by Jamie Harris
After a long wait the Berkeley Springs High School Indians Varsity Basketball Team is ready to kick-off the 2021 basketball season.
Usually the month of March is the State Tournament for basketball season, however the West Virginia winter sports season was delayed due to the Covid-19. Now with the opening game scheduled for Friday, March 5 at the friendly confines of the Berkeley Springs High School gym the Tribe will square off with rival Keyser.
Last year the Berkeley Springs Indians finished their season 15-9 that included a huge 73-63 win over Philip Barbour in the first round of the sectional play-offs. Frankfort then ended the Tribe’s season in the sectional semifinals by the score of 48-28.
The Indians will have senior starters Carson Stotler and Trent Kyne returning along with all-state junior guard Gavin Barkley and sophomores Ty’mir Ross and Mickey Gurson.
To add to that, the Indians have a talented bench with juniors Shawn Lord, Tyler Barney and senior Jordan Miller. All three saw a lot of minutes last season.
Barkley will enter the new season only 223 points from the 1,000 career point mark. Last season Barkley scored 440 points (18.3 ppg), pulled down 142 rebounds, dished out 72 assists and had 34 steals.
Stotler scored 169 points, grabbed 61 rebounds, dished out 129 assists, 25 steals and had two blocked shots.
Kyne finished the season with 266 points, 140 rebounds, 42 assists, 18 steals and seven blocked shots to help lead veteran head coach Chad Brinegar’s squad.
All three players were also named to the Morgan Messenger and Hancock News All-Area basketball squad. Barkley was tabbed the player of the year for the area.
New to the Berkeley Springs schedule is a move up in the newly AAA format.
Last year the WVSSAC voted to go on a trial run of four classifications for basketball. Hampshire, Keyser and Trinity will highlight the Indians sectional opponents.
Four of the first seven games for the Indians will be AAA opponents.
