points and six rebounds apiece for MHS. Four sophomores got state tournament experience, and they return with the rest of the Mohigans after a season of growth.
“This group, I told them, ‘Yo u ’ve gotta look like that next year. That senior laden group that you just played, you’ve gotta become that group (Washington),’ ” Yester said. “I’m very proud of them, and I didn’t have anything bad to say. We made a lot of mistakes, but we did correct some of them in the second half, and everybody got a chance on the court and that was good for them.”
MHS started the year at 2-5, but ended it on a 6-2 run and had key victories against top teams such as Martinsburg, Musselman, Parkersburg South and Wheeling Park.
“We ’ve been doing really good in practice, working hard, listening to the coaches, and hopefully we are going to do the same thing next year, but even better,” Mc-Nally said. “Playing this team, it makes the future look even better. Because we know how they play, (it) will make us better, to get in the weight room and get stronger and win the next time.”
MORGANTOWN (15-11)
Morgano 0 0-0 0, Solomon 4 2-3 11, Selby 2 0-0 4, Core 3 0-0 7, McNally 4 0-0 9, Castellanos 0 0-0 0, Shipley 0 0-0 0, Davis 3 3-4 9, Vac 0 0-0 0, Melko 3 0-0 7, Hall 0 0-0 0, Carden 4 1-2 9, Dale 0 0-0 0, King 2 0-0 5. Totals 25 6-9 61.
WASHINGTON (24-0)
Newman 7 0-0 18, Dudley 4 10-14 18, Smith 7 1-7 15, J. Jones 4 3-3 11, M. Jones 3 4-4 10, Stewart 0 0-2 0, French 1 0-0 3, Coles 0 2-2 2, Brunson 2 0-0 4, Shields 0 0-0 0. Totals 28 20-32 81.
Morgantown 8 12 14 27 — 61 Washington 23 20 16 22 — 81
3-point goals: Morgantown 5 (Solomon, Core, McNally, Melko, King). Washington 5 (Newman 4, French).

West Virginia Press Association photo
Washington’s Kendell Smith challenges the MHS defense of Elvin McNally (left) and Kenzie Melko.

 

West Virginia Press Association photo
Morgantown High’s Antonio Morgano (right) drives to the hoop against Washington’s Dominique Newman, in their state Class AAA quarterfinal game Wednesday.


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BOYS’ STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
Washington a big challenge for Mohigans

1st unbeaten Class AAA team at state in 20 years

BY MARK SCHRAF
For The Dominion Post

CLASS AAA QUARTERFINALS: Morgantown vs. Washington 7:15 p.m. today Charleston Civic Center. RADIO: WAJR 1440-AM. TOURNEY bracket. Page 8-B.
The Morgantown High boys’ basketball team is staying at the same Charleston hotel the girls’ squad occupied this past week.
MHS boys’ head coach Tom Yester hopes that fact will lead to similar good fortunes. After all, the Mohigans, under first-year girls’ coach Jason White, won three games in three days to claim their first state title since 2007.
“If it helps us get to the same place as Jason, who coached our ninth-grade team last year — we’re thrilled for him and the girls’ team — we’re all for it,” Yester said. “We ’ll take any help we can get, because we certainly know what’s coming up.”
That would be 24-0 Washington, the No. 1 seed and the first Class AAA team to qualify for state with an unblemished record since Woodrow Wilson, in 1994.
“They’re a very athletic, senior-laden group, which is a nice combination to have,” Ye s t e r said. “Coach (Don) Bullett was a long-time assistant at Martinsburg, so that means you’re gonna see the same kind of game from his kids. They run the floor very well, attack the rim, and pressure the ball from end-to-end. They were in the semifinals last year, and lost to the eventual champions, Martinsburg, so they’re experienced and hungry, too. It’ll be a tall task for us.”
The Patriots enter the Charleston Civic Center having won 22 of 24 games by 15 or more points.
Senior guard Scottie Core, the Mohigans’ best outside shooter, said he’s excited about the challenge of today’s 7:15 p.m. quarterfinal-round game against Washington.
“I haven’t seen them in person, but I can’t wait to see Dominique Newman p l ay, ” Core said of the Patriots’ high-scoring guard. “He’s made 80 3-pointers this year — that’s twice as many as me — and it’s really exciting to have the chance to go out there and measure yourself against the best.
“We ’ve been working really hard in practice to be ready to handle their press,” he said, “because we know that will be a key for us. Coach Yester always has a plan for us, and if we stick to it, I know we can stay with this team, because when we play at our best, we can play with anybody.”
The biggest part of Yester’s plan involves control, in just about every basketball-related form of the word.
“We have to control the tempo, slow things down to a pace we’re comfortable with, which is slower than they want,” Yester said. “We ’ll also have to control the boards, which should limit their transition game and their full-court press. And when they do press, we have to control our emotions, play with poise, and then attack when we have the chance. If we do those things well, get some additional scoring from our bench, and enjoy the moment, embrace the challenge, it should be a lot of fun.”
Core said the No. 8-seed Mohigans (15-10) echoed that message for his younger teammates.
“Go for it now,” he said. “Don’t think you’ll have other chances as a junior or senior. This is the time when we leave it all out there on the court. Hustle for every loose ball, box out on every rebound, do everything you can, because, in my eyes, we can upset these guys.”
The Morgantown-Washington winner will play the Huntington-George Washington winner at 5:30 p.m. Friday, in the state semifinals.
By the way, for those wondering, back in 1994, Woodrow Wilson didn’t even make it to the finals.

 

Bob Gay/The Dominion Post file photo
Morgantown’s Scottie Core (left) takes a shot against Wheeling Park’s Elijah Bell, in their regional final game. “This is the time when we leave it all out there on the court,” Core says. “Hustle for every loose ball, box out on every rebound, do everything you can ...”

CLASS AAA BOYS’ STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

Mohigans to state
After early struggles, MHS finds the right combination

BY MARK SCHRAF
For The Dominion Post

After the Morgantown High boys’ basketball team graduated now-WVU freshman Nathan Adrian and five other seniors a year ago, head coach Tom Yester began the 2013-’14 season with more questions than the “Jeopardy!” champion.
When the Mohigans lost five straight during the holiday break to dip to 2-5, the “ifs” seemed to be far more common than the “whens.”
“There’s no doubt that we struggled early on to find the answers for our team’s success,” Yester said, “but every year is different, and sometimes it takes longer to find the right combination of personnel, roles and style of play that works best. Once we found it, we’ve gone 13-5, and several of those games were close losses against tough teams, games that could’ve gone our way. I’m happy with our progress this year.”
Senior sharp-shooter Scottie Core looked back at his team’s season and pinpointed a few keys to the turnaround.
“We had a lack of chemistry early on,” he said, “but once we learned how to play the right way together, things started to click. And we also really started to take advantage of our depth. We go 12 deep, and I have complete faith in every one of those guys. They know the system, they know what to do, and if one guy is struggling, the next guy steps in and gets the job done.”
Although there wasn’t a single moment when the light went on, Core saw the series with Parkersburg South as a springboard to the Mohigans’ success in the second half.
“They beat us at home (55-49) during our losing streak,” he said, “but then we beat them twice at their place” — 59-56, then 85-72 in the first round of the OVAC tournament, which MHS eventually won.
“We also lost to Martinsburg, then came back and beat them at home pretty good,” he said. “Same thing with Musselman. Any time all the hard work you put in at practice starts to pay off in games, and you start to beat very good basketball teams, it really boosts your confidence.”
So what did it take to keep from pushing the big, red, flashing panic button?
“I try to come into every practice the same way, with the attitude of, ‘What can we do today to make ourselves a better basketball team?’ and that’s what we did,” Ye s t e r said. “The kids kept working, never gave up, and I’m proud of what this team has accomplished.
“Look, we have two main goals every year,” he said. “We want to be better than we were at the beginning of the year, and we want to make the trip to Charleston. And there’s no doubt that we’ve taken care of both of them. We feel very fortunate to be in this position, and we’re looking forward to the opportunity and the challenge.”
Morgantown (15-0) faces undefeated Washington (24-0) at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, at the Charleston Civic Center.


Mohigans headed to state
Core, Selby, Solomon help sink Patriots

BY KRISTIN KURELIC
The Dominion Post
Shouts rang out from the Wheeling Park bench late in the Class AAA Region I final Tuesday evening, at the Rowdy Center.
“Gotta foul!”
The Patriots soon learned that’s no situation to be in against the Morgantown High boys’ basketball team, and now the state tournament field will have to take notice, too.
The Mohigans (15-10) took control early, then drained 80 percent of their free throws and ousted Wheeling Park, 67-59, to earn a trip to the dance, which begins March 19, at the Charleston Civic Center.
“This is great. We all really, really wanted it,” MHS junior forward Thomas Selby said. “And we knew it wasn’t going to be an easy game because Wheeling Park is a well-coached team and they have some nice players, but we came out with the right energy, the right poise, and we went and got it.”
Selby scored nine of his 13 points in the fourth quarter, including two timely baskets and 5 of 5 free throw attempts.
“The difference tonight was, he really scrapped, and then when he got to the foul line, he knocked them down,” MHS head coach Tom Yester said. “He’s either good or bad there this year, and tonight, thank goodness, he was good. I call him Tempo Tom, and when he has good tempo, he shoots pretty well. And that’s what we need.”
Selby contributed to the Mohigans’ sparkling night at the line, where they hit 20 of 25, after they headed into the contest shooting a strong 69 percent as a team. Steven Solomon hit 6 of 8, among his 12 points, and Scottie Core converted 3 of 4, in his team-leading 15 points.
Wheeling Park, on the other hand, struggled with free throws. The Patriots fell behind, 31-25, at halftime, thanks to an 8-of-15 showing. They went on to hit 17 of 29 (59 percent) on the night, which was hard to swallow for Park head coach Michael Jebbia.
“We normally shoot 68 or 69 percent, so if we just make a few more, maybe that game is two or three points at halftime,” he said. “Our kids kept fighting, but you gotta give Morgantown High some credit. Selby made some good shots for them, and it seems like there’s somebody different for them each time. Solomon and Core are their main guys, but they had some other guys step up.”
Patriots guard Ryan Reinbeau scored 16 of his game-high 23 points in the first half, but drew his fourth foul just two minutes into the third quarter and was forced to the bench until the fourth quarter began.
“That didn’t help us,” Jebbia said. “He’s only fouled four times all year, so that was tough.”
The Mohigans also played sound defense on Park forwards Phillip Bledsoe and Chalmer Moffett, holding them to four points apiece. Bledsoe grabbed eight rebounds, and Moffett and Reinbeau added six each, but MHS hung with the Patriots on the glass. Wheeling Park grabbed 31 boards to Morgantown’s 30.
“We definitely had to rebound and hit the glass hard,” Selby said. “Reinbeau got a couple of his shots off and he’s a great player. It’s hard to stop him, but I think defensively, we really hit the boards hard and kept Bledsoe off the boards and made them really shoot the 3s.”
C.J. King led MHS with five rebounds, and Core added four, with three assists and two steals. Antonio Morgano also chipped in all over the court, with six points, four assists and two steals.
The Mohigans led from the four-minute mark, when a Solomon basket gave them a 9-8 advantage. They took their largest lead, 56-43, with 3:48 to play.
Still, the Patriots had a chance to make it a two-possession game with a minute to play. A basket by Retajje’ Goodwin (13 points) cut the MHS lead to 62-55.
“As a coach, you are worried right till the end,” Yester said. “I’ve seen too many crazy things happen, but we had good composure, good poise and moved the ball well. They went from a 1-2-2 trap to a straight [man-to-man] trap and I thought we handled the change pretty well.”
The Patriots, who shot 35 percent from the floor, missed their next three shots. Core grabbed a defensive rebound and sent a quick outlet pass to Selby, who made a fast-break basket, plus a bonus, to put the game out of reach.
“We really had opportunities. These kids have a lot of fight in them, but we struggled a little bit shooting and on free throws on top of that,” Jebbia said. “We return everybody, but I’d like to wish Morgantown good luck and represent Region I. I have great respect for Tom and we will always be battling them, no matter what.”
The Patriots will graduate just one player — guard Luke Saseen, who had season-ending shoulder surgery in February.
“We are thankful we could hang on and we tip our hat to Luke Saseen, what a fine young man, and happy to know him throughout his career,” Yester said. “And of course, Mike (Jebbia). I coached against him when he was playing, he’s my kids’ age, and he does a fine job. We were fortunate to have a home game and I thought our mindset was good. We were loose enough, and yet, we were ready to play.”
The Mohigans drew the No. 8 seed in the tournament, which pits them against No. 1 Washington (24-0) in their quarterfinal matchup. The Patriots defeated Elkins in the Region II final, 102-60.
“I have 100 percent confidence in our team,” Selby said, “and no matter who we play, I believe we can beat anyone, if we play like we can.”
WHEELING PARK (17-8)
Reinbeau 8 6-6 23, Smith 2 0-1 5, Goodwin-Rowe 3 7-8 13, Bledsoe 2 0-4 4, Moffett 2 0-2 4, Bell 1 4-6 6, Johnson 2 0-2 4. Totals 20 17-29 59.
MORGANTOWN (15-10)
Morgano 1 4-6 6, Solomon 3 6-8 12, Core 5 3-4 15, McNally 1 0-0 2, King 2 0-0 5, Selby 4 5-5 13, Melko 3 0-0 6, Davis 2 2-2 6, Shipley 0 0-0 0, Carden 1 0-0 2. Totals 22 20-25 67.
Wheeling Park 15 10 10 24 — 59 Morgantown 17 14 12 24 — 67
3-point goals: Wheeling Park 2 (Reinbeau, Smith). Morgantown 3 (Core 2, King).

Mohigans rally for section title 3-7-2014
Nearly perfect from foul line in topping Knights
BY KRISTIN KURELIC
The Dominion Post
The crucial moment of a scrappy, physical and fast-paced Class AAA Region I Section II boys’ basketball title game Friday came with 31 seconds to play, when Preston guard Brandon Black was whistled for a foul on Morgantown guard Steven Solomon.
Black was forced to the bench with his fifth foul, immediately after he made a crit- ical steal, drove down the court and sent a perfectly lofted floater over the outstretched arms of an MHS defender in the lane to tie the game at 55.
Solomon went to the line to drain both freebies, giving the MHS a 57-55 lead that it stretched to a 62-55 title victory, at the Rowdy Center.
The two shots brought the Mohigans (14-10) to a stellar 94-percent performance at the foul line. They made 15 of 16 on the night, including 9 of 9 in the fourth quarter.
“We just had to make our free throws like at the end of any other game,” Solomon said. “We ’ve been in that spot before, so it was no added pressure.”
With the speedy Black, who had scored six crucial fourth-quarter points among his 10 on the night, out of the game, Preston had trouble handling the Mohigans’ quickness and athleticism on defense and was unable to get quality shots on its last two possessions.
“We let one get away a little bit, and when we lost Brandon that hurt our speed a little bit. He was doing a great job,” Preston head coach Barry Sanders said. “Give [the Mohigans] credit, they did a good job.”
MHS senior Scottie Core added two more free throws, then a basket with a bonus, and it was good night to the Knights (11-13).
The Mohigans earned a home Region I final against Wheeling Park, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, while Preston will travel to Parkersburg South. PSHS won the Section I contest, 87-73.
Solomon paced the Mohigans with 19 points, and was a perfect 7 for 7 from the foul line. He and Core made the crucial shots down the stretch, but it was defense that began the Mohigans’ comeback effort when they trailed, 22-12, near the beginning of the second quarter.
MHS went with a smaller, faster lineup to put together a 14-4 run and got its deficit to 30-26 at halftime.
“Preston is really hard to get a comeback on because they spread it out really good and stall it, so we had to put a smaller lineup in so we could chase more, and that really helped,” Solomon said. “At halftime, (MHS) coach (Tom) Yester had three things on the board: Energy, defense and poise. And we had a lot more defense and poise in the second half.”
Kenzie Melko poured in 10 of his 12 points in the second half, including a dunk that got the home crowd roaring to give MHS a 51-49 lead with 3:15 to play.
Meanwhile, he, along with Antonio Morgano and Zakeem Davis, was given the unenviable task of guarding Preston standout Jimmy Galusky, who poured in 24 points and ripped down 10 rebounds. Melko’s effort and fiery attitude seemed to spread to the rest of the Mohigans.
“That’s a role I have been asking for and coach decided to give it to me, so I went out there and tried to do the best I could. He’s a real good player,” Melko said. “I just think we really got into the game, we had a lot of energy and we just kept going. In the locker room at halftime, we decided we needed to pick up the energy and comeback and play. We just kept our poise and a lot of us have faith in God and he helped us out a little bit.”
The Mohigans took their first lead since it was 3-2 on a driving layup by Solomon, with 2:17 to play in the third quarter. Six lead changes and seven ties followed, but MHS sealed the win with good ball control. The Mohigans had eight turnovers in the first half, but just five in the second.
“That was a pretty poor first half, and you talk about not being behind this team because they have a good spread offense and they have a superior player (Galusky), and he was sup e r i o r, ” Yester said. “We did a lot of dumb things in the first half, but we cleaned that up. We went with the small guys, and you gotta give Zakeem Davis and Kenzie Melko and Antonio Morgano credit for really turning up the defensive pressure, and we got a few transitions. Then at the end, Solomon, Melko and Core were crucial.
“It’s still a work in progress, there were a lot of situations we didn’t handle very well, but it wasn’t for (lack of) effort. We chased with the little guys and the little guys came through.”
Elvin McNally and Shawn Carden grabbed five rebounds apiece for MHS, which has won one game and lost two to Wheeling Park this season.
Spencer Lively added seven points and 10 rebounds for the Knights, who must refocus on an unknown opponent in Parkersburg South.
“Heck of a game, really hard game for us. Spencer Lively had a heck of a game, Black had a good game and Matt Vero had a good game inside,” Sanders said. “Jimmy had a great game too, and we just have to forget that and get ready for Parkersburg South.”
PRESTON (11-13)
Galusky 10 4-6 24, Black 2 6-6 10, Ringer 3 0-0 8, Vero 2 0-0 4, Lively 2 3-4 7, Monroe 0 0-0 0, Murphy 0 0-0 0, Murray 10-0 2. Totals 20 13-16 55.
MORGANTOWN (14-10)
Morgano 1 0-0 3, Solomon 5 7-7 19, Selby 0 0-0 0, Core 4 4-5 12, McNally 3 0-0 6, King 2 0-0 4, Carden 2 0-0 4, Shipley 0 0-0 0, Melko 4 4-4 12. Totals 22 15-16 62.
Preston 18 12 12 13 — 55 Morgantown 10 16 17 19 — 62
3-point goals: Preston 2 (Ringer 2). Morgantown 3 (Solomon 2, Morgano).

Mohigans cruise into section final 3-5-2014
BY MARK SCHRAF
For The Dominion Post
Wo w. That’s really the only appropriate way to describe the first half that the Morgantown boys’ basketball team p l aye d Wednesday while hosting John Marshall in the opening round of the Class AAA Region 1, Section 2 semifinals. How else to describe the near-perfection of a 35-11 first quarter, followed by a dominating 23-12 second quarter?
That’s a 58-23 bulge at the break, and that was, for all intents and purposes, the ballgame, as the Mohigans cruised home, rolling to a 93-41 win.
“We put three things on the board for tonight’s game,” MHS coach Tom Yester explained. “Discipline, fundamentals, and execution. And I think we did a pretty good job on all three, especially in the first half. It’s clear that John Marshall (5-17) is down a bit this year, but this is lose-and-go-home time, so we needed to come out and take care of our business early. And we did that well. Really, everybody played pretty well tonight.”
From the opening tip, MHS’s lightning quick defense and strategic overplay forced turnovers, most of which resulted in uncontested lay-ins. Before the game was two minutes gone, the Mohigans (13-10) had sailed out to a 10-0 lead. And in the half-court set, Scottie Core got red-hot from behind the arc, draining four treys on his way to a team-high 16 points.
If not for the one-man Monarch show by forward Josh Smith, who led all scorers with 21 points, the final might’ve been even more lopsided. There was no stopping Morgantown on this night.
The second half was more of the same. Through three quarters, MHS held a 20-2 turnover advantage and an 80-36 lead, and the only questions involved whether every player on the Mohigans’ bench would score (they all did) and if Morgantown would get to the century mark (it could have, but sportsmanship prevailed, and the Mohigans pulled off the accelerator with three minutes left).
Junior big man C.J. King, who was all over the stat sheet with four rebounds, a steal, a 3-pointer, an assist and nine points, was happy with how his team put the game away early. He had already turned his attention to Friday’s 7:30 p.m. home sectional championship game against Preston.
“We knew they were undersized, so we attacked on the block, and went inside-outside pretty effectively,” he said. “Against Preston, we’ll need to be patient offensively, play real good defense, and get a quick start like we did tonight.”
If the Mohigans play Friday anywhere near the way they did in the first half last night, it will be a long, long night for the Knights.
JOHN MARSHALL (5-17)
Brown 2 0-0 6, Filben 1 0-0 2, Sadoski 2 1-2 7, Smith 10 1-2 21, Grimm 1 0-0 3, Mason 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 2-4 41.
MORGANTOWN (13-10)
Davis 2 4-4 8, Shipley 3 0-0 8, Melko 2 3-4 7, McNally 5 0-0 10, Core 6 0-0 16, Selby 6 0-0 12, Solomon 6 0-0 13, King 3 2-4 9, Morgano 1 0-0 3, Carden 1 0-0 2, Castellanos 0 1-2 1, Hall 1 0-0 2, Dale 1 0-0 2. Totals 37 10-14 93.
John Marshall- 11 12 13 5 — 41 Morgantown 35 23 22 13 — 93
3-point goals: JM 5 (Sadoski 2, Grimm, Brown 2), MHS 9 (Shipley 2, King, Core 4, Solomon, Morgano).

Mohigans’ big comeback comes up short
The Dominion Post
PARKERSBURG — A cold start left Morgantown High in a big hole, and despite a valiant comeback, the Mohigans dropped a 66-60 boys’ basketball decision to Parkersburg on Friday.
The Mohigans (12-10) trailed, 21-8, after a period in which Parkersburg’s Cole Day made three 3-pointers, and 32-16, at halftime.
“We just came out flat and lethargic,” MHS coach Tom Yester said, “then we started playing back in the third quarter, then, shoot, we’ve got the ball down by four with 20 seconds to go. But we missed a 3 and they made two free throws to make it final.”
Parkersburg, Yester said, “killed us” at the line, sinking 14 of 15 free throws.
Yester credited Zakeem Davis and Elvin McNally with rallying the Mohigans in the second half. They “gave us really good energy and points. And we turned it over 10 times in the first half and three times in the second. That was the difference.
“At least we showed a little guts and didn’t give up. It was a good, nice second half. We played hard.”
McNally led MHS with 16 points and seven rebounds. Scottie Core added 11 points. Davis and Core had six rebounds each, and Tyler Shipley three assists.
Steven Solomon didn’t play. Yester said he was ill.
Day wound up with 16 points to top Parkersburg.
MHS opens section play at home at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, against John Marshall.
MORGANTOWN (12-10)
Morgano 2 0-0 5, Castellanos 0 0-0 0, Shipley 0 0-0 0, Davis 5 0-0 10, Melko 1 1-2 3, Selby 3 2-6 8, Core 4 1-2 11, McNally 6 3-3 16, Carden 1 0-0 2, King 2 0-0 5. Totals 24 7-13 60.
PARKERSBURG (8-14)
Ramsey 3 3-3 9, Basta 0 3-4 3, Wade 6 3-3 15, Hays 3 2-2 8, Colebank 6 3-3 15, Day 6 0-0 16. Totals 24 14-15 66.
Morgantown 8 8 22 21 — 60 Parkersburg 21 11 17 17 — 66
3-point goals: MHS 5 (Core 2, McNally 1, King 1, Mor gano 1), PHS 4 (Day

Morgantown loses to AA Wyoming East 69-59

CHARLESTON — Austin Canada and Christian Hedinger scored 24 points apiece and sunk nine of the Warriors’ 11 3-point baskets in their victory at the Little General Shootout.
MHS (9-8) went 0-for-11 on 3-point shots, a contributing factor to the defeat.
“That and [Wyoming East’s] hustle,” MHS coach Tom Yester said. “They out-hustled. us. They got almost all the loose balls.”
Thomas Selby led MHS with 17 points. Scottie Core and Kenzie Melko had 12 each and Steven Solomon 11.
Melko grabbed five rebounds and C.J. King had four assists.
“Selby had a nice offensive night and Melko had a pretty good offensive night,” Yester said, “but it was lack of defense, lack of aggressiveness. We had [the Warriors’ lead] down to five points with two minutes to go. They scored and we didn’t, it’s pretty simple.
“They’re a nice team, so give them credit. We have to take credit for what we didn’t do.”
MHS next plays host to Wheeling Park, on Friday.
WYOMING EAST (13-3)
Canada 9 0-0 24, Ayers 5 1-2 13, Hedinger 9 3-4 24, Morgan 0 0-2 0, Hayes 3 2-4 8. Totals 26 6-12 69.
MORGANTOWN (9-8)
Morgano 0 0-0 0, Solomon 4 3-3 11, Castellanos 0 0-0 0, Davis 1 1-2 3, Melko 5 2-2 12, Selby 8 1-2 17, Core 5 2-2 12, McNally 0 0-0 0, King 2 0-0 4. Totals 25 9-11 59.
Wyoming East 15 19 25 10 — 69 Morgantown 11 16 16 16 — 59
3-point goals: WEHS 11 (Canada 6, Hedinger 3, Ayers 2). MHS 0

Morgantown High defeated Wheeling Park, 76-69, in the OVAC 5A championship game. 2-16-2014
The Mohigans (9-7) jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter and held off a second-half rally by the Patriots to secure the win.
“We got off to a good start and that was a big key,” MHS head coach Tom Yester said. “We played a really solid first half and we had a lot of chances to stretch the lead in the second half but we let them cut it down in the third quarter.”
Senior Scottie Core scored a game-high 25 points for the Mohigans, including an 8-for-8 showing at the free throw line. Sophomore Anonio Morgano netted a season-best 13 points, C.J. King contributed 12 and Steven Solomon added 11.
Wheeling Park’s Ryan Reinbeau scored 16 of his 18 points in the first half, but the Patriots still trailed, 42-31, at the break.
Morgantown changed up its defensive strategy in the second half, limiting Reinbeau to just 2 points the rest of the way and holding Wheeling Park without a 3-pointed after halftime.
“We changed defenses a little and they missed some shots,” Yester said. “We changed guys on [Reinbeau] and we ran a zone defense. They were only 3-of-15 from 3 in the game.”
Elijah Bell scored 12 of his team-high 20 points after halftime, but the Patriots never got within 3 points of MHS.
“The last time we played them, they beat us by 25,” Yester said. “We showed a little impatience tonight, but we had a lot of good energy. We hung in there late and made some clutch foul shots. Wheeling Park is a good team and I like the trend we’re on right now.”
Morgantown will play Wyoming East at the Charleston Civic Center at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
MORGANTOWN (9-7)
Morgano 3 6-10 13, Solomon 3 5-6 11, Davis 2 1-1 5, Melko 0 0-0 0, Selby 1 0-0 2, Core 7 8-8 25, McNally 1 0-0 2, Carden 2 2-4 6, King 5 0-0 12. Totals 24 22-29 76.
WHEELING PARK
Reinbeau 7 2-2 18, Smith 1 2-2 4, Bell 4 11-12 20, Johnson 2 3-6 7, Goodwin-Rowe 1 2-2 4, Bledsoe 2 2-6 6, Moffett 2 0-0 4, Cummings 3 0-0 6. Totals 22 22-30 69.
Morgantown 23 19 13 21 — 79 Wheeling Park 12 19 18 20 — 69
3-point goals — Morgantown 6 (Core 3, King 2, Morgano). Wheeling Park 3 (Reinbeau 2, Bell).

Freshman boys Morgantown 77, Preston 22: Camron Henderson led the Mohigans (15-0) with 13 points.

MHS wins OVAC tournament game versus Parkersburg South
PARKERSBURG — Scottie Core poured in 30 points and Steve Solomon 22 to power the fourth-seeded Mohigans (7-7) past the top-seeded Patriots in an OVAC semifinal game.
MHS will play Wheeling Park or Brooke for the championship, at 3 p.m. Saturday, at Ohio University Eastern, St. Clairsville, Ohio.
Morgantown scorched Parkersburg South in the first quarter for a 24-12 lead, but the Patriots pulled ahead by a point by halftime.
“We had a very good start, a great first quarter,” MHS coach Tom Yester said. “They tried to press and we broke the press and did well.
“The second quarter, they changed their defense and got hot. They made four 3s (out of 11 for the game) in the second, we were down one.
“The third quarter was back-and-forth, back-andforth, back-and forth, then we finally made a little run in the fourth quarter. Core got hot and had 11 points and Solomon had nine, but everybody pitched in.
“We spread the floor out and played pretty good defense — not as good as I’d like, but I’ll take it.
“I think we grew up a little. Core had a career night, he played a really nice ballgame. Solomon had the ball in the fourth, they had to foul him and he was 8-for-10” from the free-throw line.
Yester said Solomon played “probably the best game of his career so far.”
The Mohigans play again tonight, hosting Preston.
Ty Dobson led the Patriots with 23 points.
MORGANTOWN (7-7)
Morgano 0 0-0 0, Solomon 7 9-12 22, Shipley 0 0-0 0, Davis 3 0-0 7, Melko 2 4-5 9, Selby 2 1-2 5, Core 10 5-6 30, McNally 1 1-2 3, Carden 2 3-4 7, King 1 0-0 2. Totals 28 22-31 85.
PARKERSBURG SOUTH (N/A)
Dobson 7 4-5 23, Gilleson 1 0-0 2, Monroe 4 3-5 12, Kerr 3 4-6 12, Rippeto 2 0-0 6, Berry 1 2-2 4, Boggs 1 0-0 2, Lawrentz 3 4-6 11. Totals 22 17-24.
Morgantown 24 8 21 32 — 85 Parkersburg 12 21 16 23 — 72
3-point goals: MHS 7 (Core 5, Melko 1, Davis 1), PSHS 11 (Dobson 5, Kerr 2, Ripetto 2, Lawrentz 1, Monroe 1).

Mohigan Freshman beat Bulldogs, 78-67
The Dominion Post
Andrew Wilson netted 15 points to pace the Morgantown High freshman boys’ basketball team in a 78-67 victory against Martinsburg late Saturday.
Maverick Wolfley and Jordan Page added 12 points each for the Mohigans (13-0). Quentin Burner netted 28 to lead the Bulldogs (9-3).
Middle school boys’ basketball Central Preston 38, Bruceton 37: Andrew Lantz hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win the game. Alek Goff led the Wildcats (12-2) with 19 points. Braydon Wassick topped Bruceton, with 15. Ben Gribble added 13.

MARTINSBURG 1/25/2014— Jarrel Jones tallied 28 points and Martinsburg pulled away from a third-quarter tie with a 19-6 fourth-quarter advantage to beat Morgantown High late Saturday.
Scott Core scored 12 points and Thomas Selby 11 for the Mohigans (5-6), who were playing their ninth road game of the season.
“That’s the tale of the tape right there,” MHS acting coach Denny Crouso said of the fourth-quarter disparity. “We played a really good about three quarters, had an eight-point lead at their place.”
It didn’t last.
“It was second shots,” Crouso said. The Bulldogs (7-2) “didn’t beat us on the first shot, they beat us on the second. They really cleaned up on the glass on us in the fourth quarter. They turned up some pressure, we made a few mistakes, didn’t stick with the plan as well as we would have liked. Got a little panicky and made things worse.”
Tory Lee had six of his 12 points and Jesse Villa six of his nine in the decisive period.

The Mohigans stay on the road for their next game, heading to Parkersburg on Feb. 3
“You look, this is nine away games out of 11,” Crouso said of Saturday’s contest. “And all our trips are ridiculous. It’s not like we’re going cross town.”
MORGANTOWN (5-6)
Morgano 1 4-6 6, Solomon 3 0-0 6, Davis 0 0-0 0, Melko 0 0-0 0, Selby 5 1-2 11, Core 4 1-2 12, McNally 1 1-2 4, Carden 2 1-2 5, King 2 0-0 4. Totals 18 8-14 48.
MARTINSBURG (7-2)
Freeman 1 0-0 2, Jones 11 2-6 28, Hill 2 2-3 6, Lee 5 2-4 12, Green 2 0-0 4, Villa 3 1-4 9. Totals 24 7-17 61.
Morgantown 17 14 11 6 — 48 Martinsburg 16 14 12 19 — 61
3-point goals: Morgantown 4 (Core 3, McNally 1), Martinsburg 6 (Jones 4, Villa 2).

Mohigans’ boys roll under coach Crouso, 79-45
PREP ROUNDUP
The Dominion Post
GLEN DALE — The Morgantown High boys made it easy for Denny Crouso in his first game as acting head coach Friday, breezing past John Marshall, 79-45.
Crouso is running the team while head coach Tom Yester serves a four-game suspension. Steve Solomon scored 14 points, Scott Core 12 and Elvin McNally 10 for MHS (4-5).
“We obviously miss coach Yester and what he brings to our team,” Crouso said, “but we teach the game as a system, so I’m just carrying on what has been taught. We wouldn’t come in and change anything for just a week.”
The Mohigans didn’t need to against the Monarchs. They bolted to an 18-7 lead after a quarter and led, 42-17, at halftime.
“It’s nice to have these types of games because you think of our schedule, we were 2-5 and lost five in a row,” Crouso said. “We lost to two top-10 AAA schools and another game to a team from Pittsburgh. It was nice to have a game where you get to play everybody. Nice to catch your breath, so to speak.”
This was far from Crouso’s first time running a team.
“This is my 20th year coaching basketball,” he said. “I was head coach at Buckhannon-Upshur for nine years, I’ve been with MHS for seven years, a couple years as the freshman coach, JV coach and assistant head coach. I’ve been around basketball a little while.”
That experience might prove helpful in the next week, as MHS again runs into a tough schedule.
“It’s not gonna be so easy,” he said, facing Fairmont Senior, at home Tuesday; Parkersburg South, on the road Thursday, and Martinsburg, on the road next Saturday.
“The schedule doesn’t lighten up for us,” Crouso said. “This was a good one to get my feet wet.”
Hunter Sadoski had 11 points to top the Monarchs.
MORGANTOWN (4-5)
Morgano 1 0-0 2, Solomon 7 0-0 14, Shaw 3 1-2 7, Shipley 1 2-2 5, Davis 2 3-3 7, Vac 0 1-2 1, Melko 2 0-0 4, Selby 1 1-2 3, Core 4 4-4 12, Castellanos 1 0-0 2, McNally 5 0-0 10, Carden 3 0-1 6, Hall 0 0-0 0, King 3 0-0 6. Totals 33 12-16 79.
JOHN MARSHALL (NA)
Frazier 0 1-2 1, Brown 1 1-3 3, Filben 3 2-6 9, Whorton 1 4-7 7, Henry 0 4-6 4, Sadoski 2 7-8 11, Smith 5 0-0 10. Totals 14 19-32 45.
Morgantown 18 24 16 21 — 79 John Marshall 7 10 15 13 — 45
3-point goals: MHS 1 (Shipley) JMHS 2 (Filben 1, Whorton 1).

Wheeling Park 73, Morgantown 48
WHEELING — Morgantown suffered from a cold night shooting and Wheeling Park took advantage, hammering the visiting Mohigans. MHS shot 19-of-61 (.311) from the floor and was 1-of-13 from behind the arc (.077) against the Patriots.
“We couldn’t throw it in the proverbial ocean,” Morgantown head coach Tom Yester said. “We missed eight layups and we went 9-for-16 from the foul line: That’s middle school.
“There’s no easy answer. We just have to pick it up and get ready to play University at home on Wednesday.”
MORGANTOWN (2-5)
Morgano 4 0-0 8, Solomon 2 1-3 5, Shaw 0 0-0 0, Shipley 1 0-0 2, Davis 2 0-1 4, Vac 0 0-0 0, Melko 2 4-4 8, Selby 2 1-2 5, Core 2 1-1 6, Castellanos 0 0-0 0, McNally 1 1-4 3, Carden 3 1-1 7, Hall 0 0-0 0, Dale 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 9-16 48.
WHEELING PARK (7-2)
Reinbeau 6 6-7 20, Smith 2 0-0 5, Bell 3 0-1 6, Saseen 0 0-1 0, Johnson 0 0-0 0, Goodwin-Rowe 2 7-8 12, Bledsoe 9 4-10 22, Moffet 2 1-1 5. Totals 24 18-28 73. Morgantown 15 11 13 7 — 48 Wheeling Park 24 14 13 13 — 73 3-point goals: Morgantown 1 (Core). Wheeling Park 4 (Reinbeau 2, Smith, Goodwin-Rowe).

Freshman Boys 8-0 1-13-2013 Morgantown 64, Bridgeport 29: Torin Hanson led the Mohigans (8-0) with 15 points while Arohnday Lowe added 11. Haden Miller scored six points for Bridgeport (3-1).

Freshman boys’ basketball January 1-9-14 Morgantown 78, Wheeling Park 39: M averick Wolfley led the Mohigans (7-0) with 20 points Thursday.

Musselman 87 Morgantown 81 December 28, 2013
INWOOD — Trevon Wesco scored 29 points, R.J. Stephens 23 and Thomas Hargroves 22 as the Applemen survived a 50-point first half by the Mohigans and beat Morgantown in overtime.
Scottie Core led Morgantown (2-2) with 23 points and Steven Solomon added 15. The Applemen made 27 of 36 free throws. MHS couldn’t maintain its 11-point (50-39) halftime cushion.
“We came out flat,” Mohigans coach Tom Yester said. “We ’re young. I hope that explains it. I wasn’t too happy. They scratched back from being down 11 at halftime. We played great defense at the end to get it to overtime. They scored quickly and easily in overtime. We had a chance to cut it to three in overtime and don’t make a play. They made a couple foul shots, and the game was over.”
Shaun Carden pulled down a team-high seven rebounds for Morgantown, which returns to action Friday, hosting Brooke.
MORGANTOWN (2-2)
Morgano 0 2-4 2, Solomon 6 2-3 15, Shaw 3 2-2 8, Davis 2 0-0 4, Melko 1 2-2 5, Selby 2 0-0 4, Core 7 4-6 23, McNally 4 4-4 14, Carden 2 0-0 4, King 1 0-0 2. Totals 26 16-21 81.
MUSSELMAN (5-0)
Brown 1 4-6 7, Glover 0 0-0 0, Stamey 0 0-0 0, Daniels 3 0-0 6, Wesco 12 5-12 29, Stephens 5 10-15 23, Hargroves 7 8-13 22, Pitzer 0 0-0 0. Totals 28 27-36 87.
Morgantown 22 28 9 11 11— 81 Musselman 17 22 16 15 17 — 87
3-pointers: Morgantown 9 (Core 5, McNally 2, Melko, Solomon), Musselman 4 (Stephens 3, Brown 1).

Hedgesville 62-Morgantown 42
Hedgesville rolls past Morgantown
December 21, 2013

HEDGESVILLE - Hedgesville (4-0) beat Morgantown (2-1) in the second game of Saturday's Gold's Gym Holiday Hoopfest. The All-Mixer team was announced following the Eagles' victory. Jalen Smith and Jalil Jenkins from Jefferson, Grant Golden and Isaiah Williams from Sherando, Core and Soloman from Morgantown, and Burks and King from Hedgesville were picked for the team.

Morgantown 62, Jefferson 54 12-20-2013
HEDGESVILLE — Steven Solomon and Shawn Carden led the Mohigans with 11 points. Coach Tom Yester said the scoring was spread throughout the team but Morgantown had a slow start. “We just couldn’t seem to find any rhythm,” he said. Carden and Scottie Core lead the team with rebounds with six a piece. Jefferson was led by Jahlil Jenkins, who had 16 points. Morgantown will play today against Hedgesville. The team’s first home game will be Friday against Brooke.
MORGANTOWN (2-0)
Morgano 0 0-0 0, Solomon 2 6-6 11, Shaw 1 0-0 2, Shipley 1 0-0 2, Davis 3 3-3 9, Vac 1 1-4 4, Melko 3 0-0 6, Shelby 2 0-0 4, Core 3 3-4 9, McNally 1 2-2 4, Carden 5 1-2 11. Totals 20 23s 16-24 62.
JEFFERSON
Jenkins 1 9-13 16, Tennant 1 0-0 8, Smith 2 5-7 15, Grafton 0 1-2 1, King 1 1-2 3, Johnson 1 3-6 5, Gonzalez 1 0-0 2. Totals 7 19-30 54.
3-point field goals: Morgantown (Solomon, Vac, McNally. Jefferson (Jenkins 2, Tennant 2, Smith 2).

12-18-2013 Freshman boys’ basketball Morgantown 74, University 33: Arohnday Lowe scored 14 for the Mohigans (3-0). The Hawks were led by Geoff Hamperian’s 17’s points.