All-State Basketball: Cole and McClung earn first-team honors; Davidson named to second team

By JAY W. BENNETT

The Parkersburg News and Sentinel

CHARLESTON – In a season of high drama on Mountain State hardwood courts, the action in Class A went down to the wire with Tug Valley surviving Tucker County for the state championship.

Webster County ousted two-time defending state champion James Monroe in the quarterfinals on Rayden Triplett’s buzzer-beater, but Mike Gray’s squad lost to the Mountain Lions, who also rolled past Huntington St. Joe. 

TVHS advanced beating Doddridge County then eliminated East Hardy en route to cutting down the nets, while Cameron came up short against the Cougars.

Six of the eight programs who reached Charleston were represented on the Class A all-state first team released Tuesday by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association. 

Tucker County’s Trevan Bonner, East Hardy’s JW Teets and Clay-Battelle’s Colby Barr were repeat honorees on the first team, while Triplett was selected captain.

“He had a very good season. He had a really good season his junior year,” coach Gray said of the unsigned 6-foot-3 Triplett, who averaged 20 points, 7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 3.8 steals, scored his 1,000th point at home against Gilmer County and shot 73% from the line, 45% from the field and knocked down more than five dozen 3s at 36%. “He really came on this year and put a lot of time in the offseason. (He) was just in the gym a lot and got his shot going and really played well all year.”

Triplett’s skills at wide receiver were on full display inside the Charleston Coliseum when he high pointed a pass near the foul line from Zach McCourt at the other end of the floor and sank a turnaround jumper where he got the shooter’s touch.

“We talk all the time about it,” coach Gray said of his senior. “He wants to play basketball. He likes football really well, but I think his interest would be more in basketball. He started out as a freshman, not very many minutes just here and there. His sophomore year in the JV games he was starting to make some shots and take over some games and playing a little bit of varsity. By the time he was a junior he was starting.

“(He is) just one of those kids. Just active around the ball and plays with a lot of heart and emotion. He can get to the rim, rebounds well and can play a lot of positions. His defense is really well, too, and sometimes we put him on the other team’s best player to defend. He has a mid-range turnaround. He can be not facing the rim and then turn around. He’s really good. He’s just been a really good coachable kid who’s done everything right for the program.”

Bonner finished his junior campaign with averages of 14 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.2 steals, 71% FT and 41% FG. 

Teets surpassed 1,000 career points late in the season at Frankfort and put up 13.6 points, 2.9 boards, 4 assists and 2.6 steals a night. He shot 40% from the floor and 80% at the free-throw line.

Barr’s final season with the Cee Bees featured him shooting 60% from the floor with averages of 21 points and a dozen caroms.

Hartley helped the Dragons to four straight state tournament appearances and back-to-back Ohio Valley Athletic Conference 1A titles. The senior averaged 18.1 points a game and fueled Cameron to tie the school record of 20 wins. 

Tug Valley was represented on the top unit by sophomore Braydun Ferris (16.6 ppg).

Also landing on the first team were a pair of seniors – James Monroe’s Ryan Cole (16.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.3 spg, 0.9 bpg, 83% FT, 47% FG, 69 3s at 41%) and Greenbrier West’s Braydon McClung (22.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.6 apg, 3.9 spg, 75% FT, 50% FG).

Senior Brandon Hileman, who was a key cog in getting Doddridge County back to the state tournament for the first time in 18 years, was named captain of the second team.

Second team seniors also include Tucker County’s Ethan Rosenau, Calhoun County’s Landon Bennett, Wahama’s Sawyer Vanmatre, juniors Kaden Hale of Tug Valley and Parker Watts of Tolsia as well as a pair of freshmen in Greater Beckley Christian’s Keegan Davidson and Micaiah Ehirim of Huntington St. Joe.

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

 Here is the Class A boys all-state team released Tuesday, March 26 by the West Virginia Sportswriter’s Association.

Honorable mention:

Brady Baker, James Monroe; Riley Clevenger, Webster County; Ashton Davis, Tug Valley;  Jacob Dehaven, Doddridge County; Gavin Derby, Valley-Wetzel; Layton Dowdy, James Monroe; Dillon Dunz, Pocahontas County; Jake Endicott, Man; Mickey Guerra, Paden City; Tanner Hagy, Greenbrier West; Aaron Hall, Greater Beckley; Josiah Kimble, Pendleton County; Ashton Lycliter, Tucker County; Preston Luzador, Caley-Battelle;  Zymir Martin, Mount View; Anthony Mascio, Madonna; Chase Owens, Pendleton County; Grady Paynter, St. Joseph; Cooper Ridgeway, James Monroe;  Grant Russell, Richwood;  Colt Sandy, Hundred; Brycen Sawyers, Meadow Bridge; Andrew Simpson, Sherman; Landon Thomas, Doddridge County; Brady Strode, Tyler Consolidated; Jacob Wamsley, Tygarts Valley; Colson Wichterman, Cameron; Bryce Zuspan, Wahama.