MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A pair of old friends and teammates will rekindle their relationship on the court this year at Trinity.
Seniors Seth Goins and Fletcher Hartsock first met in middle school through basketball when they joined forces at the AAU level for West Virginia Blue-Gold Select. The pair maintained a friendship after meeting, but eventually went their separate ways in their academic and basketball careers.
“Fletch and I used to play travel ball together, and I’ve known him since the seventh grade. I think we have a pretty good chemistry,” Goins said.
“Seth and I have always known about each other, and then were on the same team my eighth grade year. As soon as we played together, I knew it was a good fit. We had never really talked before then, but after that we became good friends,” Hartsock added.
Preparing to begin his senior year, Goins — then a student at Morgantown — needed a change of scenery. He ultimately decided to finish his education at Trinity — the same school Hartsock currently attends.
Goins previously spent three years in the basketball program at Morgantown, leading the junior varsity squad to a 16-1 record last season while consistently leading the team in scoring. Hartsock, meanwhile, has two years of varsity experience at Trinity — helping his team reach the Class A state semifinal each season.
As the two reunite on the hardwood for the first time in years during three-week summer practices, it seems they picked up where they left off. Except now they both have the talent to excel at the varsity level.
“Seth and Fletcher have a pretty good two-man game going on. They play well together. It seems like they’ve been playing together for a while. They’re feeding off each other. It was a pretty cool thing to watch,” Trinity coach John Fowkes said.
“We had our first games together at Trinity this past weekend, and I didn’t know how it’d go, but as soon as we were on the court it clicked. He knew where I’d be on the court and I knew where he would be. He’s a really fast point guard and he’s a shot creator. That really frees me up to do my own thing,” Hartsock said.
Goins is excited to have the opportunity to play his senior season for the Warriors, as he feels that his size and style of play is more suited for his new team. He also looks forward to the opportunity to demonstrate his leadership skill at the varsity level — that experience will be welcomed with open arms as the Warriors graduate 11 seniors from the program.
“It was just a better fit for me. I feel like there is more of an opportunity there for me. Over there, I get to play my natural position as a point guard or shooting guard,” Goins said. “At Morgantown, I played more forward, which puts me out of position at 5-11.
“I also hope to bring leadership. I want to bring as many wins as I can and get this team to the state championship. I have some experience and I’ve played more games than a lot of these kids have. I just want to use that to help them get into a position where they can succeed. Any way I can help them helps us. ”
Goins also brings a versatile scoring skill set and a multi-faceted approach to the game, which Fowkes believes will serve well to replace the offensive weapons his team lost from last season.
“He can take it to the rim, he can shoot the 3. He’s definitely a scoring guard and he has a good, all-around game. He’s a different kind of player. He likes to take people to the rim and drive to the basket, but he has a diverse game that fits into our system very well. He has a high basketball IQ and loves the game,” he said.
“I work hard to have an all-around game. I want to be able to effect the game in different ways. If one aspect of my game isn’t working, I can switch to another,” Goins added.
After spending time developing his game at Morgantown, Goins hopes to prove that his lack of varsity playing time these last few seasons doesn’t define his game and that he can be a top player in the state.
“I want to show that I’m serious about the game and I can play. I can score the ball, guard the best player on the other team and distribute the ball to my teammates,” he said. “I want to show I’m a top player in the state.”
