PREP BOYS BASKETBALL: Appalachia earns quarterfinal win

SALEM, Va. – Appalachia High School junior Forrest Stuart grew up hearing basketball stories, and his favorite tale involved the 1982 Appalachia team.

Led by a creative point guard, a gifted group of Bulldogs advanced to the Group A Final Four in Charlottesville. That point guard was Stuart’s father, Hobby.

“I’ve heard a bunch of stories of dad playing back in the day, and he told me it was a real sweet feeling when they clinched the trip to state,” Forrest Stuart said. “That was long time ago, but now I’m even with dad.”

Appalachia clinched its first trip to the Final Four since 1982 Saturday, with a 38-33 victory over the Eastern Montgomery Mustangs in the Group A, Division 1 quarterfinals.

Forrest Stuart played a starring role with 13 points and seven rebounds, while his brother Mason added seven points. And Hobby had a front row seat as the assistant coach for the Bulldogs.

“Forrest and Mason started playing basketball when they were old enough to walk,” Stuart said. “There was a little goal on our street, and we’ve been going to the gym on Sunday for years.”

Hobby Stuart, one of the all-time leading scorers at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, has mixed his instruction with a steady dose of motivation.
Ron “Flash” Davis, Hobby’s older brother, led the Bulldogs to state titles in basketball and football in 1972.

“I’ve kind of reminded Forrest and Mason of that tradition, and they’ve done a real good job of living up to it,” Stuart said.

Saturday’s victory was both historic and redemptive for Appalachia, as the Bulldogs dropped a 72-56 quarterfinal decision to Eastern Montgomery last season.

Appalachia coach Pat Jervis admitted that revenge was a factor for the Bulldogs.

“We didn’t only get beat last year but we got a little bit embarrassed,” Jervis said. “We absolutely self-destructed, and we’ve had a little bit of that this year.”

The Bulldogs (23-5) survived Saturday thanks mainly to defense. With massive 6-7 German transfer student Mladen Bogicevic clogging the middle, the
Mustangs (18-9) shot just 25 percent from the field and managed a total of 15 points in the first half.

Eastern Montgomery reached the quarterfinals behind a prolific offense which regularly scored over 70 points, including a 108 point effort against Covington. Nothing came easy against Appalachia.

“Our defense has carried us all year,” Jervis said.

While Bogicevic supplied 14 points and nine rebounds, Stuart directed the offense.

“We’re going to go as far as Forrest takes us,” Jervis said. “When we put the ball in his hands, he makes things happen.”

Eastern Montgomery opted to remain in a 2-3 zone defense for much of the game. Spreading the floor and waiting for high-percentage shots, the Bulldogs built a 25-17 lead with 3:18 left in the third quarter.

“The longer we stayed half-court and were able to control the tempo, I thought it was to our advantage,” Jervis said. “I don’t like to play that way, but sometimes you have to do what works.”

As the Mustangs continued to misfire from the perimeter, Stuart sealed the win by converting 7 of 8 free throw attempts in the final two minutes.

“Everybody just told me to be calm and concentrate, and I just tried to knock them down,” Stuart said.

Stuart prefers a fast-tempo, but he was content to work against the Eastern Montgomery zone.

“I didn’t really mind it,” Stuart said. “It gave us a good rest and helped to keep us fresh for the second half.”

The 6-foot Stuart also keyed the Appalachia defense, forcing 6-3 junior Shawn Christian into a nightmarish 1 for 12 effort from the field. Christian finished with
three points after scoring 27 against Galax in the Region C championship against Galax.

The defense of Bogicevic was also vital. A native of the sprawling German city of Heidelberg, the new Bulldog hero is enjoying his new role as the Southwest Virginia enforcer.

“I’ve had a lot of fun this year,” Bogicevic said. “I wasn’t really sure what to expect today, but it was a great experience.”

After falling to Castlewood in the regional title game, Jervis hopes his team is peaking at the right time.

“I think we’ve underachieved this year,” Jervis said. “We were district and regional champs last year, and we didn’t repeat either one of those. I think we’re
talented enough to win state, but one step at a time.”

And Hobby Stuart wants his sons to savor each step to Richmond. The Bulldogs face Altavista Thursday at 5 p.m.

“I wanted them to get to state just to have that feeling,” Stuart said. “Thank God, they made it.”