BLACKSVILLE, W.Va. — Mojo Chisler’s freshman year didn’t end on a high note.
After the Clay-Battelle guard-forward combo had one season under his belt, Chisler experienced a terrifying injury, a compound fracture in his elbow. If that wasn’t enough, his injury became infected, which effectively deteriorated his tricep. Essentially, he had a long rehabilitation period in front of him.
“I went through a lot of adversity,” Chisler said. “I’m glad to be back on the court I’ve missed it. I had a lot of problems and complications, but I’m better for it now.”
After a year out of the game, Chisler was back on the pine in the Statler Wilson Gymnasium, ready to help his teammates in what’s now one of the best seasons Clay-Battelle has had in a few years.
Which is something else Chisler is fully aware of: He comes from a long line of Clay-Battelle basketball players. His second-oldest brother, Zach, was a senior on the 2013-14 No. 4-seeded team that made it to the Class A semifinal round in Charleston, ending its season with a 71-54 loss against Wheeling Central Catholic. The No. 1 Maroon Knights would go on to win the title that year.
“We haven’t been very successful in the last few years since we’ve been young, but we have a lot of talent and I think that shows this year,” Chisler said. “One of the biggest reasons for our success is our camaraderie on and off the court. We have a ton of assists each game, and no one cares who scores, so selflessness is key. We’re all friends and hang out, too.”
Right now, the Cee-Bees are ranked eighth in the state in the AP poll and hold a 9-1 record, last defeating South Harrison in Lost Creek, 67-46. Chisler certainly adds a spark in C-B’s wins, averaging double digits in the last few games, tossing in 10 against South Harrison and 12 in the loss to Trinity back in November.
“Really, on the court, I’m just trying to do what I can to help my team. I worked on my game a lot, and you have to work hard in rehab to get back from something like that,” Chisler said.
Chisler credits his immediate success not only to his physical therapist, Mark Hose at HealthWorks, but also the skills and knowledge his brothers instilled in him.
“My brothers taught me how to play the game a lot, but the biggest thing was setting the bar high for success and hard work and wanting to win,” he said, “plus knowing how to play the game the right way outside of the specifics.”
And should everything continue down the path it’s already on, Chisler sees the Cee-Bees reaching the playoffs for the first time since that 2014 run. Just like his tenured coach, Josh Kisner, Chisler knows C-B has to take it one game at a time.
“The sky’s the limit, but we need to take it one game at a time. We can’t get to [saying], ‘We’re going to make it to states,’ but I think we can make a splash at the tournament,” Chisler said.
Chisler and the rest of the Cee-Bees return to action on Jan. 21 with a home game against Paden City.
