Local Sports

Bulldogs place pair on second team

PARKERSBURG -- A pair of seniors who helped lead Tygarts Valley to the playoffs for consecutive seasons for the first time in school history have earned spots on the Class A all-state second team.

Caden Boggs was named the utility player on the second-team offense. He led the Bulldogs in rushing, touchdowns scored and was a weapon on special teams as well.

Dave Lanham anchored both sides of the ball for head coach Rodney Bright. He was named to the second team along the defensive front.

Two other Tygarts Valley seniors -- Josh Bright and Daniel White -- made the honorable mention list.

Pendleton County, which defeated the Bulldogs in the quarterfinals of the playoffs, placed senior running back Dalton Dunkle and senior lineman Josh Alt on the first team.

Teammate Isaiah Gardiner was named the captain of the second-team offense as a utility selection.

East Hardy sophomore receiver Dawson Price also earned a spot on the first unit as well as Moorefield senior punter Atikilt Tamiru, who kicked 21 punts for an average of 27 yards with five of those downed inside the 20. His leg also was valuable to the offense as he hit four of seven field goals, including a 49-yard kick.

The captains of the 2020 Class A all-state football team, as voted on by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association, are utility player Gus Morrison from Ritchie County and Buffalo defensive lineman Drew Clendenin.

Morrison racked up 1,104 yards on the ground with a 9.2 yards per carry average and 20 touchdowns on 120 carries. He added 20 receptions for 483 yards on a 21.9 yard per catch average with 11 touchdowns. Then as the punter, he averaged nearly 40 yards per kick on 27 boots. On top of all of those numbers, at defensive back, he recorded 47 tackles, picked off five passes and broke up three more.

Clendenin menaced opposing linemen with "great leverage off his blocks" and "ran down people on the backside." Many players were unable to escape his grasp as he helped the Bison back to the playoffs. His 58 tackles, including seven for a loss and seven quarterback takedowns, along with one interception gave Batman a player many teams would have a hard time preparing for had Buffalo played in the postseason.

Joining them on the state's smallest classification's top unit are 28 other players.

Rounding out the offensive utility slots are a pair of seniors in Wheeling Central's Jordan Waterhouse and Doddridge County's Reese Burnside.

Burnside's classmate, DJ Devinney, was named the kicker. One of his six (of eight) boots was a 21-yard game-winner against Ritchie County, too. He also punted 18 times for 30.6 yards.

The quarterback is Gilmer County junior Ean Hamric. The Titan received the most votes by far at the position after nearly leading his group back to the playoffs. On the year, he completed 91 of 143 passes for 1,516 yards and 20 touchdowns to six picks. He also rushed for 597 more yards and another eight scores.

Watching Hamric's back are senior offensive lineman from five different schools in Sherman's Hunter Bowling, Buffalo's Park Michaels, Pendleton County's Alt, Greenbrier West's Cole McClung and Wheeling Central's Andrew Burkle.

The two receiver spots went to Tug Valley senior Caleb May and Price. Price finished the year with 26 catches for 534 yards and seven touchdowns.

Running backs are Dunkle, Greenbrier West senior Noah Brown, St. Marys' Tre Moss, and Pendleton County senior Dalton Dunkle. All of whom helped their respective teams to appearances in state semifinals

Joining Clendenin on the defensive line are three more players from playoff qualifiers. Williamstown senior Leewood Molessa, Doddridge County sophomore Adam Burnside, and Ritchie County senior Dakota Wayne help to form a staunch unit.

At linebacker are four seniors who have played a lot of football in Man's Erick Grimmett, Wheeling Central's Vinnie High, St. Marys' Darrien Bortey and Wirt County's Logan Powell.

A veteran secondary consists of Greenbrier West senior Kaiden Pack, Summers County senior Keandre Sarver, Midland Trail senior Chris Vines and Buffalo senior Jackson England.

Filling in the role of defensive utility are Wheeling Central senior Payton Marling and St. Marys' senior Brennan Boron.

First team

Offense

QB – Ean Hamric, Gilmer County, Jr.

RB – Noah Brown, Greenbrier West, Sr.

RB – Tre Moss, St. Marys, Sr.

RB – Dalton Dunkle, Pendleton County, Sr.

WR – Caleb May, Tug Valley, Sr.

WR – Dawson Price, East Hardy, Soph.

OL – Hunter Bowling, Sherman, Sr.

OL – Park Michels, Buffalo, Sr.

OL – Josh Alt, Pendleton County, Sr.

OL – Cole McClung, Greenbrier West, Sr.

OL – Andrew Burkle, Wheeling Central, Sr.

UT – Jordan Waterhouse, Wheeling Central, Sr.

UT – Reese Burnside, Doddridge County, Sr.

UT – Gus Morrison, Ritchie County, Jr. (Captain)

K – DJ Devinney, Doddridge County, Sr.

Defense

DL – Drew Clendenin, Buffalo, Jr. (Captain)

DL – Leewood Molessa, Williamstown, Sr.

DL – Adam Burnside, Doddridge County, Soph.

DL – Dakota Wayne, Ritchie County, Sr.

LB – Erick Grimmett, Man, Sr.

LB – Vinnie High, Wheeling Central, Sr.

LB – Logan Powell, Wirt County, Sr.

LB – Darrien Bortey, St. Marys, Sr.

DB – Kaiden Pack, Greenbrier West, Sr.

DB – Keandre Sarver, Summers County, Sr.

DB – Chris Vines, Midland Trail, Sr.

DB – Jackson England, Buffalo, Sr.

UT – Payton Marling, Wheeling Central, Sr.

UT – Brennan Boron, St. Marys, Sr.

P – Atikilt Tamiru, Moorefield, Sr.

Second team

Offense

QB – Ethan Haught, Ritchie County, Soph.

RB – C.J. Winnell, Sherman, Jr.

RB – Jacob Haddix, South Harrison, Jr.

RB – Robert Ruffner, Midland Trail, Jr.

WR – Andrew Tharp, East Hardy, Sr.

WR – Ayden Redden, Meadow Bridge, Sr.

OL – Hunter Starkey, Greenbrier West, Sr.

OL – Josh Ingram, Williamstown, Sr.

OL – Riley Boley, St. Marys, Jr.

OL – Gavin Bell, Ritchie County, Jr.

OL – Spencer Helms, Wheeling Central, Sr.

UT – Isaiah Gardiner, Pendleton County, Sr. (Captain)

UT – Caleb Jantuah, Richwood, Sr.

UT – Caden Boggs, Tygarts Valley, Sr.

K – Eli Tucker, Wheeling Central, Fr.

Defense

DL – Wyatt Arbaugh, Petersburg, Sr.

DL – Malachi Hinger, Moorefield, Jr.

DL – Ethan Lane, Ravenswood, Jr.

DL – David Lanham, Tygarts Valley, Sr.

LB – Aden Isaacs, Midland Trail, Jr.

LB – Brady Ankrom, Williamstown, Sr. (Captain)

LB – Matthew Jenkins, Moorefield, Sr.

LB – Dylan Knight, Doddridge County, Jr.

LB – Keaton Baldwin, Pocahontas County, Sr.

DB – Hunter Jenkins, Doddridge County, Sr.

DB – Christian Dove, East Hardy, Sr.

DB – Nathan Murray, Wirt County, Sr.

UT – Cameran Frye, Man, Sr.

UT – Thomas Sessi, Madonna, Sr.

P/UT – Garrett Parsons, Wirt County, Sr.

Honorable Mention

Rickie Allen, Williamstown; Santino Arlia, Madonna; Tony Bailey, Mount View; Isaac Ball, Cameron; Jason Beisel, Magnolia; Connor Bell, Webster County; Calvin Blunt, Jr., Trinity; Drew Boczek, Trinity; Josh Bright, Tygarts Valley; Michael Chandler, Doddridge County; Avery Chapman, Gilmer County; Hunter Claypool, Meadow Bridge; Ethan Colegrove, Tug Valley; Austin Cooper, River View; Tanner Copley, Tolsia; Tim Crabtree, River View; Vincent Cyrus, Moorefield; Connor Cunningham, Doddridge County; Wyatt Dallison, Valley; Cole Day, Pendleton County; Blake Funk, Moorefield; Daniel Gorby, Clay-Battelle; Brady Green, Van; Justin Grimmett, Man; Jeremiah Harless, Man; Justin Herrod, South Harrison; Wes Hill, Ravenswood; Simon James, Doddridge County; Davy Jarrell, Sherman; Alan Jarvis, Sherman; Dalton Jones, Buffalo; Case Landis, Tyler Consolidated; Ben Long, St. Marys; Zach McClung, Greenbrier West; Braden McClanahan, Pendleton County; Graden McKinney, Ritchie County; Eli Morgan, River View; Kyle Moss, Gilmer County; Cody Nuzum, Petersburg; Trevor Oates, Williamstown; Trey Ohlinger, Wahama; Kolton Parsons, Wirt County; Cy Persinger, Midland Trail; Cody Poe, Hundred; Luchenzio Pulice, Madonna; Logan Rice, St. Marys; Brayden Ritchie, East Hardy; Jesse Rose, Mount View; Shane Russell, Tug Valley; Kaden Ryan, South Harrison; Carson Shriver, Clay-Battelle; Montana Sindledecker, Petersburg; Gabe Stewart, Doddridge County; Kase Stewart, Wahama; Gavin Streets, Valley; Levi Teets, Trinity; Hunter Throckmorton, Tyler Consolidated; Michael Toepfer, Wheeling Central; Sawyer VanMatre, Wahama; Michael VanMatre, Wahama; Riley Watkins, Wheeling Central; Cooper Watson, Clay-Battelle; Cyle West, St. Marys; Daniel White, Tygarts Valley; David Whittington, Buffalo; Dylan Wilson, Midland Trail; John Wilson, Tolsia