By Michael Minnich, The Exponent Telegram
Offensive linemen usually don’t get credit for what they do.
But not this year: Winfield senior Caleb Kuhl is the captain of the West Virginia Sports Writers Association’s Class AA all-state football team, released on Friday.
Kuhl earned an 85% blocking grade on the offensive side of the ball and was no slouch on defense, racking up over 100 tackles for the Generals.
The rest of the line is Independence sophomore Alex Blankenship, who paved the way for another semifinal run by the Patriots; Roane County senior Jacob Bunner, who graded 84% on run block and 92% in pass block on offense and racked up 50 tackles (21 for loss) and 3 sacks on defense; North Marion senior Nathan Miller, part of a punishing attack that came a point away from winning a state title; and Philip Barbour senior Keaton McDermott, responsible for 24.5 pancake blocks and 35 tackles as the Colts won a playoff game for the first time in program history.
The quarterbacks are Scott senior Matt Frye (160 of 238 passing for 3,068 yards with 37 passing TDs and seven rushing TDs) and Fairmont Senior junior Brody Whitehair (177 of 277 passing for 2,903 yards and 36 touchdowns plus 475 rushing yards and six more scores on the ground).
Weir senior Corey Lyons (179 carries, 1,157 yards, 23 touchdowns) and Independence senior Tyler Linksweiler picked up the running back slots.
First-team wideouts are Scott junior Carson Brinegar (78 catches, 1,296 yards, 249 rushing yards, 19 total touchdowns plus 3 interceptions on defense), Bluefield senior R.J. Hairston and Nitro sophomore Malachi Thompson (57 catches, 1,264 yards, 20 touchdowns).
The kicker is Nicholas County senior Johann Villasenor, while utility spots went to Herbert Hoover junior Dane Hatfield and Clay County senior B.J. Williams (78 catches, 1,053 yards, 17 receiving touchdowns, plus single scores on rushes, punt returns and kick returns, respectively, and 3 interceptions on defense).
After leading North Marion to the Super Six as a quarterback and a linebacker, North Marion senior linebacker Casey Minor (57.5 solo tackles, 66 assists, 8 tackles for loss, 1 fumble recovery) skippers the first-team defense.
Winfield junior Toby Laughery (over 100 tackles), Chapmanville junior Elijah Pridemore (132 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 INTs), Independence senior Derrick Hypes and Philip Barbour senior Nate Hulver (a school-record 128 tackles and 2 interceptions and 2 sacks on defense, plus 1,232 yards rushing and 21 TDs on offense)are the remaining first-team ‘backers.
Up front, Wayne senior Jaxson Damron (second-leading tackler, leading rusher), Fairmont Senior junior Trevor Bigelow (55 tackles, 8 for loss) and Frankfort senior Hayden Nester (26 solo tackles, 22 assists, 3 TFLs) earned slots.
The defensive backs are Fairmont Senior junior Cannon Dinger (11 interceptions), Independence senior Trey Bowers, Winfield junior Tre Tanner (7 INTs, 15 pass breakups, 5 total TDs) and North Marion senior Landon Frey (73 tackles, 9 INTs, 7 pass breakups, 1 fumble recovery, 1 pick six).
East Fairmont’s Ian Crookshanks is the punter (42.5 yards/kick) and also a whale of a quarterback (109 of 198 for 1,646 yards and 18 touchdowns in addition to 354 yards and 15 TDs on the ground).
Super Six MVP Fairmont Senior senior Dylan Ours (80 tackles, 4 for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 3 return TDs, 40 yards/punt; 1,063 rushing yards, 567 receiving yards, 27 TDs on offense) and Roane County senior Brandon Richardson (82 tackles, 11 for loss) round out the first team as defensive utilities.
Weir senior Malachi Stromile captains the second-team offense as a utility.
Nitro junior Josh Moody and Clay County junior Noah Collins are the quarterbacks; North Marion senior Aaron Hoffman, Winfield senior K-Juan Pearson and Frankfort junior Tyrique Powell are the running backs; North Marion junior Brock Martin and Liberty Harrison senior Jenson Dodd picked up the wide receiver slots.
Up front on the second-team offensive linemen are Herbert Hoover senior Kole Johnson, Bluefield junior Jaeden Francisco, Mingo Central senior Chaz Waine, Lewis County senior Tyler Carson and Weir senior Anthony Zorbini.
Point Pleasant junior kicker Alex Shrader and East Fairmont junior utility Dom Fantasia complete the second-team offense.
Fairmont Senior utility Gavin Michael captains the second team on defense.
Second-team defensive linemen are Poca senior Tony Belcher, Herbert Hoover senior Zac Greer, North Marion junior Landon Cowger; the linebacker corps is Scott junior David Fennessey, Roane County junior Lane Watson, Keyser senior Julian Pattison, Lewis County senior Brayden Carder and Independence sophomore Landon Riddle.
Making up the defensive backfield are Mingo Central senior Malaki Sheppard, Bluefield senior Sencere Fields, Lincoln senior Brayden Edgell and Poca sophomore Jackson McClanahan.
Poca junior punter Preston Bonnett and Philip Barbour senior utility Kaden Humphreys round out the second defensive unit.
Wooden plaques in the shape of West Virginia that include the player’s name, school, licensed WVSWA logo, year of the honoree are available to all-state first team, second team and honorable mentions and can be purchased at from the Bear Wood Company through WVSWA.com or Bearwoodcompany.com
The Class AA All-State Football Team as selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association
First Team
Offense
QB – Matt Frye, Scott (Sr.)
QB – Brody Whitehair, Fairmont Senior (Jr.)
RB – Corey Lyons, Weir (Sr.)
RB – Tyler Linksweiler, Independence (Sr.)
WR – Carson Brinegar, Scott (Jr.)
WR – R.J. Hairston, Bluefield (Sr.)
WR – Malachi Thompson, Nitro (Soph.)
OL – Caleb Kuhl, Winfield (Senior) (CAPTAIN)
OL – Alex Blankenship, Independence (Soph.)
OL – Jacob Bunner, Roane County (Sr.)
OL – Nathan Miller. North Marion (Sr.)
OL – Keaton McDermott, Philip Barbour (Sr.)
K – Johann Villasenor, Nicholas County (Sr.)
UTL – Dane Hatfield, Herbert Hoover, (Jr.)
UTL – B.J. Williams, Clay County (Sr.)
Defense
DL – Jaxson Damron, Wayne (Sr)
DL – Trevor Bigelow, Fairmont Senior (Junior)
DL – Hayden Nester, Frankfort (Sr.)
LB – Toby Laughery, Winfield (Jr.)
LB – Casey Minor, North Marion, (Sr.) (CAPTAIN)
LB – Elijah Pridemore, Chapmanville, (Jr.)
LB – D Hypes, Independence, (Sr.)
LB – Nate Hulver, Philip Barbour (Sr.)
DB – Cannon Dinger, Fairmont Senior (Jr.)
DB – Trey Bowers, Independence (Sr.)
DB – Trey Tanner, Winfield (Jr.)
DB – Landon Frey, North Marion (Sr.)
P – Ian Crookshanks, East Fairmont (Sr.)
UTL – Dylan Ours, Fairmont Sr. (Senior)
UTL – Brandon Richardson, Roane County (Sr.)
Second Team
Offense
QB – Josh Moody, Nitro (Jr.)
QB – Noah Collins, Clay County (Jr.)
RB – Aaron Hoffman, North Marion (Sr.)
RB – K-Juan Pearson, Winfield (Sr.)
RB – Tyrique Powell, Frankfort (Jr.)
WR – Brock Martin, North Marion (Jr.)
WR – Jenson Dodd, Liberty Harrison (Sr.)
OL – Kole Johnson, Herbert Hoover (Sr.)
OL – Jaedan Francisco, Bluefield (Jr.)
OL – Chaz Waine, Mingo Central (Senior)
OL – Tyler Carson, Lewis County (Sr.)
OL – Anthony Zorbini, Weir (Sr.)
K – Alex Shrader, Point Pleasant (Jr.)
UTL – Malachi Stromile, Weir (Sr.) (CAPTAIN)
UTL – Dom Fantasia, East Fairmont (Jr.)
Defense
DL – Tony Belcher, Poca (Sr.)
DL – Zac Greer, Herbert Hoover (Sr.)
DL – Landon Cowger, North Marion (Jr.)
LB – David Fennessy, Scott (Jr.)
LB – Lane Watson, Roane County (Jr.)
LB – Julian Pattison, Keyser (Sr.)
LB – Brayden Carder, Lewis County (Sr.)
LB – Landon Riddle, Independence (Soph.)
DB – Malaki Sheppard, Mingo Central (Sr.)
DB – Sencere Fields, Bluefield (Sr.)
DB – Brayden Edgell, Lincoln (Sr.)
DB – Jackson McClanahan, Poca (Soph.)
P – Preston Bonnett, Poca (Jr.)
UTL – Gavin Michael, Fairmont Senior (Sr.) (CAPTAIN)
UTL – Kaden Humphreys, Philip Barbour (Sr.)
Honorable Mention: Owen Acord, Lewis County; Dillon America, Grafton; Kaleb Arbogast, Fairmont Senior; Robert Ball, Logan; Mickey Ballestero, Winfield; AJ Bart, Lincoln; Brock Benedum, Liberty Harrison; Nate Bentz, Point Pleasant; Hayden Biggie, East Fairmont; TD Bodkins, Philip Barbour; Nicholas Bowers, Elkins; Avery Brown, East Fairmont; Aidan Burke, Mingo Central; Aiden Cain, Berkeley Springs; Drew Cayton, Lewis County; Karson Church, East Fairmont; Brayden Clark, Scott; Chandler Cline, Westside; Logan Cook, PikeView; Robert Cook, Chapmanville Regional; Preston Cooper, Scott; Cobun Cottrell, Roane County; Gavin Davis, Shady Spring; Zaevyon Dickerson, Nitro; Connor Facemire, Braxton County; Blake Fisher, Herbert Hoover; Aiden Flowers, Oak Glen; Cam Foley, Grafton; Rocky Fontenot, Frankfort; Fisher Fry, Wayne; Maddox Gillespie, Lewis County; Xiomar Henry, Nitro; Aiden Hernandez, Winfield; Matthew Jackson, Frankfort; Ronald Jones, Chapmanville Regional; Grayson Lambka, Keyser; Eli Littlejohn, Nitro; Daniel Marley, Frankfort; Chase Massey, Winfield; Brandon Matheny, North Marion; Logan Murray, Oak Glen; Devin Nash, Nicholas County; Micah Osborne, Clay County; Maddox Perine, Lincoln; Mo Mo Prentice, Weir; Brandon Ramos, Herbert Hoover; Tristan Ramsey, East Fairmont; Aiden Rice, Lincoln; Chris Ross, Mingo Central; Owen Rotruck, Keyser; Alex Smith, Frankfort; Jack Stanislawczyk, Keyser; Gage Thompson, PikeView; Dylan Vance, Mingo Central; Fisher Williams, Independence; Kadien Vance, Westside; Kolton Weaver, Point Pleasant; Joe White, Herbert Hoover; Landon Williams, Clay County; Grady Woods, Bluefield.
