HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: Simon Stars In Final Prep Game

BY ALLEN GREGORY
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

HAMPTON, Va. — Tennis Simon stepped outside the loud locker room, walked to the edge of the court and stared across the empty floor.

Over the past few months, the George Wythe basketball star has won two of the biggest prizes in Virginia High school sports. It was time for reflection.

“This is a really good feeling,” Simon said. “To come off a state championship with my high school team, then play in and win an All-Star game like this … it’s just crazy.”

Simon contributed 12 points late Tuesday night as the West shocked the East by a 92-90 margin in the Virginia High School Coaches Association All-Star game at the Hampton Coliseum. The East had won four straight and 16 of the past 17 games in the series.

“It’s great just be in an environment like this and to compete with people on a totally different level,” said Simon, the Region C and Hogoheegee District Player of the Year. “The experience should really help my game.”

As expected, the long-armed 6-foot-3 Simon adapted well to the usual rapid-fire pace of the All-Star affair. He displayed the quickness to score in transition and the versatility to score in the paint.

Those qualities will come in handy on Simon’s next stop at Bluefield College.

“Bluefield plays an up-and-down game, and that’s what I like,” Simon said. “I’ve scrimmaged with Bluefield several times and I like the guys on the team.”

Castlewood’s Patrick Fisher will be competing against Simon at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.
The 6-1 Fisher scored 1,475 points in high school, yet was content to set up his teammates Tuesday. In fact, West MVP Nick Barbour (G.W. Danville) could credit for Fisher for several of his 25 points.

“There were a lot of good players around me, so I just tried to move the ball and allow guys to get their shots,” said Fisher, who played with Simon in the Southwest Virginia All-Star game.

The West players and fans celebrated the win in emotional fashion. There was a reason for that.

“Oh yeah, we were aware that the East has dominated this series,” Fisher said. “We watched the East practice the past couple days and they looked pretty intimidating.
“We played really hard and hung right with them. It was fun just to be down here, and it’s amazing to get the win.”

Fisher knows something about amazing feats. In the last game of his junior season, he faced every athlete’s nightmare by suffering an ACL tear to his knee.

“It was kind of a freak accident,” Fisher said. “I tried to come back and help the team in another game, but it just didn’t work out.”

The emotional toll was more severe than the physical pain.

“The first couple months were really tough,” Fisher said. “We were ranked No. 1 in the state before the injury, and I wondered how far our team could have gone in the state tournament.”

After undergoing surgery in March of 2007, Fisher accepted and then embraced the grueling rehab process, which continued until almost the start of his senior season.

“It was like a five- to-six month process of just going at it during rehab,” Fisher said. “I wore a brace on my knee throughout this past season, and I was kind of shaky during games. I’m still trying to come back to full-strength.”

Despite the sweat and tears of rehab, Fisher has no regrets about his path back to the court.

“Heck yeah, I would do it again in a heartbeat,” Fisher said. “Honestly, I never thought I would be playing in this game.
“I just try to set goals and just keep building up.”

The next goal for Fisher is to find his niche as the playmaker at UVa.-Wise.

“This All-Star experience was a motivator and it showed what areas I need to work on,” Fisher said. “I have to get quicker and stronger, and I have to get my shot off faster.
“I’ve been shooting a basketball since I was about two-years-old. I want to keep playing as long as I can.”

Fisher attempted just one shot Tuesday and failed to score.

Meanwhile, Simon is eager for more fast-paced challenges.

“High school was fun,” Simon said. “This All-Star game was fast-paced and really like a college-level atmosphere. It’s good to used to that.”

Bethel’s Bill Weaver (nine points) was tabbed as the MVP of the East, which was outscored 26-18 in the final quarter.
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