MORGANTOWN — Trinity Christian senior Jo Zini was but a fifth-grader the last time the Warriors earned a bid to the Class A state boys’ basketball tournament. As he sat in the stands at the Charleston Civic Center, he began to envision what it might be like to play on the same stage one day.
“I’ve dreamed about playing in Charleston since I went to watch the Trinity team that made the state championship,” Zini said.
Fast forward seven years, and the Warriors returned to the tournament for the first time since that two-point loss to Madonna that cost them a state championship. Leading the charge for the Warriors, wearing the maroon No. 2, was Zini.
“It meant a lot to be able to play on that stage,” Zini said. “Just knowing we were one of four teams playing in Class A on [March 16] was a great feeling.”
Although the Warriors bowed out in the semifinals to Wheeling Central, the tournament appearance was a fitting close to Zini’s impeccable career for Trinity. A four-year varsity letterman and 1,000 point scorer for the Warriors, Zini racked up numerous accolades over his career; he was named to the 2016-’17 and 2017-’18 all-OVAC and all-Mason Dixon Conference teams, as well as the 2018 WVSSAC Class A all-tournament team. He was named a 2017 all-state honorable mention, and will play in the OVAC all-star game April 8.
“His passion for the game catapulted us the last two years and during our run to the state semifinals this year,” Trinity head coach John Fowkes said. “Trinity basketball will indeed miss Jo Zini.”
As an upperclassman with a varied skill set on the hardwood, Zini slipped right into a natural leadership role for the Warriors. It suited him just fine.
“Stepping into the leadership position was a big deal for me,” he said. “I knew I always wanted to be a leader on whatever team I play for, and I’m happy it was this team.”
Zini evolved well as both a player and a young man at Trinity, becoming the athlete and person Fowkes believed he could be since day one.
“Jo is a great student-athlete, and he has been a great role model to my son Carter,” Fowkes said. “He went from an undersized power forward to an athletic guard under our supervision. Seeing him do the things he has under our coaching staff has meant a lot to me personally.”
Of course, Zini’s ability didn’t come without countless hours of sacrifice and hard work as he developed his craft. According to Zini, though, that was the “fun part” of the journey.
“Ever since I began playing as a little kid, I enjoyed getting better at the game,” he said. “As I’ve grown older, working on my game is even more fun to me, because all the time I put in that others don’t is finally paying off.”
As he reflects on his career, it’s not the state tournament run, the 1,000 point banner on the wall or the sell-out crowds on the hill in Sabraton that mean the most to him. It’s the bonds he formed with Fowkes and his teammates.
“I’ll miss my teammates and coaching staff the most,” Zini said. “The stories and memories I’ve made with this group of guys off the court will be what I miss most. We have become one big family.”
In particular, Zini notes his bond with Fowkes as extremely special to him.
“Ever since Fowkes stepped in the gym at the beginning of my junior year, we have had a bond that’s unbreakable,” he said. “We have had each other’s back through everything, and a lot of my success I credit to him. Our bond goes far past basketball, and he’s not so much of a coach but a lifelong friend.”
For Fowkes, the relationship goes beyond even a friendship. It’s familial.
“He is like a son to me,” Fowkes said. “He will always be special to me and my family, and we hope to see him often after basketball.”
Zini plans to head to college this fall to continue both his work on the court and in the classroom, though his school of choice is yet to be determined. As he prepares to close his chapter at Trinity, he’s extremely grateful for what the school has given him, and only hopes that he’s made a sufficient impact at the school.
“My career was nothing short of everything I could ask for,” he said. “I want to be able to leave a legacy that people will remember on and off the court at Trinity.”
