MORGANTOWN — While Morgantown High School has seen much success athletically over the years, the 2022-23 school year was unlike any other as the Mohigans enjoyed six state championships across five sports spanning throughout the school year.
MHS won state titles in boys’ and girls’ basketball, girls’ cross-country, girls’ soccer, girls’ track, and boys’ lacrosse. The boy’s basketball team won their second straight title, while the girls’ tallied their tenth overall.
“This year was so special. We have so much local, state, regional, and national success collectively and as individuals,” MHS athletic director John Bowers said. “We have been blessed by so many talented student-athletes and coaches. We have great support for our programs. Administratively, at county level, via parents groups, and great coaches, we work hard to provide the foundation for our teams to be successful.”
The MHS girls’ soccer team lost just one game all season on its way to a state championship. Rising senior Gracie Brown was named WV Gatorade Player of the Year.
Joining Brown as a Gatorade POTY was recent graduate Ryan Fluharty, named the award winner for baseball.
MHS senior Irene Riggs helped her team capture the cross-country title by shattering the course record by 45 seconds and winning the individual title by nearly two minutes. She then went on to be victorious in the regional and the national races, winning the national championship by 13.7 seconds over second place. Riggs went on to represent the United States in Australia at the World Championships where she finished 12th. She became the first athlete from the state of WV to also be named a national Gatorade Player of the Year for their sport.
Bowers, who used to be the head football coach for MHS and also serves as the school’s vice principal, says an increased focus on school spirit has yielded noticeable results.
“We have worked hard with school spirit,” he said. “Head cheer coach Cindy Colasante and the cheer team, teamed with the Rowdie Society (student section) and Adam Fox (English teacher at MHS) have embraced supporting most of our sports.”
Boys basketball coach and teacher at MHS, Dave Tallman, praised the community surrounding the school also.
“We have great community support,” he said. “A lot of local businesses are always willing to help out if needed. Morgantown and Morgantown High are a special place and we have an amazing alumni base also.”
“As an AD, I want to support and publicize all of our teams, programs, and student-athletes. No sport is bigger than another and all sports bring different areas to celebrate,” Bowers said. “Off the playing field, court, pool, etc., you will see Mohigans serving the community with 1,000s of hours of community service. We try to cultivate service within each program. That speaks to the character of our coaches and their leadership.”
Recent MHS graduate Brody Davis, a two-time state boys’ basketball champion and first-team all-state member summarized what being a Mohigan meant to him.
“To me, being a Mohigan means everything. The culture that has been built through the last four years has been unmatched,” he said. “It means the world to me to be able to say that I once was a Mohigan, the fans and the support staff there are some of the best in the state, and maybe the country. Being a Mohigan will be some of the best and most unforgettable memories I will ever have.”
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