It’s that time of the year again. Kennedy ballots are due Sunday, Dec. 8 at noon and over the last three years I’ve dissected the race and shared my thoughts.
The last few haven’t been particularly close but I believe that changes this year. I’ll explain the voting process, present the top candidates and share where I’m currently leaning with my ballot.
The Voting Process
The Kennedy Award is given annually to the top prep football player in the state of West Virginia by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association. It’s the most prestigious award given out because unlike other POTY awards handed out by other organizations, it’s voted on by the WVSWA members who have boots on the ground and cover these kids each week.
Every member of the WVSWA that’s current on their dues is eligible to vote, though fewer than 30 ballots have been cast in recent years. Ballots are generally due in the days following the seminal round and voters are asked to rank their top three picks and those picks are assigned a points total based on where they land on each ballot. The ballots are tallied and revealed to the seven or so members that attend the all-state meeting the day of or before the state championships.
CriteriaÂ
There’s no set in stone criteria for a player to be eligible for the Kennedy, though it’s rare for one who doesn’t advance past the quarterfinal round to win it. In the 21st century only Ethan Payne (Poca, 2019), Chazzy Thomas (Morgantown, 2013) and Will Cole (Bluefield, 2008) have won the award without reaching the penultimate round.
This award isn’t based on college prospects either. I like to use the Tim Tebow comparison. Tebow was never going to be the best pro football player, but he excelled at his level against peers that would go on to dominate in the NFL. A kid who’s committed to a DI school has just as much standing as a kid who has no aspirations to play football beyond high school. But you can use those college offers and interest to contextualize a player or performance.
This isn’t a career award either. It’s based on the 2024 season, though I think if used in reasonable context career accomplishments can be useful.
Omissions
This list features the best of the best. There are going to be good players on great teams that aren’t in the conversation. This a breakdown of the top award and the flaws and highlights both matter.
The top omissions from this list are probably Spring Mills standouts Xavier and Max Anderson. The reason I omitted them is because I polled Martinsburg media in an effort to avoid splitting votes. The panhandle belief is Martinsburg’s Koi Fagan is the better player. It’s difficult to take a public stand in the race because of the blowback writers can receive in the communities they cover but being in the race itself is a huge honor. The Kanawha Valley voters may need to do the same with two top candidates hailing from that part of the state, otherwise they risk splitting votes.
The Front RunnersÂ
Connor Lambert, RB – WahamaÂ
The Numbers – Offense: 109 carries, 2,050 rushing yards and 40 rushing touchdowns; 13 receptions, 310 yards, 6 receiving TDs. Defense: Six interceptions.
The Case – Wahama has been a buzzsaw in Class A and hasn’t played a game that’s been within fewer than three scores. The White Falcons have ran through everybody they’ve played with ease and Lambert is on the cusp of 3,000 total yards, a mark he should easily topple in the semifinal round. Playing in single-A means playing both sides of the ball and he’s done that well with a team-high six interceptions on defense. He’s the complete package.
The Counter – Williamstown’s Max Molessa was a DI athlete and couldn’t even garner a third-place finish in the Kennedy race a year ago. He finished outside that group despite starting in three consecutive Class A title games and winning two. I’m not sure we’ll ever see a Class A player shake the stigma around smaller classes and win the Kennedy again. Is it fair? No. But that’s the state of affairs and probably Lambert’s biggest hurdle.
Noah Vellaithambi, QB – HurricaneÂ
The Numbers (Through the first round of the Playoffs) – Passing: 2,682 yards, 34 touchdown passes, 63 percent completion percentage; Rushing: 108 carries, 889 yards, 15 TDs.
Why he should win – I’m not sure any team has asked more of any player than Hurricane has of Vellaithambi over the last two years. He played QB his sophomore year before he was displaced into the running back position where he earned first team all-state honors last year. Hurricane’s defense wasn’t particularly good by points per game metric either, yielding 27 per game. That number that looks worse when you consider it’s below 30 mostly because of shutouts against St. Albans and Riverside. Against the heavy hitters Hurricane gave up 38 (Huntington), 48 (Spring Valley), 70 (Dewitt) and 44 (Martinsburg). Hurricane finished 1-3 in those games and competed in all largely because the Vellaithambi-led offense averaged 44.5 points per game in those four contests.
The defense has improved in the playoffs but the point remains that Hurricane needed Vellaithambi to put the superhero cape on and work with a defense that offered no margin for error in the highest leverage games. There’s a game where he threw for 412 yards and five touchdowns, rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns, led his team to 63 points and still lost. He’s battled through an ankle injury as well but at this time of year everybody is banged up and if you play, you’re judged all the same.
His signature playoff moment came in the opening round of the playoffs where he led a 98-yard game-winning drive with just over two minutes to play. It wasn’t perfect with a near interception but he rebounded and won. As far as his value to his team, the Redskins might be a .500 team without him. It’s hard to see them beating GW and Spring Valley in the regular season if he’s not on the roster.
The Counter – Despite his best efforts Vellaithambi is currently 0-2 against two of the perceived top three teams (Martinsburg and Huntington) in Class AAAA. The head-to-heads come into focus in the race where applicable.
Daniel Jennings, RB/DE – PrincetonÂ
The Numbers – Rushing: 117 carries, 1,337 yards, 22 TDs; Receiving: 9 receptions, 205 yards, 5 touchdowns; Defense: 10 sacks.
The Case – Throughout October I tried to parse through who I thought would be Princeton’s best Kennedy candidate. Brad Mossor has been a force in all three phases, Chance Barker has over 80 touchdown passes in the last two seasons and Marquel Lowe is a deadly running back-receiver mismatch.
I settled on Jennings.
He’s a 1,300-yard back and force player on defense where he has 10 sacks. When Mossor and Lowe were forced to miss the Beckley game, he was the one that carried Princeton through to the finish line. He’s a perfect late-game running back that has proven Division I size and athleticism as evidenced by his commitment to Penn St. I just believe when Princeton had to have it during the second half of the season, they’ve relied on Jennings.
The Counter – Jennings platooned at running back for the first six games before largely taking the reins against Beckley. By Week 10 Lowe had been moved to receiver. More than most other teams with a Kennedy contender, Princeton’s cannibalizes itself in that it shares the wealth. If he had become the lead back earlier, he’d probably have a more realistic shot at this award but I agree with the way Princeton’s staff juggled its talented roster. I don’t think the numbers are good enough for Jennings to close the gap on the field but a strong semifinal showing against another favorite could make things interesting.
Brody Whitehair, QB – Fairmont SeniorÂ
The Numbers – Passing: 109 of 166 for 2,111 yards, 32 touchdown passes; Rushing: 267 yards and 4 TDs.
The Case – Whitehair has started in spurts since his freshman year for a program that’s played in the last three Class AA title games, winning two. Whitehair started nine games before suffering an injury that’s kept him out the last three games but led the Polar Bears to six wins against playoff teams in the regular season.
Fairmont’s lone loss came against Bridgeport.
The Counter – Fairmont’s won convincingly without Whitehair. The Polar Bears built a running game around their backup QB and trounced a good Spring Valley team in the quarterfinals. The 2024 Kennedy race is based on what’s happened in 2024, but it’s fair to use prior seasons as precedent if you want.
This probably speaks more to Fairmont’s program and coaching staff but I’ve never really felt like he carries the same weight as his peers. He lost his job as a freshman to Dom Stingo who led the Polar Bears to the title as the 16 seed. As a junior it felt like Dylan Ours was powering that team and with these last two playoff wins its felt like the supporting cast has taken charge. That doesn’t mean that the best player can’t also have the best supporting cast, but his argument is similar to Koi Fagan’s without the same amount of highs.
Koi Fagan, QB – Martinsburg
The Numbers – Rushing: 140 carries, 1,382 yards, 25 TDs; Passing: 2,113 yards, 30 TD passes.
Why he should win – Throughout Martinsburg’s historic run, it’s failed to secure a single Kennedy. Fagan has the numbers to back up his candidacy and Martinsburg has put the pressure on voters this year with wins over the top teams from every corner of the state. Fagan has wins over No. 2 Spring Mills, No. 3 Jefferson, No. 5 Huntington, No. 6 Hurricane, No. 7 Morgantown and No. 8 Parkersburg South. That’s a win against every Class AAAA team that advanced to the quarterfinals with the exception of No. 4 Wheeling Park and the two teams never met.
It’s also worth noting Fagan didn’t play in the second half of many games while compiling his numbers, yet he’s still the most productive player for what’s been the best program in the state over the last 12 years.
The Counter – As is the case with all Martinsburg players It’s hard to separate Fagan’s success from his team’s with that all-star supporting cast. That said, he’s still a weapon that’s succeeded at multiple positions throughout his career.
Dane Hatfield, QB – Herbert Hoover
The Numbers – Rushing: 1,885 yards, 33 TDs; Passing: 1,663 yards, 16 TDs
Why he should win – Hatfield’s one of the winningest QBs in the state and has proven so throughout his four years a starter. He’s made the playoffs all four years with a 6-3 postseason record entering this year’s semifinals. He’s a dual-threat QB that’s improved as a runner after being relied on more as a passer as a freshman. He’s a been a huge part of Hoover’s rise to power and each time he’s lost in the playoffs it’s been to a team that went on to play in the title game.
The Huskies are in the midst of a historic season, posting a new program-high in win totals and have steadily improved throughout the season after a few close bouts early with Winfield and Nitro. Hatfield has everything a Kennedy winner needs – statistics, market visibility, success, pedigree and a strong track record. Entering the semifinals he has more to gain than any other candidate. Hoover wasn’t expected to play for a title and coming into Princeton in the semis and toppling the reigning Class AAA runner-up en route to a title berth would be a signature stamp on a Kennedy campaign.
The Counter – Hoover’s schedule doesn’t really stack up to the other top Kennedy candidates but that’s not necessarily the defining metric. Independence running backs Atticus Goodson and Judah Price played weaker schedules during their senior seasons and still won the award on the back of title game berths.
Wes Brown, OL/DL – BridgeportÂ
The Numbers – Offense: 4,723 yards rushing, 88 rushing touchdowns, 393 rushing yards per game; Defense: 1 INT, 2 sacks, 2 Forced Fumbles.
Why he should win – Bridgeport’s been the most dominant team in Class AAA and it’s not been particularly close. Their defense crushes teams and their offense is physically dominating. Should the Indians beat Fairmont Senior in the semifinals, they’ll likely head into the Class AAA title game with over 5,000 yards rushing as a team.
They’ve rushed for over 300 yards in every game this season with the exception of their regular season matchup against Robert C. Byrd. They made up for it with a season-high 571 yards rushing when the two teams met again in the first round of the playoffs. Brown leads the charge on that offensive line with the added caveat that Bridgeport’s starters haven’t played in the second half of most games.
There’s a belief this may be the best team in school history, a strong statement as this is one of West Virginia’s blue bloods. I believe they’re the best team in Class AAA and I’d be shocked if anyone comes within two touchdowns of them the rest of the way. It only seems right that the Indians would have a Kennedy candidate but it doesn’t have to be the conventional type. This award usually goes to skill players but Bridgeport’s consistency in the trenches is worth a thought outside the box.
The Counter – He’s an offensive lineman. There may not be a harder position in all of sports to quantify. Unless voters dig deep, they’re unlikely to notice Brown but instead his teammates who touched the ball every play.
Where my ballot standsÂ
If I had to cast my ballot today, it would look like this:
- Koi Fagan, Martinsburg
- Noah Vellaithambi, Hurricane
- Wes Brown, Bridgeport
This should be the closest race since 2017 when Bluefield’s Mookie Collier edged out the 2016 winner in Jeremy Dillon (Mingo Central) and future NFL QB Tyson Bagent (Martinsburg). The semifinal results and performances could drastically change my ballot. Either Vellaithambi, Hatfield, Whitehair or Fagan could be at the top come Sunday.
I lean Fagan now because the resume and statistics are simply too overwhelming to ignore. Beating almost every top seed in the biggest classification in the state has to mean something. That gives him the edge over Vellaithambi for me, though it’s by a microscopic margin. If Whitehair comes back and topples Bridgeport, that would be a huge swing against the top team in Class AAA, especially after a 56-28 loss to the Indians in the regular season. Hatfield has the underdog storyline working for him and a win at Princeton would turn heads. If Vellaithambi heads back to the panhandle next week and lights Spring Mills up en route to a title game berth in Class AAAA, that may be enough to displace Fagan. And of course having a rival candidate fall in the semifinals never hurts.
I’ve had four Kennedy winners come from my coverage area (Mookie Collier, Atticus Goodson, Judah Price and Dom Collins) since I started doing this in 2017. I always hold my ballot until the semifinals conclude because that’s often where the award is won in my opinion. You can’t fake it against the best teams in the state.
That 2017 race was the perfect introduction for a rookie sports writer. In the semifinals that year Collier rushed for 300 yards in a win against Bridgeport, Dillon threw two interceptions at home in a loss and Huntington’s Jadon Hayes rushed for just 30 yards in a 10-7 loss against Spring Valley.
Kennedy rankings are nice throughout the regular season the but November is when the race begins and this year’s installation may be won by a hair.
Email: tylerjackson@lootpress.com and follow on Twitter @tjack94
