By Cody Tomer, Wheeling Intelligencer
Losing a state championship is certainly heartbreaking but Cameron’s Ashlynn Van Tassell and the Dragons used it as motivation.
After falling short in the finale a year ago, the sophomore and her teammates worked diligently to not only get back to the state championship but to take home the hardware.
In the end, Cameron earned the state crown in unforgettable fashion and Van Tassell shined in the process.
For her performance all season long, Van Tassell was named captain of the West Virginia Class A All-State Girls’ Basketball Team as voted on by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.
“Honestly, I never expected it because I’m only a sophomore,” Van Tassell said of being named captain of the all-state team. “I just want to thank my coaches for everything they’ve done for my teammates and I. I also want to thank my teammates for making this season one to remember.”
Van Tassell averaged a double-double this season with 18.3 points and 14 rebounds per game.
“I knew if I played my best this season I would get so many things accomplished and achieved,” Van Tassell said. “As the season progressed we just clicked and really started to play like our coaches knew we could.”
She also averaged a double-double during the state tournament with an incredible 25.3 points and 21 rebounds per game, including two clutch free throws to tie the state title game with four seconds left and a state tournament record 31 rebounds in the quarterfinal game.
“From our first practice I knew that what we had was special,” Van Tassell said. “We all knew we had what it took to go down to state again. This time we were going down there with chips on our shoulders, not wanting to lose the championship game again. We all knew we had to play with our hearts and we weren’t going down without a fight.”
This year’s Class A state championship included two more first team all-state athletes as Gilmer County seniors Malaysia Morgan and Trinity Bancroft were also selected.
Morgan accounted for 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 steals per game in the state tournament, while Bancroft averaged 13 points per game in Charleston.
Junior Sydney Baird of Webster County is a first team selection after accounting for 25.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 6.1 steals and one block per game this year and garnered 13.5 points, nine rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.5 blocks in the state tournament.
Tug Valley senior Kaylea Baisden amassed 22 points, six rebounds, six assists and 3.5 steals per game to earn her place on the first team list. She added 17 points a game at state.
Kadie Colebank made her presence felt for Tucker County this year and it secured her a spot on the first team. The junior recorded a remarkable 18 points, 17 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game during the season.
She added a brilliant effort in Charleston with 13.5 points and 19 rebounds a game.
Junior Abby McDonough earned first team all-state accolades after finishing the season with 19.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.8 steals per game for Doddridge County, before netting 14 points in the Class A quarterfinal.
Calhoun County senior Josie Montgomery rounds out the first team in Class A.
St. Joseph senior Amya Damon was named captain of the all-state second team.
Joining Damon on the second team are Cameron’s Kenzie Clutter, James Monroe’s Adyson Hines, Tolsia’s Autumn Block, Calhoun County’s Savannah Cunningham, River View’s Haylie Payne, Gilmer County’s Carrah Ferguson and Clay-Battelle’s Alivia Ammons.
The 2022 Class A Girls Basketball All-State Team as selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association
First Team
Sydney Baird, Webster County, JR
Kaylea Baisden, Tug Valley, SR
Abby McDonough, Doddridge County, JR
Malaysia Morgan, Gilmer County, SR
Kadie Colebank, Tucker County, JR
Ashlynn Van Tassell, Cameron, SO (Captain)
Josie Montgomery, Calhoun County, SR
Trinity Bancroft, Gilmer County, SR
Second Team
Adyson Hines, James Monroe, JR
Kenzie Clutter, Cameron, SO
Autumn Block, Tolsia, JR
Savannah Cunningham, Calhoun County, SR
Haylie Payne, River View, JR
Amya Damron, St. Joseph, SR (Captain)
Carrah Ferguson, Gilmer County, SR
Alivia Ammons, Clay-Battelle, SR
Honorable Mention
Vanessa Alatis, Madonna; Olivia Bomboy, Union; Audrey Evans, Tug Valley; Emily Gola, Doddridge County; Autumn Hall, Tug Valley; Macy Helmick, Tucker County; Haley Hunnicutt, James Monroe; Bridgett Knapp, Union; Jayden Kuhn, Tucker County; Trista Lester, River View; Carrie Lloyd, Doddridge County; Mary Beth Meadows, James Monroe; Ali Morgan, River View; Maci Neely, Cameron; Holly Perrine, Webster County; Caleigh Phillips, Tyler Consolidated; Cameron; Kerrigan Salmons, Tolsia; Hailea Skeens, Sherman; Emma Taylor, Gilmer County; McKenzie Thomas, Paden City; Brooklyn Tinnell, East Hardy; Preslee Treadway, Greenbrier West; Olivia Vandevender, Pocahontas County; Joselynn Yeager, Calhoun County; Ariana Young, Pendleton County
