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At 6-foot-7, 240 pounds, Drew Fitzwater has certainly made an impact for Greater Beckley Christian. In his only season with the Crusaders, the senior has averaged a double-double and helped lead them to the state tournament for the first time in three years.
But Fitzwater will tell you, the impact on him has been even greater.
Fitzwater was among a group of Greater Beckley students who went on a mission trip to Dominican Republic in February. They enjoyed ministering and witnessing, but the trip was even more meaningful for Fitzwater, who became a Christian during the week.
“It was great. The best week of my life is what I’ve told everybody,” Fitzwater said before practice on Tuesday. “I know Kellan (Heffernan, a fellow senior) said to me, it’s awesome to see how much fun you can have with a bunch of Christians that you’ve never met. We met a group from Texas, and it was just a great week. They were awesome. It was great meeting them.
“I actually got saved and baptized there. My friend and teammate Kash (Hendrix) did as well. But it was just a life-changing experience, just getting to see all those kids and be able to change some lives. It was a great week.”
Fitzwater said the decision to hand his life over to Jesus has had a lasting impact on him. He remains a competitor on the court, where he has played a key role in Greater Beckley’s run to Charleston.
The Crusaders (15-8) are the No. 4 seed in Class A and will take on No. 5 St. Joseph in the first round Thursday at 9 p.m.
A forward, Fitzwater is second on the team in scoring at 14.7 points per game and his 10.8 rebounds lead the Crusaders by a wide margin. He had 12 points and 11 rebounds in last week’s 72-46 Region 3 co-final victory over Mount View.
Fitzwater stepped in after transferring from Woodrow Wilson and has had a smooth transition.
“It’s been such a great year,” he said. “These guys, these coaches made me feel welcome from the start. I’ve been blessed to have a great group of guys to take the court with every day. They made it really easy to transition the course.
“I was really nervous at first, coming over here to a new school and all that, but these guys helped really just make it easy for me to be able to do what I do, play my game, and to come out here and have the success that we’ve had.”
With his size and the team’s shooters, the Crusaders have options.
“Obviously, I’m the biggest dude on the court half the time, so I’m down low a lot. My teammates do a great job of getting me the ball, and I think I do a great job of kicking it back out to them,” Fitzwater said. “They do a good job of relocating for me so I can hit them. I love passing the ball. We’ve got a team of great shooters. Everybody on our team, I think, can shoot the ball very well. So I think that’s been my role inside, but I know I can pop out, I can shoot the ball. I’ve hit a couple (3-pointers) this year. They trust me and I trust them. So I think that that everybody has their role, and we’ve played it well. Every time we’ve played our roles and done what we know we need to do is when we’re at our best.”
Sophomore point guard Keegan Davidson leads the team in scoring at 15.7 points per game, assists (3.7) and steals (2.5). Senior Averyk Woodson is right behind him at 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals.
Freshman Javonte Spencer (9.2 ppg) leads the team in 3-pointers made with 45. Hendrix has 42 and Eli Gunter 32.
Fitzwater played in the state tournament last season with Woodrow. Hendrix and Woodson were freshmen on Greater Beckley’s 2022 team that finished Class A state runner-up.
“I’m one of three guys on the team with (state tournament) experience,” Fitzwater said, “but I think that we’ve got the group of guys that can make a deep run.”
The Crusaders split with St. Joseph in the regular season. They won 75-57 at home on Jan. 17, then fell 66-60 in Huntington six days later.
The Irish have three scorers averaging double figures — freshman Noah Keaton (14.0 ppg), sophomore Micaiah Ehirim (12.5, 3.6 assists) and junior Isaiah Sanders (11.2, 3.4 assists). Nymir Bryant, a 6-5 forward, pulls down 8.4 rebounds and blocks 1.5 shots per game.
“Drew’s just a great kid,” Greater Beckley coach Justin Arvon said. “He rebounds the ball well, he battles on the defensive end, he finishes around the rim. He can also step out and shoot and play on the perimeter. He’s just a great addition, not only to our team but to our school.
“More importantly to me, Drew went with us on our Dominican Republic mission trip, and he actually accepted the Lord on that trip. So I’ll be with Drew for eternity. That’s the most exciting thing I can draw from this experience with him.”
Fitzwater will forever cherish the experience, both on the court and in the mission field.
“It’s definitely had a lasting impact for me, just being able to apply it to my life more,” he said. “I’ve seen a change in myself, in the way I’ve acted since I’ve gotten back and since it’s happened, just being more thoughtful and mindful of where am I at spiritually, and connecting more. I’ve found that I’ve been drawn more to people who were closer to Jesus now, because that’s how I base myself. I want to be near people like that. I want to be near people that are close to Jesus, because I don’t want to have any bad influence on myself, and I don’t want to be a bad influence on anybody else.”
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But Fitzwater will tell you, the impact on him has been even greater.
Fitzwater was among a group of Greater Beckley students who went on a mission trip to Dominican Republic in February. They enjoyed ministering and witnessing, but the trip was even more meaningful for Fitzwater, who became a Christian during the week.
“It was great. The best week of my life is what I’ve told everybody,” Fitzwater said before practice on Tuesday. “I know Kellan (Heffernan, a fellow senior) said to me, it’s awesome to see how much fun you can have with a bunch of Christians that you’ve never met. We met a group from Texas, and it was just a great week. They were awesome. It was great meeting them.
“I actually got saved and baptized there. My friend and teammate Kash (Hendrix) did as well. But it was just a life-changing experience, just getting to see all those kids and be able to change some lives. It was a great week.”
Fitzwater said the decision to hand his life over to Jesus has had a lasting impact on him. He remains a competitor on the court, where he has played a key role in Greater Beckley’s run to Charleston.
The Crusaders (15-8) are the No. 4 seed in Class A and will take on No. 5 St. Joseph in the first round Thursday at 9 p.m.
A forward, Fitzwater is second on the team in scoring at 14.7 points per game and his 10.8 rebounds lead the Crusaders by a wide margin. He had 12 points and 11 rebounds in last week’s 72-46 Region 3 co-final victory over Mount View.
Fitzwater stepped in after transferring from Woodrow Wilson and has had a smooth transition.
“It’s been such a great year,” he said. “These guys, these coaches made me feel welcome from the start. I’ve been blessed to have a great group of guys to take the court with every day. They made it really easy to transition the course.
“I was really nervous at first, coming over here to a new school and all that, but these guys helped really just make it easy for me to be able to do what I do, play my game, and to come out here and have the success that we’ve had.”
With his size and the team’s shooters, the Crusaders have options.
“Obviously, I’m the biggest dude on the court half the time, so I’m down low a lot. My teammates do a great job of getting me the ball, and I think I do a great job of kicking it back out to them,” Fitzwater said. “They do a good job of relocating for me so I can hit them. I love passing the ball. We’ve got a team of great shooters. Everybody on our team, I think, can shoot the ball very well. So I think that’s been my role inside, but I know I can pop out, I can shoot the ball. I’ve hit a couple (3-pointers) this year. They trust me and I trust them. So I think that that everybody has their role, and we’ve played it well. Every time we’ve played our roles and done what we know we need to do is when we’re at our best.”
Sophomore point guard Keegan Davidson leads the team in scoring at 15.7 points per game, assists (3.7) and steals (2.5). Senior Averyk Woodson is right behind him at 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals.
Freshman Javonte Spencer (9.2 ppg) leads the team in 3-pointers made with 45. Hendrix has 42 and Eli Gunter 32.
Fitzwater played in the state tournament last season with Woodrow. Hendrix and Woodson were freshmen on Greater Beckley’s 2022 team that finished Class A state runner-up.
“I’m one of three guys on the team with (state tournament) experience,” Fitzwater said, “but I think that we’ve got the group of guys that can make a deep run.”
The Crusaders split with St. Joseph in the regular season. They won 75-57 at home on Jan. 17, then fell 66-60 in Huntington six days later.
The Irish have three scorers averaging double figures — freshman Noah Keaton (14.0 ppg), sophomore Micaiah Ehirim (12.5, 3.6 assists) and junior Isaiah Sanders (11.2, 3.4 assists). Nymir Bryant, a 6-5 forward, pulls down 8.4 rebounds and blocks 1.5 shots per game.
“Drew’s just a great kid,” Greater Beckley coach Justin Arvon said. “He rebounds the ball well, he battles on the defensive end, he finishes around the rim. He can also step out and shoot and play on the perimeter. He’s just a great addition, not only to our team but to our school.
“More importantly to me, Drew went with us on our Dominican Republic mission trip, and he actually accepted the Lord on that trip. So I’ll be with Drew for eternity. That’s the most exciting thing I can draw from this experience with him.”
Fitzwater will forever cherish the experience, both on the court and in the mission field.
“It’s definitely had a lasting impact for me, just being able to apply it to my life more,” he said. “I’ve seen a change in myself, in the way I’ve acted since I’ve gotten back and since it’s happened, just being more thoughtful and mindful of where am I at spiritually, and connecting more. I’ve found that I’ve been drawn more to people who were closer to Jesus now, because that’s how I base myself. I want to be near people like that. I want to be near people that are close to Jesus, because I don’t want to have any bad influence on myself, and I don’t want to be a bad influence on anybody else.”
Continue reading...
