All-State Basketball: Beckley’s Redfern named Class AAAA first teamer

BY MICHAEL GRIFFITH, The Dominion Post

MORGANTOWN — It’s every player’s dream to have the opportunity to make a crucial play in the state championship. It’s even sweeter when it happens your senior year.

For Morgantown High seniors Sharron Young and Izzy Everett, that dream became a reality as they both scored key buckets for the Mohigans in the Class AAAA state championship game on their way to a third-straight state title.

Everett’s layup that tied the game at 28 at the end of regulation made way for Young to nail a triple that gave MHS a one-point lead with 30 seconds to go in overtime against Spring Mills. Everett then calmly hit two free throws to seal the game for his team and seal the title for the third year in a row.

It was only fitting for the MHS duo to be named to the Class AAAA all-state first team as selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.

“Izzy really started to step up for us at the end of his junior year, and it carried over into his senior year,” MHS head coach Dave Tallman said. “They’re just winners. Neither one of them could get a shot to drop in the title game, but when it mattered most they stepped up and made the plays. I couldn’t be more proud of those guys.”

Young was named captain for the second consecutive season after an outstanding senior campaign averaging 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 5.8 steals. He became the all-time leading scorer in program history in February and was named Morgantown’s first-ever boys basketball Gatorade State Player of the Year.

Everett made history himself on February 27 when he broke the MHS single-game three-point record against John Marshall, nailing 10 of his 12 attempts. He averaged 13 points shooting 40% from the field and including 36% from deep. 

Young and Everett were both named to the Class AAAA all-tournament team as well.

The Class AAAA runner-up, Spring Mills, was led by first-teamer Caleb Thomas, who averaged close to a double-double with 16.4 points and 9.9 rebounds. He also dished 5.5 assists and earned 4.9 blocks per contest.

“He can just do everything on both ends; shoot it, go both ways on offense,” SM coach Luke Samples said. “It’s the same thing on defense. He will guard any position. Caleb doesn’t care about stats he just wants to win and be a good teammate. He’s intense when he has to be but he will never lose himself out on the court. He knew what he had to do and he showed that all year.”

Junior Aiden Davis of Wheeling Park joins the first team after leading the Patriots back to the state tournament. He averaged 25.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Davis tied his own school record of 89 made three-point field goals that he set last season. In a regional win on the road against Bridgeport, Davis led his team with 24 points, nine rebounds, and six assists without committing a turnover.

“Aiden was great this year in helping lead us back to states,” WP coach Michael Jebbia said. “His biggest jump was his ability to get to the basket and get to the foul line, where he shot 84% for us.”

Woodrow Wilson senior Elijah Redfern joins the first team after missing several weeks of the season with a broken wrist. He averaged 19.4 points and 6.8 assists per contest for the Flying Eagles on their way back to the state tournament, where Redfern scored 22 points in a quarterfinal loss against top-seeded Spring Mills.

He is joined by MSAC player Mikey Johnson. The senior from Huntington led the Highlanders with 17.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists while shooting 50% from the field. Johnson played a key role in the Highlanders’ run to the state semifinals.

George Washington sophomore Noah Lewis comes in at 13.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game this season. The GW big man was efficient at a 54% shooting clip from the field.

Finally, junior Roman Kellum of South Charleston made the first team after helping the Black Eagles back to the state semifinals for the second time in three seasons. He averaged 13 points and seven rebounds per game.

Spring Mills’ Akwasi Opoku-Achampong captains the all-state second team that includes Sha’lik Hampton (Hurricane), Jaiden Gladney (Jefferson), Tate Adkins (Spring Valley), Cole Joy (Parkersburg South), Phoenix Sickles (Bridgeport), Keshaun Cheek (Martinsburg) and De’Shad Williams (South Charleston).

 All-State honorees can obtain state-shaped, wood plaques with name, school, year and honor atwvswa.org or bearwoodcompany.com.

Honorable mention: Max Anderson, Spring Mills; Xavier Anderson, Spring Mills; Zach Ayoob, Bridgeport; Ethan Blackburn, Cabell Midland; Ashton Curry, Bridgeport; Mykel Davis, Wheeling Park;  Coby Dillon, Woodrow Wilson; Nik Fleming, Princeton; James Fortney-Garbart, University; Zyon Hawthorne, Woodrow Wilson; Jamari Jenkins, Jefferson; Jacob King, Morgantown; Malachi Lewis, Oak Hill; Carson O’Dell, Hurricane; Gabe Patton, Greenbrier East; Clay Robertson, Spring Valley; Nate Rodriguez, Parkersburg; Brogan Samms, St. Albans; Landon Sanders, Bridgeport; Koen Sartin, Princeton; Brady Savage, Morgantown; Harry Silvis, Parkersburg South; Jackson Smith, Parkersburg South; Layton Toepher, Brooke; Jaden Westfall, Buckhannon-Upshur; Carter Zuliani, Buckhannon-Upshur.