CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Back around the middle of the season, a lot of folks were chalking the Morgantown girls’ team up to a rebuilding year. One week ago, folks were counting them out, too. And even now, after upsetting the top-ranked Wheeling Park Patriots, the Mohigans are still being doubted.
“It’s our hard work paid off,” MHS guard Cat Wassick said. “We went through adversity and that brought us to where we are now. Whenever we were down 1-6 or maybe 5-10, we sat down and said we weren’t going to let this be the end of our season. We came and worked hard every single day.”
“We kept coming to practice every single day despite the feelings of losing game after game [in the beginning],” center Kaitlyn Ammons added. “That, and lifting each other and getting closer as a family made it worth it. That’s why the win was so great.”
Yet even with their David and Goliath moment behind them, the Mohigans know it’s time to buckle down and keep fighting. Now is the time to focus and go one game at a time.
“It proves anything is possible,” MHS coach Jason White said. “We’re going in as the No. 7 seed, but we’ve already beaten the team that many would regard as the best in the state. It’s about matchups, your kids’ focus and their determination and ability to stick to a game plan.”
The Mohigans’ first challenge is No. 2 Woodrow Wilson (18-5) at 11:15 a.m. Wednesday – the first game of the four-day, Class AAA tournament. Woodrow Wilson is on a four-game win streak since its 61-50 home loss to South Charleston on Feb. 19, first redeeming its loss to SCHS, 42-39, before blowing out Princeton, 66-29, getting a 78-55 payback win against Greenbrier East in the sectional final, and then defeating George Washington 63-44 for the Region III title.
The last time the Mohigans and Flying Eagles squared off was Jan. 30 in the Big Atlantic Classic where WWHS pulled away in the second half from a one-point lead to defeat MHS, 55-37. Since then, Morgantown (14-11) has won nine of its 10 games, only losing to University in the sectional finals. Each loss has something in common, and to White, it’s that his team became its own worst enemy in the second half.
“I think it’s a lot about self-reflection looking at that game [against WWHS],” White said. “Our [inability] to come out in the second half and pick up where we left off in the first half [hurt us]. We played a good first half against Woodrow Wilson in the Big Atlantic Classic on what was basically their home floor. It was the way we came out kinda flat that was to our ultimate demise.
“We’ve got to put four good quarters together, but that’s to be said about any game in Charleston no matter who you’re playing. You’re playing quality opponents, so if you don’t put four good quarters together it’s going to be difficult for you to win.”
One reason MHS has been cast in doubt this season is because the team has no seniors on the roster, and without that leadership young groups can begin to crumble. But as the season progressed and the young players were thrust into tough, triple-A action, White noted that they have matured into better players. Now, the three juniors – Ammons, Wassick and point guard Berit Johnson – have become the senior leadership MHS needs now more than ever. The three combined for 40 points against Wheeling Park, and look to maintain the pressure against the Flying Eagles.
“One of the best things we could say about our team is that we let that University loss fuel us and motivate us to work our ass off and beat Wheeling Park,” Johnson said. “That feeling was go great that we didn’t let that bad of a loss eat away at us.”
To the junior trio, winning is as easy as focusing on themselves more than worrying about what Woodrow Wilson will do. They know the Flying Eagles are a physical team that likes to crash boards and drive to the hoop, so it’s up to the perimeter defense to keep them at bay.
“And if they get a few shots off, hats off to them,” Johnson said.
What MHS can’t do, however, is revert to their old style of play and force things, something White was quick to point out was one of the biggest problems early on – albeit coming from a good place.
“The thing they’ve [begun to do] is play within themselves. Early in the season they felt that pressure, but it caused us to force some things,” he said. “Kaitlyn might take things into two players, Berit might make a shot she probably shouldn’t or Cat might drive in and think she’ll help us, but ultimately that hurt us. They wanted to help, they just didn’t know the way to help.”
He also believes that the break from the upset has worked out any giddiness the girls may have still had which should keep them calm and relaxed during the quarterfinals.
“Sometimes when you play after a big win like that you’re giddy about what you just did and accomplished, and because of that there’s a lack of focus going forward at your next opponent,” White said. “I think the break has got us over that and refocused us on the task at hand. Woodrow is as good a team as any in the state and is as much on fire as of late. It requires our full attention.”
The juniors concur.
“Woodrow Wilson is a very well-coached team and that we’re excited to be matched up with them in the first round because of their competitive nature,” the three said.
“We’re learning to slow down the ball,” Wassick added. “When things start going bad, we have learned that we need to just settle down.”
The winner of the MHS-WWHS game will play the victor of Thursday’s match between No. 3 Greenbrier East-No. 6 Martinsburg at 9 p.m. on Friday.
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