Runner, MHS muzzle Macon

WVU recruit manages just 6-point night
BY ERIC HANLON The Dominion Post

It might not have been quite the dazzling debut fans hoped for from Marion-Franklin (Columbus, Ohio) sophomore Elijah Macon, but it was a start.
Macon, a 2012 WVU commitment, was limited to six points and six rebounds Friday at the PrimeTime Shootout, in a 70-68 loss to Morgantown High.
“He was probably nervous today,” Marion-Franklin head coach Orlando McCoy said. “I think he was anxious about being here and he forced some things.”
But Macon’s performance doesn’t take away from what he has meant to the Red Devils (9-3) this season.
“He’s been a big player for us all year,” McCoy said. “He’s made it so teams have to play zone against us, which takes some pressure off of our guards.”
The 6-foot-8 sophomore is averaging 14 points and eight rebounds per game.
Knowing that, Morgantown head coach Tom Yester couldn’t let Macon singlehandedly beat the Mohigans.
“We figured we had to get two bodies on him and block him out,” Yester said. “Otherwise, it would’ve just been dunk, dunk, dunk, dunk, dunk.”
Some credit for silencing Macon should go to MHS senior Sam Runner, who was matched against him for much of the game. Runner outplayed Macon consistently and finished with 19 points and seven rebounds.
“Hopefully, this gains a little more respect for Sam Runner,” Yester said.
Runner’s college plans aren’t finalized.
“I haven’t got any looks yet, but I think I’m capable of playing at a different level,” he said. “I actually think I play better against big guys. It motivates me.”
Listed at 6-foot-7, Runner gave his impressions of Macon, the soon-to-be-Mountaineer.
“We saw his highlight tapes, but [after playing against him] he wasn’t as good as I thought he’d be,” Runner said, before adding, “but he’s a young guy and I think we did a good job not letting him get the ball. What it might have been is that we made it hard for his guards to get the ball inside to him.”
Macon’s youth may have accounted for his sluggish day against the physical Mohigans. It is also what makes him such an exciting prospect.
“The one great thing about him is that he’s only a sophomore and his game still has room to grow,” McCoy said. “One thing we’re trying to get him to do now is to run the floor and move without the ball. That way, teams won’t be able to pack down on him and guard him easily.”
Yester agreed with McCoy. “He’s a very good athlete, but he’s only a sophomore. He’s got some work to do, but he’s got some tools. I told him on the way out that I look forward to seeing him here soon.”
A bright kid, Macon, too, realizes that his game needs fine-tuned and his body needs toned before stepping into the WVU Coliseum.
“Dribbling, shooting from the perimeter, manning up, I have some things I need to work on,” he said. “I was also a little bit tired today. This was like our sixth [straight] game on the road, so I just wasn’t into it. My legs were tired.”
As exhausted as he was, it was clear Macon is excited for his chance to play in Morgantown, eventually.
“I love the coaches and I really like the way they play at WVU,” he said. “And, I met some of the players already, and they were all really cool to me.”
The decision to play for WVU, rather than the vast array of other schools that wanted him was “all him,” McCoy said. “He was getting a lot of attention from colleges and one day he just called me up and said, ‘I’m going to WVU.’ ”
Virginia Tech, Penn State, Marshall and Tennessee are just a few of the schools that showed interest in Macon.
“When I went to visit places like Ohio State, I didn’t feel as welcome as I do here,” Macon said. “I like it here.”

Ron Rittenhouse/The Dominion Post Morgantown senior Nathan Colombo (55) keeps an eye on Marion-Franklin standout and 2012 West Virginia commit Elijah Macon. MHS held the 6-8 sophomore to six points.