MORGANTOWN — “How are you supposed to get noticed for sports from a school most people haven’t heard of?”
That was the question Harrison Linkous asked himself when he first began attending Morgantown Christian Academy as a high school freshman, and to be honest, it was a fair question. Not because Harrison didn’t possess the ability, but mostly due to his location.
Morgantown and University high schools are the two biggest schools in Morgantown and both compete in basketball at the AAAA level. Both schools have had success in not only hoops, but many sports throughout the years. Most recently, MHS won the boys’ state title this season; UHS’s last title was in 2019. Although Harrison began at MCA, he said that the thought of joining one of these schools did cross his mind.
“It was always my plan to transfer out and attend a public school, where I could get noticed, but luckily, God had other plans,” said Linkous, recalling his freshman year. “When I first started playing basketball, I was playing for myself and for all the benefits that came along with being an athlete. But I quickly learned that I wasn’t at MCA for myself, I wasn’t there so everyone could see how great I was. God placed me at MCA to help other people, and to teach others that just because you attend a small Christian school, doesn’t mean you can’t go and do things that the public school kids can do.”
Last week, Linkous signed to play basketball at Fairmont State for head coach Tim Koenig, beginning next year. He will become the third member of his family to lace up for the Falcons, as both his grandfather, Keneth Denham, and his uncle, Aaron Denham, played for FSU, as well, both as walk-ons.
For Linkous, attending Fairmont State became his dream as a young child and honestly, wasn’t completely due to basketball. Both his grandfather and uncle, while attending FSU and playing basketball, studied to earn their degree in civil engineering, and Harrison said he plans to do the same.
“As long as I can remember, I have always planned on attending Fairmont State, and play basketball for them,” Linkous said. “My grandfather and my uncle both attended Fairmont State, both were civil engineers and both were walk-on basketball players at the university. Sharing the same middle name with them (Wayne), it was always my plan to attend Fairmont State, be a civil engineer, and play basketball there. I have never had a Plan B.”
Without a Plan B to back the original dream up, Linkous knew he would have to earn his dream, and while attending FSU and studying civil engineering could be done with successful academics, earning a basketball scholarship would take a little extra work.
“I realized I wasn’t the most athletic kid out there, so I decided I was going to outwork everyone else. At the end of my freshman season, I decided I was tired of losing, so I was going to do something about it,” Linkous said. “I started waking up at 5:00 every morning and going to the gym, where I did drill after drill for two hours before school. I did this six days a week, I had a goal and I was going to make it happen. From that point on, I have played basketball for two hours every morning, before I go do anything else. Getting to this point wasn’t easy, and I have worked nonstop for this opportunity. But I had a dream and was going to make sure it came true.”
During his senior season, Linkous led the team in nearly every possible major stat. He averaged 22.1 points, 11.2 rebounds, 8.2 steals, 6 assists and 3 blocks.
Linkous knows how special his time at MCA has been and it is something he says will live on in his memory forever.
“Attending MCA has been the biggest blessing in my life. I have learned so much from my time there and I have truly enjoyed every moment! But, playing basketball has been maybe my favorite part,” Linkous said. “My father (Tim) was able to be my head coach throughout my high school career, and that time was truly special. I can’t thank everyone at MCA enough for all they have done for me. One person I couldn’t have done it without is my grandpa. Without him, I wouldn’t be even close to where I am today. He has spent countless hours with me in a gym, teaching me everything I know. And, it means so much to me to have him see me play, not only at the next level, but also the same college he attended and played at.
“But, the one thing I owe everything to is God. Without Him, none of this is possible, and He has blessed me beyond measure. I am so glad He kept me at MCA and has worked in and through me over the past few years.”
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