1 week Ago By by Michael Minnich Sports Editor
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WV News) — There are plenty of good things to come for the Class A/AA girls soccer state champions, the East Fairmont Bees.
That was in evidence on the West Virginia High School Soccer Coaches Association’s all-state list, released by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association. The Bees have three first-teamers that will return next year in freshmen midfielder Annabelle Skidmore and forward Lily Larnerd and junior Brooklyn Shupe, plus second-team junior midfielder Miley Summers. Robert C.
Byrd’s Kendall Sturm also picked up a first-team spot as a goalkeeper and is joined by Lincoln midfield standout Lily Toth. while Grafton’s Hadley Horne and Claire McCarthy made the second squad at midfielder and forward, respectively, with Eryn Ashcraft a second-team midfielder out of Lincoln. Local honorable mentions are Regan Knight (Grafton), Lily Lasky (Philip Barbour), Erin Flanigan (Lewis County), Hailey Williams (RCB), Eden Ashcraft (Lincoln), Leah Paugh (East Fairmont) and Riley McCartney (Philip Barbour).
After a run to the state championship game, the East Fairmont boys had a pair of Class A/AA first-teamers in defender Tobin Fancher and forward Kollin Maxey and second-teamers in defender Karson Church and forward Brayden Christopher. Robert C. Byrd placed junior goalkeeper Wyatt Crislip, midfielder Carson Bennett and forward Ethan Lake on the first team and defender Jayden Strauss on the second team.
Grafton midfielder Noah Foley and forward Ethan Weaver were tabbed to the second team after a regional title for the Bearcats, while Lincoln midfielder Trevor Williams and North Marion midfielder Eli Ramsey also picked up second-team honors. Locals on the honorable mention list are Grafton’s Bryce Kelley; Lewis County’s Landon Bennett and Zander Cralton; North Marion’s Sutton Bennett, Kaden Butcher and Jakob Elliott; and RCB’s Johnathon Chase. Bridgeport’s Grayson Church is a first-team Class AAA midfielder, with Fairmont Senior goalkeeper Will Jones and defender Matthew Blasher as well as Bridgeport forward Jackson Cogar on the second team.
Class AAA boys honorable mentions locally are Fairmont Senior’s Cam Peschl, Buckhannon-Upshur’s Christian Dowell and Riel Figueroa and Bridgeport’s Will Madden. B-U’s Hannah Boyles is the lone local first-teamer in midfield, with Bridgeport’s Elisa Dinaldo and Ally Callahan second teamers at defender and forward, respectively. Bridgeport’s Eliza Perine and LeeAnn Gaskins, Fairmont Senior’s Tillie Cinalli and B-U’s Grace Queen picked up honorable mention spots.
The Big 10 Conference announced its awards as well. Conference champion Bridgeport won both major boys awards with Cogar as the player of the year and Keith Dumas as the coach of the year. The first team is forwards Cogar, Madden, Maxey, Weaver and Figueroa; midfielders Grayson Church, Christopher, Bennett, Kelley, Ramsey, Williams, Connely Sparks of Philip Barbour and Samuel Klimas of Preston; defender Lucas D’Angelo of Elkins; and goalkeepers Crislip and Jones.
The second team is goalkeepers Tyler Clemm (Grafton) and Landyn Taylor (Lewis County); defenders Fancher, Blasher, Tucker Pomeroy (Bridgeport) and Ayden Glover (East Fairmont); midfielders Peschl, Elliott, Dowell, Andrew Tesar (Elkins) and Tony Comas (East Fairmont); and forwards Lake, Cralton. Tucker Cutright (Elkins) and Ryder Moran (Fairmont Senior). Despite missing the last month of the season with an injury, East Fairmont’s Shupe is the girls player of the year.
East Fairmont’s Eric Wright is the coach of the year. Shupe (forward), Skidmore (midfielder), Larnerd (forward) and Summers (midfielder) are the Bees’ first team picks, with Callahan (forward) and Dinaldo (midfielder) representing Bridgeport, Cogar (forward) and Bailey (midfielder) Elkins, Boyles (midfielder) B-U, Horne (midfielder) Grafton, Eryn Ashcraft (midfielder) Lincoln, Sturm (goalkeeper) RCB, Lasky (midfielder) PB and Kaydence Whitehair Preston. The second team is East Fairmont defender Carly Manchin; Bridgeport forward Maria Day and defender Perine; Elkins defender Belan; B-U midfielder Queen and goalkeeper Harley Dean; Grafton forward McCarthy; Lincoln midfielders Lily Toth and Eden Ashcraft and defender Brystol Toth; North Marion midfielder Adalie Besedich; Lewis County midfielder Flanigan; Fairmont Senior forward Cinalli and Preston midfielder Ava Turner.
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