By Dave Morrison, WVSWA
Rodney Allen remembers taking his young son Eli to Dorie Miller Park in Lewisburg. Barely a toddler, Eli would typically play on the slide and the swings, but he would always migrate to the basketball courts.
His calling came early.
“We mainly just passed and dribbled because he was too young at the time, just 2 or 3 years old, he couldn’t get the shot up to the basket,” said Rodney, once a dual-sport athlete at West Virginia University, where he played football and baseball. “Maybe that is why he learned to pass so well.”
And boy, can the James Monroe junior pass.
During the Mavericks’ three-game run to the Class A state championship, culminating with a 72-47 win over Greater Beckley Christian, Allen averaged nine assists per game. That’s right at the 9.5 he averaged during an undefeated regular season.
These days he can get the shot to the basket, too. And he can rebound. After averaging 20.2 points per game and 9.3 rebounds to go with the 9.5 assists, the 6-foot-3 Allen has been named captain of the Class A all-state team by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.
Allen was a first-team selection last year and is joined on the first team for the second year by James Monroe teammate Shad Sauvage. Cameron’s Trevor Beresford and Webster County’s Rye Gadd are also repeat first-team selections.
Allen’s ascension to complete player helped James Monroe morph from an 8-15 season his freshman year, when he was barely 5-foot-10, to 28-0 and a state champion.
Allen has already surpassed 1,000 career points (1,074 in 61 career games) and his 498 assists are a school record. He has averaged 17.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists for his career.
Allen scored in double figures in all 28 games this season, 20 or more in 15 of those, and he has scored in double figures in 40 straight games.
“Eli makes everyone around him better,” coach Matt Sauvage said. “He can pass the ball, he can rebound, obviously he can score. He is a point guard that can guard (positions) one through four at a very high level. His defense is just as good as his offense, if not better.”
For all his numbers, Allen said he is driven by one thing. Winning.
It was a loss to Greenbrier West in a Region 3 co-final last year that served as a genesis for the Mavs’ state title run.
“It doesn’t take much to motivate me,” Allen said. “I hate losing. Who likes to lose? That’s really what pushes me. That feeling last year … we just won a state championship and I still hate talking about it. It’s terrible.”
Allen finished fourth in voting for the Evans Award as the state’s top player this year.
He was also a football all-stater after finishing with eight interceptions last fall.
His running mate, Shad Sauvage, the coach’s son and a three-year team captain, is regarded as one of the top shooters in the state. This year, Sauvage had 103 3s and finished his career with 321.
He averaged 19.8 points per game, 4.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists.
His 3s numbers are all school records, along with his 1,717 points. He also has the steals record at James Monroe.
“Shad has been a cornerstone of this program for four years,” said his coach and dad, Matt. “He has set many individual records but all he has focused on for four years was his desire to make the team better. The state championship solidifies his career at James Monroe.”
Sauvage has some long streaks at James Monroe, ending his career scoring double figures in 58 straight games, dating back to his sophomore year. Until the semifinal win over Huntington St. Joseph’s he had a streak of 49 straight games with at least two 3s but rebounded with five in the championship win against Greater Beckley.
Beresford and Gadd were also repeat selections to the first team.
Cameron’s Beresford, a 6-8 force inside, ended his career at the state tournament, setting a Class A record with 20 rebounds against St. Joe.
He ended the season averaging 16.8 points per game, 9.6 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 2.1 assists and the big man shot 42.9 percent from 3-point range. He also shot 57.9 overall.
Colleges are catching on as well said his coach, Tom Hart.
“Trevor started drawing more attention from several DII coaches after his performance in our win over (Class A runner-up) Greater Beckley at the Par Mar Big House Shootout in February,” Hart said of the 66-62 victory. “He caught the eye of some DI programs following his performance in the state tournament this season. If there is a gym open that’s where you will find him. He is a gym rat.”
Gadd, a 6-foot-2 guard, was one of the state’s top scorers after averaging 29 points per game, along with 7.4 rebounds and nearly four assists per game.
Gadd, a 6-foot-2 scorer, not only topped the 1,000-point mark for his career this season in an early-season game at Greater Beckley, but he also broke the Highlanders school record, previously held by all-stater Brett Morris. Gadd finished his career with 1,636 points. A first-team all-stater a year ago, Gadd was a member of the Highlanders’ undefeated state championship team as a freshman in 2019.
Other members of the first team are:
Kaden Smallwood, Greater Beckley. As a senior Smallwood averaged 19.1 points per game but his most important contribution was keeping the team together after four players were ruled ineligible.
This year he scored his 1,000th career point.
“His effort and leadership pushed our team to another level when his teammates needed it the most,” coach Justin Arvon said. “After having the state tournament ripped away from him for one reason or another his first three years, he made the most of his opportunity this season and led his team to the championship game.”
Caleb Blevins, Man. On a team of outstanding shooters, Blevins was the best, and he wound up his career with a season averaging 18.6 points per game and 68 3-pointers.
Like most of his fellow first-team all-staters he was a 1,000-point scorer (1,094) and averaged 14.2 points on Man’s 2021 state championship team.
Jesse Muncy, Huntington St. Joseph’s. The 5-10 transfer from Tolsia, where he was a career 1,000-point scorer, Muncy continued to score, averaging 28.3 points per game for the Irish, a state tournament semifinalist.
Caleb Strode, a 6-3 power forward/center, averaged a double-double for the Knights, scoring at a 21.3 clip with 10.8 rebounds per game.
The 6-foot-3 senior set a school record when he tallied 47 points in a win over Doddridge County in February.
Greenbrier West’s Chase McClung was tabbed captain of the second team after averaging over 17 points for the Cavaliers, who advanced to the Region 3 co-finals.
The rest of the second team includes Greater Beckley Christian’s Kendrick Wilson, Man’s Jeremiah Harless, Madonna’s Matt Amaismeir, Tucker County’s Ashton Lycliter, Tygarts Valley’s Garrett Gibson, Huntington St. Joseph’s Zavian Johnson and Pendleton County’s Clayton Kissamore.
Twelve of the 16 players on the first and second teams played in the state tournament.
CLASS A
First team
Eli Allen, James Monroe, 6-3, Jr. (Captain)
Trevor Beresford, Cameron, 6-8, Sr.
Caleb Blevins, Man, 6-4, Sr,
Rye Gadd, Webster County, 6-2, Sr.
Jesse Muncy, Huntington St. Joe’s, 5-10, Sr.
Shad Sauvage, James Monroe. 5-11. Sr.
Kaden Smallwood, Greater Beckley, 6-0, Sr.
Caleb Strode, Tyler Consolidated, 6-1, Sr.
Second team,
Chase McClung, Greenbrier West, 6-0, Sr. (Captain)
Kendrick Wilson, Greater Beckley, 5-11, Jr.
Jeremiah Harless, Man, 6-5, Sr.
Matt Amaismeir, Madonna, 6-3, Sr.
Ashton Lycliter, Tucker County, 6-4, Soph.
Garrett Gibson, Tygarts Valley, 5-10, Sr.
Zavian Johnson, Huntingotn St. Joe’s, 6-1, Sr.
Clayton Kisamore, Pendleton County, 6-2, Jr.
Honorable Mention
Tony Bailey, Mount View; Haygen Baker, Tyler Consolidated; Evan Bone, Madonna; Trey Brown, Man; Cole Burkett, Cameron; Josh Burks, James Monroe; Riley Clevenger, Webster County; Ethan Colegrove, Tug Valley; Gavin Derby, Valley-Wetzel; Josh Lipscomb, Gilmer County; Aden Martin, Man; Brayden McClung, Greenbrier West; Dalton Rollo, Sherman; John Rose, Greater Beckley; Brayden Spencer, Richwood; Cameron Thomas, James Monroe; Tanner Townsend, Pendleton County; Jamie Vandevender, Pocahontas County; Sawyer VanMatre, Wahama.
