Why, You Gotta Believe?

In 1977 and 1979, two West Virginia basketball teams climbed to the top of the hoops world by winning AAU National Championships, the first in Cincinnati, the second right here in Charleston, W.Va. "You Gotta' Believe" was a common saying of the coaches -- a call to arms -- and it went a long way as players from different communities bonded through competition and blood, sweat, and tears to become teammates with a higher cause in mind. After pondering it for a number of years, a reunion of those two teams, coached by Rodger Monk, Ron Cobb, and Jim Triplett, is planned for Saturday, August 1, 2009, at Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Teays Valley. A pre-reunion event is also planned for 6 p.m. Friday, July 31, at the Power Alley Grill located in Appalachian Power Park, Charleston, for anybody who played AAU ball for the trio of coaches. That list is long and includes some of the greatest athletes in the state to ever lace'em up.What follows is a photo entitled "1977 AAU National Champions visit Secretary of State’s Office"and a cutline as it appeared in the Charleston Daily Mail recently.In 1977, a Charleston-based group of athletes climbed to the top of the basketball world by winning the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) 12-and-under National Championship, held in Cincinnati, Ohio, warranting a trip to visit Secretary of State A. James Manchin. Pictured are: front row (l-r), Randy Risher, Joey Bowles, Bruz Hicks, Alex Nagy, Boo Duiguid, J.T. Morris; second row, Doug Dent 14-and-under team member, Dan Gardner, Mike Reed, Andy Spradling, Michael Calhoun, Gay Elmore, 14-and-under team member Steve Vorholt; third row, 14-and-under team member Kevin Hudson, Greg Fields, A. James Manchin, Coach Jim Triplett, Coach Ron Cobb, and Coach Rodger Monk.In 1979, a nucleus of the team – Hicks, Nagy, Morris, Reed, and Spradling – joined by David Bradley, Mark Cline, Ron Dawson, Buster Duiguid, Brett Harrison, Willie Jenkins, Jeff Overstreet, and Ricky Trammell, again won the AAU National Championship, this time held in Charleston. A reunion of the two teams is planned for Saturday, Aug. 1, at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, but a few team members have not yet been located. Contact Andy Spradling at andyspradling@gmail.com or 304-437-1712 ASAP for more information.A gathering is also planned for 6 p.m. Friday, July 31, at Power Alley Grill at Appalachian Power Park, Charleston, for any former Monk, Cobb, and Triplett-coached AAU basketball player from 1976 to the mid-1980s.