By Chris Johnson, For The WVSWA
The strength of Region I in Class AAAA high school girls basketball was on display throughout the season led by two schools from the same section in Wheeling Park and Morgantown.
It was only fitting that the Patriots and Mohigans were the last two teams standing, meeting for the fifth time this year in a state championship game that Morgantown won, 54-50.
It also stands to reason that Wheeling Park, Morgantown lead the way on the Class AAAA Girls Basketball All-State team announced today by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.
The Patriots’ dynamic sophomore duo of Alexis Bordas (the first-team captain) and Lala Woods as well as Morgantown’s Lily Jordan are first-team selections. Also from Region I, University’s Ella Simpson and Bridgeport’s Gabby Reep made the first team.
“I think we proved it is the toughest region in the state,” Wheeling Park coach Ryan Young said. “Just our section played for a state championship. Teams that are very good or teams that are underrated from Region I don’t even get a chance to get to Charleston.”
Bordas and Woods were the driving force behind Wheeling Park finishing with a 25-3 record and a spot in the title game.
Bordas is a repeat first-team selection and in just her second season with the Patriots has eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career and has already won the WV Gatorade Player of the Year and MaxPreps Player of the Year honors.
She entered the state tournament averaging 20.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 3.6 steals per game.
Woods, a second-team selection as a freshman, filled up the stat sheet as well averaging 14.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.1 steals per game.
In Charleston, they were the top two scorers during the course of the state tournament with Bordas averaging 26 points and Woods averaging 21 over the course of three games.
“I think they are arguably the best backcourt in the state,” Young said. “They know each other so well and they feed off each other. I thought they were both phenomenal at the state tournament.
“They are different players. Alexis is a pure shooter who is crafty and does a lot of things outside of scoring. Lala is great at scoring from the outside and getting to the rim and just has a knack for being around the ball on defense. They complement each other so well.”
Jordan, a junior, paved the way for the Mohigans finishing with a 22-4 record and the Class AAAA state title, averaging 14.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
Simpson finished her junior season for University averaging 16.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.1 steals per contest.
Reep, a senior for the Indians, earned first-team honors for the third consecutive season. She scored 21.9 points per game and added 8.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 5.2 steals per contest.
Joining the five Region I players on first team are Cabell Midland senior Jayda Allie, Spring Valley senior Hallie Bailey and Spring Mills sophomore Kilah Dandridge. All three of them led their teams to the state tournament.
Allie averaged 16 points per game as well as 3.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.8 steals. Bailey averaged 12.7 points per game, 4.5 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 4.3 steals per contest. Dandridge put up 15.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.9 steals per game.
Greenbrier East’s Cadence Stewart was named the second-team captain. She averaged 19.7 points per game as a senior for the Spartans.
Joining her on second team are George Washington’s duo of junior Finley Lohan and sophomore Zaniah Zellous, the Woodrow Wilson tandem of senior Keanti Thompson and sophomore Abby Dillon, St. Albans sophomore JayCee Elzy, Morgantown junior Sofia Wassick and Parkersburg junior Trinity Balog.
All-State honorees can obtain state-shaped, wood plaques with name, school, year and honor at wvswa.org or bearwoodcompany.com.
The Class AAAA Girls Basketball Team as Selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association
First Team
Alexis Bordas, Wheeling Park, Soph. (Captain)
Lala Woods, Wheeling Park, Soph.
Gabby Reep, Bridgeport, Sr.
Lily Jordan, Morgantown, Jr.
Jayda Allie, Cabell Midland, Sr.
Kilah Dandridge, Spring Mills, Soph.
Hallie Bailey, Spring Valley, Sr.
Ella Simpson, University, Jr.
Second Team
Finley Lohan, George Washington, Jr.
Cadence Stewart, Greenbrier East, Sr. (Captain)
JayCee Elzy, St. Albans, Soph.
Sofia Wassick, Morgantown, Jr.
Trinity Balog, Parkersburg, Jr.
Keanti Thompson, Woodrow Wilson, Sr.
Zaniah Zellous, GW, Soph.
Abby Dillon, Woodrow Wilson, Soph.
Honorable Mention
Sophia Abraham, Wheeling Park; Lexi Adams, Washington; Sophi Aldridge, Cabell Midland; Autumn Bane, Princeton; Lindsay Bechtel, Morgantown; Kaitlyn Blake, John Marshall; Olivia Bolduc, Spring Mills; Ava Bolen, Brooke; Kaydance Bradley, Martinsburg; Mackenzie Brezovec, Jefferson; Lucie Cline, Parkersburg South; Kylie Conner, Princeton; Lataja Creasey, Woodrow Wilson; Josie Cross, Woodrow Wilson; Kendal Currence, Buckhannon-Upshur; Allie Daniels, Spring Valley; Natalie Daugherty, Wheeling Park; Jaylin Dodd, Bridgeport; Reagan Edsell, Spring Mills; Kaila Fitzpatrick, Martinsburg; Mia Henkins, Morgantown; Amara Jackson, Huntington; Alanna Mackenzie, Riverside; Kenna Maxwell, Buckhannon-Upshur; Maggie Oduor, Hurricane; Dria Parker, Spring Valley; Mary Rivera, Washington; Gracie Shamblin, Parkersburg South; Emily Sharkey, University; Natalie Smith, South Charleston; Hannah Stemple, University; Kennedy Stewart, Greenbrier East; Maddie Stull, Princeton; Jazmyn Wheeler, Cabell Midland; Ella White, Preston; Maddy Young, Hurricane
