MORGANTOWN — The COVID-19 pandemic devastated the sports world, perhaps especially at the high school level.
State championship tournaments were abruptly halted and abandoned. Entire schedules were canceled. Even those teams whose sports managed some semblance of a season nevertheless had to endure months and months of uncertainty, including the Morgantown high school hockey team.
Yet despite being forced to practice in an entirely different state for the entire winter, and the challenge of an incredibly condensed season, the MoHawks found a way to persevere, capping their year in late March by capturing a fourth-straight state title.
Obviously, like nearly all West Virginia country roads, Morgantown’s championship path was far from a smooth, straight shot, according to coach Zach Taylor.
“We began the year six weeks late in October, and had to travel back and forth to Connellsville (Pa.) to practice because the rink in Morgantown wasn’t opened yet,” he said. “We got two games in at the beginning of November in Pittsburgh before the state sports shutdown was instituted.
“That’s when things got pretty challenging for us.”
With the statewide shutdown in place, as well as a travel ban, the team was stuck in stasis. Luckily, Taylor was able to petition Monongalia County for approval to practice at their now-open home rink in Morgantown. That was all the MoHawks had for three months — practice time. But according to Taylor, the leadership of his eight seniors (Blake Phillips, Corder Helmick, Daniel Arthurs, Isaac DeBastiani, Matthew Derk, Brody Smith, Colton Hotsinpiller, and Noah Smith) kept the team engaged and motivated, which was no small task.
“We made sure to make practices high-tempo and competitive,” Taylor said. “We wanted it to be as fun as possible while trying to stay in shape and ready for any season we might get to play. The seniors did a great job of keeping everyone focused and positive, and that really made a difference come March.”
February rumors turned into a firm March schedule, and many players were suddenly confronted with the thrilling-yet-daunting task of 25-plus games (between two different leagues) in four weeks, a punishing schedule for such a physically demanding sport, as attested to by defenseman Helmick.
“We had no choice but to hope for that light at the end of the tunnel,” he said, “so when we finally got the green light, our locker room was very, very happy, for sure. And then we looked at what was ahead of us, and we were hoping all that hard work would pay off.”
When state championship weekend arrived March 27-28 at the Wheeling Civic Center, the MoHawks earned a first-round bye, but would still have to win two games Sunday to take the crown. The semifinal match-up with Wheeling Central established a disconcerting pattern of very slow starts, but goaltender Phillips did what every winning goalie does — he made the big saves when his team needed them most, keeping his mates in the game until they got their skates moving. Three periods and 40 saves later, the MoHawks’ 3-1 win put them in the evening final against Linsly. In front of a large and wonderfully loud crowd, Morgantown overcame another sluggish first period to take a commanding 5-2 lead late.
“It was so exciting as the time wound down,” Phillips said, “although I was pretty busy (with a six-on-five disadvantage as the Cadets pulled their goalie, desperately trying to battle back). To have gone through everything we did, and find a way to go out on top again with a fist in the air as state champs … well, it was just an overwhelming feeling of relief and excitement. Our team chemistry that we built through all those practices really helped us win it all, and I know this is the closest team I’ve ever been on. We will remember this forever.”
For Taylor, this season like no other taught his hockey family some valuable lessons they might never have learned during a normal year.
“Every coach knows that players can learn and improve more in practice than in games,” he said, “but sometimes, they get focused on the wins and losses — the outcomes. But there was no certainty that we would have a chance to play at all, so instead, all we did was concentrate on getting better as individuals and as a team. And when we actually got to play, there was such an appreciation of the opportunity, a gratefulness that showed through.
“Enjoying the moment, and not taking anything for granted — we all need to remember to do that,” he said, “and these guys really took that to heart, and I’m really proud of them. It was a great experience, and to wrap it up the way we did was just icing on the cake. It was an unforgettable year.”
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