The conclusion of the Super Six brings and end to the fall sports season. It also means awards season for golf, volleyball, cross country, soccer and football.
Below are this year’s Lootpress Fall Player of the Year winners. Each player will receive a $500 scholarship and be honored at the Lootpress Player of the Year Banquet on Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center. The Coach of the Year will receive a $500 grant to use for their program.
Boys Soccer Player of the Year – Adam Seams, Greenbrier East
Seams helped the Spartans rebound from a pair of heartbreaking sectional losses the last two years by leading Greenbrier East to its first state tournament berth and state championship. Seams scored the game-winning goal in the 77th minute of the state semifinal and scored one of his team’s goals and assisted on another in the state championship game against Spring Mills.
Runners-Up: Joe Cochran, Greenbrier East; Chase Miza, Greenbrier East
Girls Soccer Player of the Year – Mya Wooton, Beckley
Wooton, who won this award last year as a freshman, had another strong season for the Flying Eagles, leading them back to the regional championship. Wooton earned first-team all-state honors as well.
Runners-up: Sophia Hall, Beckley; Mallie Lawson, Shady Spring
Volleyball Player of the Year – Meg Williams, Shady Spring
Williams capped her career as a four-time first-team all-stater, playing for a state championship every season of her career. She recorded 550 kills, 64 aces, 136 blocks and 390 digs. She was named the Class AA first-team all-state captain and last but not least won the 2022 State Player of the Year Award. Williams won this award last season as well.
Runners-up: Chloe Thompson, Shady Spring; Dia Sauvage, Greenbrier East; Abby Dillon, Beckley
Female Golfer of the Year – Kerri-Anne Cook, Westside
Cook, the reigning winner, built upon her stellar sophomore season with a junior campaign that saw her earn a spot of in the state tournament. She finished sixth in Class AA and earned all-tournament honors at the Speidel Course in Wheeling.
Male Golfer of the Year – Tanner Vest, Shady Spring
Vest kept Shady’s golf tradition alive and well, finishing second in the Class AA state tournament in Wheeling. He fired a 158 across two days in the northern panhandle as the Tigers finished fourth overall.
Runner-up: Cody Blake, Independence
Cross Country Runner of the Year – Aiden Kneeland, Beckley
Kneeland, a sophomore, had the best finish at the state meet of any local runner, finishing fourth in Class AAA a year after he finished ninth as a freshman.
Runners-up: Natalie Barr, Nicholas County; Jaedan Holstein, Shady Spring
Community Choice Award – Tyson Adkins, Summers County
Adkins was the top vote-getter in the new Community Choice poll which took the top vote getters from the Player of the Week polls and pooled them into one final poll. Adkins, an all-state linebacker last year, had 84 tackles, three sacks, 11 tackles for a loss, two forcer fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Runner-up: Josh Bradford, Liberty
Career Achievement Award – Ty Nickell, Greenbrier West
Nickell, a two-time first-team all-state running back, rushed for over 3,300 yards the last two seasons and was a part of four playoff teams, three of which made it to the Class A quarterfinals. Before his conversion to running back at the start of his junior year, Nickell started at offensive tackle where he paved the way for 2,000-yard rusher Noah Brown. He also started at defensive end as a sophomore and saw snaps on defense as a freshman.
Quarterback of the Year – Grant Cochran, Princeton
Cochran led the area in passing yards (1,903) and touchdowns (29), throwing just four interceptions along the way. He did that against a schedule that featured Class AAA state runner-up Parkersburg South, Class AAA semifinalist Hurricane, Class AAA quarterfinalist Bridgeport and other West Virginia playoff teams such as Beckley and Bluefield. The 29 touchdown passes are a program single-season record, topping the mark of 28 Cochran set as a sophomore. He finished his career with 8,017 yards passing and 89 career touchdown passes, both program records.
Runners-Up: Trey Bowers, Independence; Caleb Fuller, Bluefield
Wide Receiver of the Year – Dominick Collins, Princeton
Collins was Cochran’s top target and most teams knew it, they just couldn’t stop him. Collins caught 58 passes for 1,019 and 19 touchdowns, breaking the program’s single season marks set by 2020 Moss Award winner Ethan Parsons in every category.
Runners-up: Cyrus Goodson, Independence; R.J. Hairston, Bluefield
Offensive Lineman of the Year – Logan Isom, Independence
In the tightest positional award race, Isom, the co-winner of last year’s award, edged ahead of teammate Brady Grimmett and Princeton all-stater Eli Campbell. Isom helped pave the way for an offense that threw for over 1,500 yards and rushed over 4,000.
Runners-up: Brady Grimmett, Independence; Eli Campbell, Princeton
Defensive Player of the Year – Jordan Harvey, Independence
Independence gave up 11 touchdowns all season with two of them coming on kick returns. Three additional scores came with the starters resting in the second half.
Harvey, an all-state linebacker, was the leader of the Indy defense, saving his best play for the best teams. He recorded numerous big plays in the postseason such as sacks against Herbert Hoover and Fairmont Senior and a 46-yard scoop and score against North Marion in the state semifinal.
Runner-Up: Eli Allen, James Monroe
Offensive Player of the Year/Running Back of the Year – Judah Price, Independence
Price finished the season with 49 rushing touchdowns and over 2,500 yards rushing – both program records. In addition to those accomplishments he shattered the West Virginia single-season individual scoring record with 396 points, breaking the previous record of 359 set by Albert “Big Sleepy” Glenn. The 396 points are tied for the 17th most scored by an individual nationally.
In his final high school game he broke the Super Six all-class rushing record with 376 yards against Herbert Hoover in a 42-7 Class AA state championship victory. That mark was also good enough for the program’s single-game rushing record, established last year by Kennedy Award winner Atticus Goodson.
Runners-Up: Dominick Collins, Princeton; Ty Nickell, Greenbrier West; Grant Cochran, Princeton
Coach of the Year – John H. Lilly, Independence
Lilly, the winner of last year’s award, followed up an 11-1 state runner-up campaign with a 13-0 state championship season, the first in program history. His team played in just one one-score game all season and had a running clock in the second half of all but two games and won by an average of 46.6 points per game.
Runner-Up: John Mustain, James Monroe
Previous Lootpress Fall Player of the Year Winners
2021
Male Golfer of the Year – Zan Hill, Woodrow Wilson – Sr.
Female Golfer of the Year – Kerri-Anne Cook, Westside – Soph.
Volleyball Player of the Year – Meg Williams, Shady Spring – Jr.
Male Soccer Player of the Year – Carson Eckley, Woodrow Wilson – Sr.
Female Soccer Player of the Year – Mya Wooton, Woodrow Wilson – Fr.
Coach of the Year – John H. Lilly, Independence
Co-Offensive Linemen of the Year – Brady Grimmett (Independence, Jr.) and Logan Isom (Independence, Jr.)
Wide Receiver of the Year – Keynan Cook, Woodrow Wilson – Sr.
Quarterback of the Year – Grant Cochran, Princeton – Jr.
Defensive Player of the Year – Ryker Brown, Bluefield – Sr.
Offensive Player of the Year – Atticus Goodson, Independence – Sr.
