More accolades for Elkins High’s Bowers
School’s all-time leading rusher named to Class AAA all-state first team; 3 teammates also honored
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CHARLESTON -- Nick Bowers continues to earn accolades for his record-setting career at Elkins High School.
The school's all-time leading rusher and Big 10 Conference Player of the Year was named to the first team of the Class AAA all-state squad revealed today by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.
Bowers, a senior, gained over 2,300 yards and scored 24 touchdowns this season as the Tigers earned their first playoff berth since 2020 under first-year head coach Chad Ware.
Elkins also placed seniors Riley Rider and Aiden Lambert, along with sophomore Devin Hulver on the honorable mention list.
Six players from state champion and undefeated Bridgeport earned first-team honors including the captains on both sides of the ball -- Wes Brown as a lineman on offense and Josh Love as a utility player on defense.
Brown was the top lineman for an offense that led the state in points scored with 801 (57.2 per game) and set a school record for rushing yards in a season at 5,446.
Love was just as crucial to the Indians' success on defense as a safety who finished with 55 tackles, 4.5 for a loss, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions. However, he also ran for 1,526 yards on 143 carries with 27 touchdowns.
Joining the BHS duo as first-team selections are Alex Moses at running back, Carter Zuliani at defensive line, Donovan Williams at linebacker and Cam Martin at defensive back.
Joining Brown and Moses on the first-team offense are three players from Herbert Hoover in quarterback Dane Hatfield, offensive utility selection Blake Fisher and offensive lineman Mighty Lopez.
Princeton's Chance Barker also made first-team as a quarterback.
Rounding out the first-team offensive line is Fairmont Senior's Trevor Bigelow, North Marion's Gabe Bland and East Fairmont's Caleb Crookshanks.
The first-team wide receivers are Nitro's Malachi Thompson and Princeton's Brad Mossor.
Joining Moses and Bowers as first-team running backs is Capital's David Robinson.
Spring Valley's Jalyn Abercrombie is a first-team offensive utility player.
The first-team kicker is Brooke's Chase Hile.
Joining Zuliani as first-team defensive linemen are Lewis County's Maddox Gillespie, Fairmont Senior's Kaleb Arbogast, Princeton's Daniel Jennings and Nitro's Xavier Patterson.
Other first-team linebackers are Ripley's Ethan Kay) and John Marshall's Maverick LeMasters.
Fairmont Senior's Brock Martin is a first-team defensive back. Nitro's Eli Littlejohn is a first-team defensive utility selection as are Princeton's Kalum Kiser and Marquel Lowe.
The first-team punter in Keyser's Tommy Nash.
Second-team captain honors go to Fairmont Senior quarterback Brody Whitehair on offense and Nitro linebacker Wyatt Sowards on defense.
Wooden plaques in the shape of West Virginia that include the player's name, school, licensed WVSWA logo, year of the honoree are available to all-state first team, second team and honorable mentions and can be purchased at from the Bear Wood Company through WVSWA.org or Bearwoodcompany.com
First Team
Offense
QB – Dane Hatfield, Herbert Hoover, Sr.
QB – Chance Barker, Princeton, Jr.
WR – Malachi Thompson, Nitro, Jr.
WR – Brad Mossor, Princeton, Jr.
OL – Wes Brown, Bridgeport, Sr. (Captain)
OL – Trevor Bigelow, Fairmont Senior, Sr.
OL – Gabe Bland, North Marion, Sr.
OL – Caleb Crookshanks, East Fairmont, Sr.
OL – Mighty Lopez, Herbert Hoover, Jr.
RB – Nick Bowers, Elkins, Sr.
RB – Alex Moses, Bridgeport, Sr.
RB – David Robinson, Capital, Soph.
K – Chase Hile, Brooke, Sr.
U – Jaylen Abercrombie, Spring Valley, Sr.
U – Blake Fisher, Hebert Hoover, Jr.
Defense
DL – Maddox Gillespie, Lewis County, Sr.
DL – Carter Zuliani, Bridgeport, Sr.
DL – Daniel Jennings, Princeton, Jr.
DL – Kaleb Arbogast, Fairmont Senior, Sr.
DL – Xavier Patterson, Nitro, Sr.
LB – Donovan Williams, Bridgeport, Sr.
LB – Ethan Kay, Ripley, Sr.
LB – Maverick LeMasters, John Marshall, Sr.
DB – Cam Martin, Bridgeport, Sr.
DB – Brock Martin, Fairmont Senior, Sr.
U – Eli Littlejohn, Nitro, Sr.
U – Josh Love, Bridgeport, Sr. (Captain)
U – Kalum Kiser, Princeton, Jr.
U – Marquel Lowe, Princeton, Sr.
P – Tommy Nash, Keyser, Jr.
Second Team
Offense
QB – Josh Moody, Nitro, Sr.
QB – Brody Whitehair, Fairmont, Sr. (Captain)
WR – Cannon Dinger, Fairmont Senior, Sr.
WR – Dillan America, Grafton, Sr.
OL – Noah West, Bridgeport, Sr.
OL – Landyn Moore, Princeton, Soph.
OL – Ethan Patrick, Hebert Hoover, Sr.
OL – Jacob Kimble, Winfield, Sr.
OL – Tucker Van Meter, Capital, Sr.
RB – Tim Jeffress, Bridgeport, Sr.
RB – Noah Casto, Ripley, Sr.
K – Gavin Williams, Bridgeport, Soph.
U – Vinny Grearer, Hampshire, Sr.
U – Slaton Manko, Preston, Jr.
U – Devin Richardson, Oak Hill, Sr.
Defense
DL – JD Mauritz, Oak Hill, Sr.
DL – Conner Buckle, Point Pleasant, Sr.
DL – Connor Facemire, Herbert Hoover, Sr.
LB – Gabe Martin, Bridgeport, Soph.
LB – Wyatt Sowards, Nitro, Jr. (Captain)
LB – Ethan Likens, Preston, Sr.
LB – Hayden Biggie, East Fairmont, Sr.
LB – Jake Anderson, Keyser, Sr.
DB – Jack Spatafore, Bridgeport, Sr.
DB – Nathan Easley, Shady Spring, Sr.
DB – Chris Jenkins, Ripley, Soph.
U – Aiden Hernandez, Winfield, Jr.
U – Logan Canfield, Fairmont Senior, Sr.
U – Noah Hess, North Marion, Sr.
P – Maddox Cole, Nitro, Sr.
Honorable Mention
Owen Acord, Lewis County; Jalon Bailey, Shady Spring; Drew Banks, Lincoln County; Jon Bender, Bridgeport; Keshawn Bland, Greenbrier East; Hunter Bigelow, Fairmont Senior; Aiden Cain, Berkeley Springs; Brandon Champion, Oak Hill; Karson Church, East Fairmont; Wyatt Cline, Princeton; JR Cochran, Riverside; Triston Cole, Winfield; Joey Cowger, Shady Spring; Rowan Cramer, East Fairmont; Isaac Creel, Point Pleasant; Jeff Cowger, Fairmont Senior; Zaeyveon Dickerson, Nitro; Cooper Durst, Ripley; Tyrell Ellis, St. Albans; Landon Eversole, Hampshire; Cole Ferguson, Spring Valley; Gavin Floyd, North Marion; Brody Hamric, Greenbrier East; Josh Holden, North Marion; Cam Foley, Grafton; Alex Goodwin, Lewis County; Talon Harrison, Herbert Hoover; Connor Hatten, Point Pleasant; Kaiden Helmer, Shady Spring; Colton Henderson, Shady Spring; Nathan Hill, Shady Spring; Devin Hulver, Elkins; Sam Kee, Herbert Hoover; Aiden Lambert, Elkins; Grayson Lambka, Keyser; Mason Markonich, John Marshall; Liam McGuire, Spring Valley; Toby Michael, North Marion; Garrett Moore, Brooke; Kyle Moore, Berkeley Springs; Damir Mowder, Weir; Hayden Payne, Herbert Hoover; Cam Peschel, Fairmont Senior; Easton Pinkerton, Winfield; Brian Poindexter, North Marion; Tyson Pritt, Ripley; Riley Rider, Elkins; Luke Shaffer, Nitro; Alex Shrader, Point Pleasant; Cody Smith, Preston; Junior Smith, Robert C. Byrd; Jeremiah Triplett, Lincoln County; Tre Tanner, Winfield; Carson Treadway, Oak Hill; Cole Vangilder, East Fairmont; Garrett Wagoner, Spring Valley; Tristan Watts, Spring Valley; Dom Wise, Nitro.