KEYSER, W.Va.--Matt Wilmer was honored before tonight's Keyser-Frankfort game as the News Tribune Offensive Player of the Year for the 2007 football season.
The way things went the rest of the night, he could be adding the basketball award to his trophy case come springtime.
Wilmer had 17 points, 14 in the first half, as the Golden Tornado cruised to a 74-29 win over the Falcons in high school boys' basketball action at Tornado Alley Tuesday night.
Brian Bills led Frankfort with seven points.
Keyser controlled from wire to wire; Wilmer canned a three-pointer from the right corner 25 seconds in, then Maverick Nelson picked up the first two of his 12 points on a layup at the 5:39 mark.
Darian Martz got Frankfort on the board with a jumper, making the score 5-2 with 5:13 left in the first quarter.
Preston Hartman, who also had 12 points, tallied the next five for Keyser, bookended a Travis Myers layup for Frankfort. The Hartman three at 2:29 started a 16-0 Keyser run that stretched over nearly six minutes.
Wes Washington scored on a layup at 1:03, then turned provider to Wilmer with a slick pass for an easy two thirty seconds later.
Keyser led 14-4 after the first quarter.
The Golden Tornado scored the first nine points of the second frame, highlighted by threes from Wesley Stullenbarger and Wilmer, before James Jones ended the Falcon drought with a drive and finish with 4:40 left in the half, bringing the score to 23-6.
Frankfort got no closer the rest of the way.
Hartman canned another shot from behind the arc, then Jeremy Green opened his scoring ledger with a layup at the 2:58 mark. Keyser led 28-6. Green finished the night with nine points.
Frankfort found some equilibrium the rest of the half, playing Keyser even the final four minutes. Each team scored 11 points.
Keyser led 39-17 going into the locker room.
Wilmer opened the second half with another salvo from beyond the arc, pushing the lead to 42-17.
Myers answered with a layup before the Golden Tornado scored nine straight: a Nelson layup, a Hartman three, a Green baseline jumper, then Nelson again with a stick-back.
Myers and Benjamin Leedom got back-to-back buckets for Frankfort to trim the lead to 51-23 with 3:10 remaining in the third quarter, but it was too little, too late.
The Golden Tornado finished the game on a 23-6 run, including the final ten points of the game. Five of those ten came from Peyton Hartman.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Mountain Ridge Holds Off Keyser, 55-47
FROSTBURG — Ryan Delaney scored 20 points, and Cody Hovatter and David Hobel recorded a double-double as Mountain Ridge edged Keyser 55-47 Monday evening in Frostburg.
The Miners led almost the entire evening, but were never able to relax as Keyser kept the score tight.
“It was a great win for our basketball program,” said Mountain Ridge Head Coach Dave Hobel. “The entire team played a part in the effort, and it was probably the best win we’ve had in two years as a program.”
Hovatter had 10 of each in rebounds and points, while Hobel had 13 points and 10 steals. Hobel was averaging 17 shots from the foul line over the first two games of the season, but made only two attempts on Monday.
Delaney made three three-point shots on his way to his game-leading 20 points.
Preston Hartman scored 14 points to lead the Golden Tornado, and Maverick Nelson was right behind him with 13. Jeremy Green added 10.
Keyser started the day by winning the jayvee (45-36) and freshmen (50-45) contests. R.C. Pratt had 16 points for the Tornado during the junior varsity win, and Dan Strietbeck had 10 for the Miners. Keyser’s Jameson Jones had 19 points in the freshman win, while Jared Harper and Caleb Fazenbaker scored 12 for Mountain Ridge.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Keyser Wins Debut at Oakland, 59-53
OAKLAND — Jeremy Green, Preston Hartman and Maverick Nelson had double-doubles and Keyser built a double-figure lead in the fourth quarter and held off Southern in a 59-53 season-opening win Friday night in an Appalachian Mountain Athletic Conference boys basketball game.
Green, Hartman and Nelson combined for 41 points and 31 rebounds for the Golden Tornado. Green had a game-high 15 points and 10 rebounds, Hartman 13 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, and Nelson 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Wes Washington added 10 points for Keyser. Tied at 39 after three quarters, the Tornado led by as many as 11 points late in the fourth period. But a 4-for-14 showing from the foul line in the period helped Southern stay in striking distance.
Dan Shockey led Southern with 14 points and nine rebounds. Chris Schad had 10 points and Ethan Brady nine.
Keyser won the jayvee game in overtime, 45-42, with R.C. Pratt scoring 19 points and Kurt Amtower 10.
Keyser plays again tonight at Mountain Ridge and makes its home debut Tuesday evening against Frankfort. Southern visits Bishop Walsh on Tuesday night.
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Green, Hartman and Nelson combined for 41 points and 31 rebounds for the Golden Tornado. Green had a game-high 15 points and 10 rebounds, Hartman 13 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, and Nelson 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Wes Washington added 10 points for Keyser. Tied at 39 after three quarters, the Tornado led by as many as 11 points late in the fourth period. But a 4-for-14 showing from the foul line in the period helped Southern stay in striking distance.
Dan Shockey led Southern with 14 points and nine rebounds. Chris Schad had 10 points and Ethan Brady nine.
Keyser won the jayvee game in overtime, 45-42, with R.C. Pratt scoring 19 points and Kurt Amtower 10.
Keyser plays again tonight at Mountain Ridge and makes its home debut Tuesday evening against Frankfort. Southern visits Bishop Walsh on Tuesday night.
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KHS Wins Opener, 59-53
The Keyser High School boys won their season opener 59-53 at Southern last night.
Keyser had three players with double-doubles as Jeremy Green tossed in 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Preston Hartman added 13 and 11, and Maverick Nelson 13 and 10.
Sophomore guard Wes Washington added 10 points and seven assists.
Keyser went 8-for-22 from the line and Southern was able to keep it close.
In typical Southern style, the Rams tried to slow it down on the Golden Tornado, and Keyser tried to rev it up at all times.
Green was the differnece, scoring seven points in a late surge to seal it for Keyser as the Golden Tornado held off a late rally by the Rams.
Keyser won the jayvee matchup as well, 45-42, but needed an extra period to do it.
R.C. Pratt led the Tornado underclassmen, scoring 19 points an grabbing 10 boards for his own double-double.
Kurt Amtower tallied 10 points and added seven boards.
Keyser (1-0) will host intra-county rival Frankfort Tuesday at Tornado Alley.
Keyser had three players with double-doubles as Jeremy Green tossed in 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Preston Hartman added 13 and 11, and Maverick Nelson 13 and 10.
Sophomore guard Wes Washington added 10 points and seven assists.
Keyser went 8-for-22 from the line and Southern was able to keep it close.
In typical Southern style, the Rams tried to slow it down on the Golden Tornado, and Keyser tried to rev it up at all times.
Green was the differnece, scoring seven points in a late surge to seal it for Keyser as the Golden Tornado held off a late rally by the Rams.
Keyser won the jayvee matchup as well, 45-42, but needed an extra period to do it.
R.C. Pratt led the Tornado underclassmen, scoring 19 points an grabbing 10 boards for his own double-double.
Kurt Amtower tallied 10 points and added seven boards.
Keyser (1-0) will host intra-county rival Frankfort Tuesday at Tornado Alley.
Keyser Opens Tonight At Southern Garrett
The Keyser High School basketball team will return to action tonight when it travels to Southern Garrett to kick off the 2008-09 Season.
Head Coach Gary Liston will return all five starters from a 12-10 team that made the trip to Charleston last year to participate in the state playoffs. The Golden Tornado got it together late during Liston's initial season at the helm, wining the sectional and regional tourneys before dropping a first rounder to Ravenswood.
"It was a good year," said Liston, "It was not great, not terrible. We made a few lineup changes at the end."
One of those lineup changes was the insertion of freshman Wes Washington at the point guard position.
Washington will return to lead the team again this year, with Matt Wilmer and Jeremy Green joining him in the backcourt.
Keyser's lone post threat, Preston Hartman, ironically is Keyser's most effective perimeter option as well. Hartman is the team's best interior player, but will often attempt to "Pittsnogle" opposing offenses by stepping out and showing off his range.
Harman and company will once again operate out of the "run and gun", or as Liston refers to it, the "fun and gun."
The offense can be traced back to the late 1980's when Paul Westhead introduced the nation to his "shoot it every 18 seconds" and his to hell with defense philosophy at Loyola Marymount.
"It is chaos, but controlled chaos," said Liston.
"We try to use our athletes where we can succeed. We don't have many 'basketball players' but we do have athletes."
In reality, Keyser has no significant size or inside threat, and will dress five guards at all times labeled as "post" or "wing" in Liston's scheme.
Keyser will have to play some sort of defense when it does not have the ball and running with it.
"We will primarily play man and mix in some 1-3-1 and 2-3 looks. Sometimes we will use some junk defenses when we have to. Like coach (Larry) Harr says we'll do whatever it takes."
Keyser took it easy on the defensive end last season, but Liston hinted he might be apt to turn up the pressure and hope it translates into tempo in 2009.
Hartman was named third-team AA All-State as a junior, and returns as the core of Keyser's big-three, one football fans might be familair with.
"Everyone knows we have three guys in Wilmer, Hartman, and Green who are great athletes. Washington started nearly every game after he was made a starter last season and he will only get better," said Liston.
Keyser's fifith starter, Taige Redman, will be looked to provide role play and defensive hustle along with his linebacker mentality along with a newcomer to the squad - Joe Amtower.
Keyser will dress 10-11 players on the varsity and rotate 3 others on the jayvee squad.
Rounding out the varsity roster will be Wes Stalanberger, Tony Amtower, and Dan Zinn who all played junior varsity last season, and junior Jarell Ross.
Payton Hartman and R.C. Pratt are expected to split time at the varsity and jayvee levels.
Also back this year will be Maverick Nelson, who missed the campaign last season due to injury.
Joining Liston on the sidelines will be jayvee coach Scott Furey, Harr, josh Blowe, and John Haines.
Haines is also the frosh head man.
Keyser will travel to Mountain Ridge on Monday before its' home opener against intra-county rival Frankfort on Tuesday. KHS wins opener
The Keyser High School boys won their season opener 59-53 at Southern last night.
Keyser had three players with double-doubles as Jeremy Green tossed in 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Preston Hartman added 13 and 11, and Maverick Nelson 13 and 10.
Sophomore guard Wes Washington added 10 points and seven assists.
Keyser went 8-for-22 from the line and Southern was able to keep it close.
In typical Southern style, the Rams tried to slow it down on the Golden Tornado, and Keyser tried to rev it up at all times.
Green was the differnece, scoring seven points in a late surge to seal it for Keyser as the Golden Tornado held off a late rally by the Rams.
Keyser won the jayvee matchup as well, 45-42, but needed an extra period to do it.
R.C. Pratt led the Tornado underclassmen, scoring 19 points an grabbing 10 boards for his own double-double.
Kurt Amtower tallied 10 points and added seven boards.
Keyser (1-0) will host intra-county rival Frankfort Tuesday at Tornado Alley.
Head Coach Gary Liston will return all five starters from a 12-10 team that made the trip to Charleston last year to participate in the state playoffs. The Golden Tornado got it together late during Liston's initial season at the helm, wining the sectional and regional tourneys before dropping a first rounder to Ravenswood.
"It was a good year," said Liston, "It was not great, not terrible. We made a few lineup changes at the end."
One of those lineup changes was the insertion of freshman Wes Washington at the point guard position.
Washington will return to lead the team again this year, with Matt Wilmer and Jeremy Green joining him in the backcourt.
Keyser's lone post threat, Preston Hartman, ironically is Keyser's most effective perimeter option as well. Hartman is the team's best interior player, but will often attempt to "Pittsnogle" opposing offenses by stepping out and showing off his range.
Harman and company will once again operate out of the "run and gun", or as Liston refers to it, the "fun and gun."
The offense can be traced back to the late 1980's when Paul Westhead introduced the nation to his "shoot it every 18 seconds" and his to hell with defense philosophy at Loyola Marymount.
"It is chaos, but controlled chaos," said Liston.
"We try to use our athletes where we can succeed. We don't have many 'basketball players' but we do have athletes."
In reality, Keyser has no significant size or inside threat, and will dress five guards at all times labeled as "post" or "wing" in Liston's scheme.
Keyser will have to play some sort of defense when it does not have the ball and running with it.
"We will primarily play man and mix in some 1-3-1 and 2-3 looks. Sometimes we will use some junk defenses when we have to. Like coach (Larry) Harr says we'll do whatever it takes."
Keyser took it easy on the defensive end last season, but Liston hinted he might be apt to turn up the pressure and hope it translates into tempo in 2009.
Hartman was named third-team AA All-State as a junior, and returns as the core of Keyser's big-three, one football fans might be familair with.
"Everyone knows we have three guys in Wilmer, Hartman, and Green who are great athletes. Washington started nearly every game after he was made a starter last season and he will only get better," said Liston.
Keyser's fifith starter, Taige Redman, will be looked to provide role play and defensive hustle along with his linebacker mentality along with a newcomer to the squad - Joe Amtower.
Keyser will dress 10-11 players on the varsity and rotate 3 others on the jayvee squad.
Rounding out the varsity roster will be Wes Stalanberger, Tony Amtower, and Dan Zinn who all played junior varsity last season, and junior Jarell Ross.
Payton Hartman and R.C. Pratt are expected to split time at the varsity and jayvee levels.
Also back this year will be Maverick Nelson, who missed the campaign last season due to injury.
Joining Liston on the sidelines will be jayvee coach Scott Furey, Harr, josh Blowe, and John Haines.
Haines is also the frosh head man.
Keyser will travel to Mountain Ridge on Monday before its' home opener against intra-county rival Frankfort on Tuesday. KHS wins opener
The Keyser High School boys won their season opener 59-53 at Southern last night.
Keyser had three players with double-doubles as Jeremy Green tossed in 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Preston Hartman added 13 and 11, and Maverick Nelson 13 and 10.
Sophomore guard Wes Washington added 10 points and seven assists.
Keyser went 8-for-22 from the line and Southern was able to keep it close.
In typical Southern style, the Rams tried to slow it down on the Golden Tornado, and Keyser tried to rev it up at all times.
Green was the differnece, scoring seven points in a late surge to seal it for Keyser as the Golden Tornado held off a late rally by the Rams.
Keyser won the jayvee matchup as well, 45-42, but needed an extra period to do it.
R.C. Pratt led the Tornado underclassmen, scoring 19 points an grabbing 10 boards for his own double-double.
Kurt Amtower tallied 10 points and added seven boards.
Keyser (1-0) will host intra-county rival Frankfort Tuesday at Tornado Alley.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Preston Hartman named first team All Area
CUMBERLAND — Jordan Brooks, who led Fort Hill to a perfect league season and a return trip to the Maryland state tournament, was selected the Appalachian Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year by the head coaches of the eight-team league.
Brooks, who edged Northern’s Kory Gibson in the player of the year voting, is joined on the first AMAC team by league scoring champion Gibson, teammate Darren Graham, Allegany’s Travis Dordevic, Mountain Ridge’s David Hobel and Keyser’s Preston Hartman.
Named to the second team were Cameron Butler of Allegany, Jeff Stem and Jordan Pacella of Southern and Jeremy Green and Matt Wilmer of Keyser.
Honorable mention went to Garrett Gulledge and Jeff Smith of Northern, Casey Roberts of Allegany, Ryan Brooks and Cory McCarty of Fort Hill, Jeremy Shingler and Sammy Brackett of Mountain Ridge, Drew Proudfoot of Southern, Nathan Gillespie and Steven Whitacre of Frankfort, and Robbie Miller and Will Hughes of Hampshire.
* Brooks, a 6-foot guard, led Fort Hill to a 14-0 record in the conference’s inaugural season, and to a 23-3 overall record that also included the Cumberland City League and Class 1A West Region championships.
Brooks finished second in the conference in scoring with 22.2 points per game. He was third in three-point goals, hitting 29 in the 14 games for just over two per game, and ranked sixth in foul shooting by making 62 of 83 tries for 74.6 percent.
For the season, Brooks averaged 22 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, shot 76 percent from the foul line (118 for 155) and made 43 three-point goals.
* Gibson, a 6-5 senior, nearly pulled off a conference triple-crown of sorts. He led the conference in scoring with a 25.2 average, and in three-point goals with 50 for 3.5 per game. He finished second in foul shooting, making 68 of 86 chances for 79 percent.
For the 23-game season, Gibson led the area in scoring with a 27.3 average and in three-point goals with 87, or 3.7 per game. He was fifth in foul shooting at 77 percent (111 for 144), and also averaged 7.5 rebounds, nearly two steals and one blocked shot per game.
* Graham, a 6-3 senior, was a solid all-around performer at Fort Hill, where he was effective inside and out on offense and defense.
He finished eighth in the conference in scoring with a 14.2 average and was among the top three-point shooters with 18 in 14 games, for 1.2 per game. He excelled defensively with strong rebounding and shot-blocking ability.
For the 26-game season, Graham averaged a double-double with 11.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
* Dordevic, a 6-3 senior, helped lead a young Allegany team to a 19-5 season and second place in the league at 11-3.
Dordevic averaged 13.4 points per game and shot 68 percent from the foul line, making 36 of 53 attempts. Also an exceptional defender and rebounder, Dordevic averaged 13 points and 8.1 rebounds per game over the 24-game season. He shot 68 percent from the foul line and 54 percent from the field.
* Hobel, a junior guard at Mountain Ridge, led the Miners to a 15-9 overall mark and third place in the league with a 9-5 record.
Hobel ranked among the league’s best in scoring, foul shooting and three-point shooting. He was third in scoring with a 19.2 average, and third in foul shooting, making 105 of 135 shots for 78 percent. His 105 free throws made and 135 attempted were easily the conference highs. He was fifth in three-point goals with 25, or 1.7 per game.
For the season, Hobel averaged 18.2 points, shot 82 percent from the foul line (155 for 188) and made 43 three-point shots.
* Hartman, a 6-2 junior, led Keyser to a 13-11 season and a trip to the West Virginia Class AA state tournament. The Golden Tornado finished fifth in the conference with a 6-8 record.
Hartman was the conference’s fourth-leading scorer with an 18.2 average, and tied for third in three-point goals with 29.
For the season, Hartman averaged a double-double with 18.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and nearly two steals per game. He made 51 three-point goals.
Brooks, who edged Northern’s Kory Gibson in the player of the year voting, is joined on the first AMAC team by league scoring champion Gibson, teammate Darren Graham, Allegany’s Travis Dordevic, Mountain Ridge’s David Hobel and Keyser’s Preston Hartman.
Named to the second team were Cameron Butler of Allegany, Jeff Stem and Jordan Pacella of Southern and Jeremy Green and Matt Wilmer of Keyser.
Honorable mention went to Garrett Gulledge and Jeff Smith of Northern, Casey Roberts of Allegany, Ryan Brooks and Cory McCarty of Fort Hill, Jeremy Shingler and Sammy Brackett of Mountain Ridge, Drew Proudfoot of Southern, Nathan Gillespie and Steven Whitacre of Frankfort, and Robbie Miller and Will Hughes of Hampshire.
* Brooks, a 6-foot guard, led Fort Hill to a 14-0 record in the conference’s inaugural season, and to a 23-3 overall record that also included the Cumberland City League and Class 1A West Region championships.
Brooks finished second in the conference in scoring with 22.2 points per game. He was third in three-point goals, hitting 29 in the 14 games for just over two per game, and ranked sixth in foul shooting by making 62 of 83 tries for 74.6 percent.
For the season, Brooks averaged 22 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, shot 76 percent from the foul line (118 for 155) and made 43 three-point goals.
* Gibson, a 6-5 senior, nearly pulled off a conference triple-crown of sorts. He led the conference in scoring with a 25.2 average, and in three-point goals with 50 for 3.5 per game. He finished second in foul shooting, making 68 of 86 chances for 79 percent.
For the 23-game season, Gibson led the area in scoring with a 27.3 average and in three-point goals with 87, or 3.7 per game. He was fifth in foul shooting at 77 percent (111 for 144), and also averaged 7.5 rebounds, nearly two steals and one blocked shot per game.
* Graham, a 6-3 senior, was a solid all-around performer at Fort Hill, where he was effective inside and out on offense and defense.
He finished eighth in the conference in scoring with a 14.2 average and was among the top three-point shooters with 18 in 14 games, for 1.2 per game. He excelled defensively with strong rebounding and shot-blocking ability.
For the 26-game season, Graham averaged a double-double with 11.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
* Dordevic, a 6-3 senior, helped lead a young Allegany team to a 19-5 season and second place in the league at 11-3.
Dordevic averaged 13.4 points per game and shot 68 percent from the foul line, making 36 of 53 attempts. Also an exceptional defender and rebounder, Dordevic averaged 13 points and 8.1 rebounds per game over the 24-game season. He shot 68 percent from the foul line and 54 percent from the field.
* Hobel, a junior guard at Mountain Ridge, led the Miners to a 15-9 overall mark and third place in the league with a 9-5 record.
Hobel ranked among the league’s best in scoring, foul shooting and three-point shooting. He was third in scoring with a 19.2 average, and third in foul shooting, making 105 of 135 shots for 78 percent. His 105 free throws made and 135 attempted were easily the conference highs. He was fifth in three-point goals with 25, or 1.7 per game.
For the season, Hobel averaged 18.2 points, shot 82 percent from the foul line (155 for 188) and made 43 three-point shots.
* Hartman, a 6-2 junior, led Keyser to a 13-11 season and a trip to the West Virginia Class AA state tournament. The Golden Tornado finished fifth in the conference with a 6-8 record.
Hartman was the conference’s fourth-leading scorer with an 18.2 average, and tied for third in three-point goals with 29.
For the season, Hartman averaged a double-double with 18.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and nearly two steals per game. He made 51 three-point goals.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Hartman Captain of AA All-State Third Team
Cottrill, Ashley, Mullins first team AA All-State
by Derek Taylor
Daily Mail sportswriter
Ravenswood High senior Dusty Mullins wasn't rattled by his team's 18-5 deficit in the first quarter of the State Tournament championship game.
Playing in his last high school basketball game before moving on to the program at Glenville State next year, Mullins collected himself, his teammates and his team's fans to lead a comeback against Wyoming East that nearly gave the Red Devils their second Class AA boys basketball title in three years on March 15.
Ultimately that comeback fell short and Wyoming East escaped with a 50-48 win, giving that school its second straight championship. But it was Mullins' resolve and positive force that remained one of the 95th annual State Tournament's lasting images.
He didn't get frustrated. He didn't complain and he didn't quit. Instead, Mullins did everything expected of the 2007-08 Class AA All-State captain as chosen by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.
"Dusty has always been a young man who has cared very much for the people that surround him,'' veteran Ravenswood Coach Mick Price said. "He's been a real coach's dream. He's worked hard and is passionate about the game but at the same time he has a sense of the big picture of life.
"I want him to be able to show that to other kids,'' Price said. "It's just as important to lose with dignity and honor as it is to win.''
Mullins didn't lose too often during his time at Ravenswood. The 6-foot senior finished his career as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,902 points while also claiming the school's career 3-point field goal record with 331.
Mullins averaged 19.8 points as a senior and is the lone repeat selection on the All-State team. Ravenswood finished the season with a 25-2 record.
The remainder of the first team is composed of Wyoming East's one-two punch of senior Cory Willard and junior Gentry Shrewsbury, Poca sophomore Noah Cottrill, Bluefield senior Ansel Ponder, Logan junior Jonathan Bevins, Summers County senior Andrew Gunnoe and Winfield senior Caleb Ashley.
Price said the stacked field of talented Class AA teams and players was well represented in the list.
"I thought double-A was a tough field at the State Tournament and it was a great field for the fans,'' Price said. "There were a lot of great double-A teams this year. We beat a really good one in the regional final, Winfield. Our region was very tough.''
Of the eight first-team selections, five played in the State Tournament. Cottrill and Ashley played for teams in Ravenswood's Region 5 bracket.
Willard and Shrewsbury formed an inseparable commodity for the Warriors in Wyoming East's run to a second-straight Class AA championship. The team's repeat title marked the first time a Class AA had won back-to-back championships since Bluefield in the 1995 and 1996 seasons.
Willard, Wyoming East's sharp-shooting 6-0 guard, averaged 20 points and led all players in the state with 110 3-point field goals. His 11 3-pointers in the team's second game of the year were also a state high.
Shrewsbury, a 6-foot-3 junior forward, led the Warriors with a 20.7-point scoring average and averaged 11 rebounds.
"Willard started in the Hoops Classic (in December) against Poca and just never quit all year,'' Price said of Willard's 11 3-point goal performance in December. "Willard and Shrewsbury led that team back to where they needed to get. Once you're there anything can happen.''
Cottrill had a phenomenal year just months after giving a verbal commitment to play at West Virginia University. Rated as the No. 34 sophomore prospect in the nation by Hoop Scoop, the 6-foot-2 Cottrill averaged 30.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.5 steals. He was the state's second-leading scorer in 2008.
Ponder led the Beavers with an 18.2-point scoring average after earning All-State honors during Bluefield's state championship football season. The 6-foot-3 Ponder and Bluefield reached the Class AA semifinals before falling to Ravenswood.
Gunnoe had the highest-scoring single game of any player in the state last season when he scored 50 for Summers County against Liberty Raleigh in a 113-47 win on Dec. 18. The 6-foot-5 senior averaged 23.4 points and 11.3 rebounds.
Bevins, a 6-foot-7 pivot who averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds per game, also led his team to the semifinals. The Wildcats were eliminated by Wyoming East.
Winfield's Ashley was the state's seventh-leading scorer as a senior. The 6-foot-3 forward averaged 20.8 points in the Generals' final year among Class AA competition.
Winfield and Logan move to Class AAA at the start of the 2008-09 school year.
Weir senior guard Pete Brogdon was named captain of the second team after averaging 18.5 points. Junior forward Preston Hartman of Keyser was the third team captain. Hartman also averaged 18.5 points.
by Derek Taylor
Daily Mail sportswriter
Ravenswood High senior Dusty Mullins wasn't rattled by his team's 18-5 deficit in the first quarter of the State Tournament championship game.
Playing in his last high school basketball game before moving on to the program at Glenville State next year, Mullins collected himself, his teammates and his team's fans to lead a comeback against Wyoming East that nearly gave the Red Devils their second Class AA boys basketball title in three years on March 15.
Ultimately that comeback fell short and Wyoming East escaped with a 50-48 win, giving that school its second straight championship. But it was Mullins' resolve and positive force that remained one of the 95th annual State Tournament's lasting images.
He didn't get frustrated. He didn't complain and he didn't quit. Instead, Mullins did everything expected of the 2007-08 Class AA All-State captain as chosen by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.
"Dusty has always been a young man who has cared very much for the people that surround him,'' veteran Ravenswood Coach Mick Price said. "He's been a real coach's dream. He's worked hard and is passionate about the game but at the same time he has a sense of the big picture of life.
"I want him to be able to show that to other kids,'' Price said. "It's just as important to lose with dignity and honor as it is to win.''
Mullins didn't lose too often during his time at Ravenswood. The 6-foot senior finished his career as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,902 points while also claiming the school's career 3-point field goal record with 331.
Mullins averaged 19.8 points as a senior and is the lone repeat selection on the All-State team. Ravenswood finished the season with a 25-2 record.
The remainder of the first team is composed of Wyoming East's one-two punch of senior Cory Willard and junior Gentry Shrewsbury, Poca sophomore Noah Cottrill, Bluefield senior Ansel Ponder, Logan junior Jonathan Bevins, Summers County senior Andrew Gunnoe and Winfield senior Caleb Ashley.
Price said the stacked field of talented Class AA teams and players was well represented in the list.
"I thought double-A was a tough field at the State Tournament and it was a great field for the fans,'' Price said. "There were a lot of great double-A teams this year. We beat a really good one in the regional final, Winfield. Our region was very tough.''
Of the eight first-team selections, five played in the State Tournament. Cottrill and Ashley played for teams in Ravenswood's Region 5 bracket.
Willard and Shrewsbury formed an inseparable commodity for the Warriors in Wyoming East's run to a second-straight Class AA championship. The team's repeat title marked the first time a Class AA had won back-to-back championships since Bluefield in the 1995 and 1996 seasons.
Willard, Wyoming East's sharp-shooting 6-0 guard, averaged 20 points and led all players in the state with 110 3-point field goals. His 11 3-pointers in the team's second game of the year were also a state high.
Shrewsbury, a 6-foot-3 junior forward, led the Warriors with a 20.7-point scoring average and averaged 11 rebounds.
"Willard started in the Hoops Classic (in December) against Poca and just never quit all year,'' Price said of Willard's 11 3-point goal performance in December. "Willard and Shrewsbury led that team back to where they needed to get. Once you're there anything can happen.''
Cottrill had a phenomenal year just months after giving a verbal commitment to play at West Virginia University. Rated as the No. 34 sophomore prospect in the nation by Hoop Scoop, the 6-foot-2 Cottrill averaged 30.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.5 steals. He was the state's second-leading scorer in 2008.
Ponder led the Beavers with an 18.2-point scoring average after earning All-State honors during Bluefield's state championship football season. The 6-foot-3 Ponder and Bluefield reached the Class AA semifinals before falling to Ravenswood.
Gunnoe had the highest-scoring single game of any player in the state last season when he scored 50 for Summers County against Liberty Raleigh in a 113-47 win on Dec. 18. The 6-foot-5 senior averaged 23.4 points and 11.3 rebounds.
Bevins, a 6-foot-7 pivot who averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds per game, also led his team to the semifinals. The Wildcats were eliminated by Wyoming East.
Winfield's Ashley was the state's seventh-leading scorer as a senior. The 6-foot-3 forward averaged 20.8 points in the Generals' final year among Class AA competition.
Winfield and Logan move to Class AAA at the start of the 2008-09 school year.
Weir senior guard Pete Brogdon was named captain of the second team after averaging 18.5 points. Junior forward Preston Hartman of Keyser was the third team captain. Hartman also averaged 18.5 points.
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