MORGANTOWN — There is a sense of calm right now for Morgantown High athletic director John Bowers, a time to catch his breath, so to speak.
For the past 10 months, there was little of that, as one sport after another at MHS kept qualifying for – and in four instances won – state tournaments. Bowers said that was a good thing. He did stop well short of patting himself on the back.
As it turned out, the state’s Secondary School Activities Commission (SSAC) and its The Health Plan Champions Cup did Bowers’ talking for him.
It wasn’t just a good overall school year for the Mohigans. It was a year of dominance across the 19 sports recognized by the SSAC.
“We were able to finish in the top eight in the state in every sport except for one,” Bowers said. “We had teams and individuals go as far as you possibly can in this state in every sport. I think that’s unheard of.”
The Mohigans won both the boys’ and girls’ Class AAAA Cup titles. The school’s girls’ programs finished with 982 points, while the boys’ sports combined for 979.5 points.
Here’s the kicker: Second place in both categories was a distant second. Cabell Midland took second in the girls with 682 points, while George Washington was second in the boys with 783 points.
University High – girls 673.5, boys 780.5 – took third in both categories.
“As we got further into the year, I sort of expected that we would win both,” Bowers said. “What caught me off guard a little was the distance between first place and second place. I’m super proud of that.
“It’s just a credit to our kids and coaches and the hard work and dedication they put into each program. It also says a lot about our administration and the overall support that is given to each program at the school.”
Every school is judged by its finish in each of the 19 sports – 10 boys’, nine girls’ – and receives a minimum of 93 points by finishing in the top eight in the state. Winning a state title scores a perfect 100 points in that sport for a school.
MHS won four state championships during the 2025-26 school year, beginning with football and then also saw its volleyball, softball and boys’ track team also win titles. The Mohigans also had state runner-up finishes (worth 99 points) in girls’ cross-country, girls’ tennis, boys’ cross-country and baseball.
Of the 19 sports, the only sport MHS did not score in was wrestling, although the Mohigans did have individuals competing at the state wrestling tournament, too.
“The saying we have is ‘Mohigan Excellence,’ and it’s something we take to heart,” Bowers said. “It’s something we carry across all of our sports and take great pride in. We don’t see our athletic department as a collection of teams, but as programs.
“I believe that’s what we have – programs, because we really have expectations to go out and compete in every possible sport.”
The success came at a cost, Bowers admitted. The state football, baseball, boys’ and girls’ basketball and volleyball championships are held in Charleston. The state softball tournament is in South Charleston, while the boys’ and girls’ soccer state tournaments are held in Beckley.
Bussing back and forth and multiple-night stays in hotels did not come cheap for the school.
“We probably spent somewhere around $50,000 for travel this year,” Bowers said. “If that means our students are competing at the highest level they can in this state, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
For now, planning and preparing for Morgantown High’s next appearance in a state tournament is still off in the distance. That constant rush has subsided … for now.
“Looking ahead to next year, we expect to have really strong programs across many sports,” Bowers said. “Our girls’ basketball team had injuries last year and those players are returning. Our cross-country programs have traditionally been very strong. Volleyball should have another strong season.
“I don’t want to put the kibosh on any of it, but the next school year could be just as fun.”
STANDINGS
The top five schools in Class AAAA for The Health Plan Champions Cup:
Girls
- Morgantown 982
- Cabell Midland 682
- University 673.5
- Parkersburg 670
- Washington 660
Boys
- Morgantown 979.5
- George Washington 783
- University 780.5
- Huntington 666
- Hurricane 585
