By Rick Farlow, Charleston Gazette-Mail
Isaac McKneely ended his career at Poca High School on the mountaintop of West Virginia high school basketball.
Not only did the 6-foot-4 senior lead his team to a Class AA state championship, he was named West Virginia boys basketball Gatorade Player of the Year and won the Evans Award — the West Virginia Sports Writers Association’s Player of the Year designation — for the second year in a row.
McKneely has been granted yet another accolade for the second year in a row as he was named captain of the Class AA boys basketball All-State team as voted on by WVSWA. It’s the third time McKneely has been a first-team all-state selection.
McKneely, who will play at the University of Virginia starting the fall, averaged 22.1 points and 6.0 rebounds for the Dots this year, shooting 53.6% from the floor and hitting 79.3% of his free throws.
A four-year starter, McKneely played in 92 games in which Poca compiled a 79-13 record. Over his career, he scored 1,910 points with a shooting percentage of 50% and he tallied 437 rebounds and 308 assists.
“Obviously it’s a big honor considering all the good players in the state of West Virginia,” McKneely said. “Plenty to choose from and to choose me it’s a big-time blessing. I’m really appreciative of it. I reflect on all the hard work I’ve put in and I’m glad it’s finally starting to pay off.”
“The thing that sticks out about Isaac is he’s very unselfish,” Poca coach Allen Osborne said. “I think that shows a lot of people you don’t have to score 30 points per game to be the captain of the All-State team. He was a complete player. He was a team player.”
McKneely led Poca to a 26-1 record and its first state title since 2015 and third in program history (1997).
In the Class AA state title game against Bluefield, McKneely scored a game-high 22 points with four 3-pointers to lead Poca to a 65-48 win. He said being named captain of the All-State team is even sweeter now that he is a state champion.
“Being state champ, there ain’t nothing like it,” he said. “That was my dream ever since I stepped foot on a high school basketball court. I fell short the year before and my freshman and sophomore year we got beat in the elite eight so to finally get over the hump and win a state championship with my team is a really a big honor.”
McKneely is joined by a deserving cast on the first team. Bluefield’s Caleb Fuller faced off against McKneely and the Dots in the Class AA state title game. Fuller led Bluefield with 16 points in the title game loss.
Fuller earned first-team honors after averaging 18.1 points, 2.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds. He hit 60 3-pointers this season.
South Harrison junior Corey Boulden gained some statewide attention this season as he hit a school-record 10 3-pointers and scored 58 points in a 100-49 Feb. 5 win against Roane County. He averaged 25 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.7 steals this season and drained 74 3-pointers.
Charleston Catholic sophomore Jayallen Turner also earned first-team honors. In his 24 games he averaged 17 points and 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.7 steals. He shot 55.7% from the field.
Little Kanawha Conference Player of the Year Grant Barnhart of St. Marys also made the first team. The senior is the Blue Devils’ all-time leading scorer with 1,729 points.
He had 24.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game and scored 33 points and tallied 15 rebounds in his two state tournament games to earn all-tournament honors.
Wyoming East senior Tanner Whitten, who averaged nearly a double-double with 20.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, made the first team as he helped the Warriors to a state tournament berth.
Magnolia senior Trevor Williamson scored 18 points per game going into the state tournament and scored his 1,00th career point on Feb. 11 vs. Weir as he made the first team.
Ravenswood’s Matthew Carte made some noise in the state tournament, scoring 24 points in two games and helping his team to the semifinal before losing to eventual champion Poca. He was named to the first team after averaging 18.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.1 steals. He totaled 73 steals this season and shot 55% from the field.
Bluefield sophomore RJ Hairston was named captain of the second team. He was joined by Poca senior Jackson Toney, Buffalo junior Caleb Nutter, Clay County senior Curtis Litton, Liberty Raleigh senior Adam Drennen, Ritchie County junior Ethan Haught, Williamstown Junior Alex Irvin and Chapmanville sophomore Zion Blevins.
CLASS AA ALL-STATE
First team
Grant Barnhart, St. Marys, 6-4, 185, Sr.
Corey Boulden, South Harrison, 6-4, 171, Jr.
Matthew Carte, Ravenswood, 6-1, 175, Jr.
Caleb Fuller, Bluefield, 6-1, 170, Jr.
Isaac McKneely, Poca, 6-4, 175, Sr. (Captain)
Jayallen Turner, Charleston Catholic, 6-3, 165, Soph.
Tanner Whitten, Wyoming East, 6-5, 190, Sr.
Trevor Williamson, Magnolia, 6-2, 175, Sr.
Second team
Zion Blevins, Chapmanville, 6-6, 175, Soph.
Adam Drennen, Liberty, 6-5, 190, Sr.
RJ Hairston, Bluefield 6-3, 185, Soph. (Captain)
Ethan Haught, Ritchie County, 6-1, 175, Jr.
Alex Irvin, Williamstown, 6-5, 165, Jr.
Curtis Litton, Clay County, 6-7, 200, Sr.
Caleb Nutter, Buffalo, 5-9, 178, Jr.
Jackson Toney, Poca, 6-2, 175, Sr.
Honorable mention
Noah Burnside, South Harrison; Tucker Cook, Wyoming East; D.J. Coomes, Braxton County; Brody Dalton, Chapmanville; Layne Epling, Roane; Chance Johnson, Bluefield; Conner Hoover, Wirt County; Jon McComas, Charleston Catholic; Adam McGhee, Liberty; Kambel Meeks, Poca; Ashton Miller, Ravenswood; Garrett Mitchell, Wyoming East; Toby Payne, Poca; Hayden Pyles, Magnolia; Luke Powell, St. Marys; Isaiah Smith, Chapmanville.
