By Dave Morrison
West Virginia Sports Writers Association
After dominating the Class AA state tournament last month by leading in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocked shots, state champion Wheeling Central junior Eli Sancomb leads the way on the 105th West Virginia Sports Writer’s Association Class AA all-state team.
Sancomb, the MVP of the Class AA state tournament, was named captain of the first team, which was released Wednesday.
The 6-foot-4 junior averaged a double-double (26.2 points and 10.3 rebounds) and culminated by leading the Class AA state tournament field in points (24.0), rebounds (13.7), assists (15 total), steals (8) and blocks (6) as Wheeling Central won three tournament games by an average of 30.3 points per game.
It’s nothing coach Mel Stephens hasn’t seen from his star.
“Great kid, he leads by example,” Stephens said. “Him and his (younger) brother (Luke) are constantly in the gym working to get better. He makes everyone else better. He does whatever we need to do to win.”
His state tournament run was just an extension of that.
And his statistical takeover of the state tournament?
“I think he was totally focused on winning a state championship and he was doing whatever it took for that to happen,” Stephens said.
“He’s got really great point guard skills,” Williamstown coach Scott Sauro said after watching Sancomb score 26 points and grab 15 rebounds in a 59-40 state championship victory.
“If he was 5-foot-10 he would be a really good point guard. But he is 6-5. He sees the floor so well. He makes everyone around him better. He gets the ball to his teammates, every pass right on the money.”
If he resembles a coach in the floor, it comes naturally.
Sancomb’s dad Danny is the head coach California University of Pennsylvania.
Speaking of Cal, Pa., after a season that saw Wyoming East pick up its first state tournament win since 2016, two players — freshmen Broc Johnson and Talan Muscari — were named to the first team.
Their coach, Kent McBride, is a former coach at Cal, Pa.
Muscari, whose dad Evan played in four state championship games and won two titles at Wyoming East, averaged 12.2 points and 6.5 assists per game, including 74 in the last nine games of the season heading to Charleston, all Warriors victories.
He led Wyoming East in scoring in both state tournament games and averaged 15.5 points.
The 6-foot-4 Johnson was the Warriors’ leading scorer (14.2 points, 6.5 rebounds) but also was generally responsible for guarding the other team’s leading scorer. Wyoming East gave up 48.3 points during a 19-4 season that ended with a 61-51 loss to Williamstown in the Class AA semifinals.
“There were a lot of expectations coming into the season, but (having both on the all-state first team) exceeds everything,” McBride said. “It comes back to their work ethic. I noticed when I got here (McBride took over the program in early January) that it was those two rolling the Gun (shooting apparatus) back on the floor after practice and getting more
shots up.”
For the first time, Wyoming East and Westside both made the state tournament.
Westside’s Kadien Vance, a first-team all-state football player after quarterbacking the Renegades to the football playoffs, did the same in basketball and was equally rewarded with a first-team selection.
Vance averaged 14.6 points and 8.5 rebounds this season and in the team’s first tournament win against Doddridge County, the school’s first tournament win since 2015, Vance had 26 points including a career-best six 3s (on 6 of 8 shooting).
Williamstown’s Parker Schramm and Jayden Bryant were both named to the all-state first team after a run to the Class AA title game.
Both were named to the Class AA all-tournament team.
Schramm, a 6-foot-2 senior, and Bryant, a 6-4 senior, both averaged over 17 points per game for the Yellowjackets, who have won three LKC titles and haven’t lost a conference game in three years.
“Parker has been a starter since his freshman year,” Sauro said. “And Jayden has been starting since his sophomore year. They have been keys
on our team, and we are going to miss them and our other senior Cruz (Isaly, the captain of the second-team all-state team).
“Parker is just a well-rounded player. He has always been able to shoot the ball (from 3), but this year he added taking the ball to the basket and it really transformed his game to where he is now. He has just been an outstanding leader.
“Jayden is one of the most improved players we have had in the program, and his ability to get to the rim really was a difference for us.”
Other first-team members:
Logan’s Lucas Lambert, a freshman, led the Wildcats back to the state tournament averaging 18 points and 6.1 rebounds.
Ritchie County 6-7 junior Isaac Hodges was one of the state’s most prolific Class AA players, averaging 23 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.4 steals in leading his team to its first state tournament appearance.
Wooden plaques in the shape of West Virginia that include the player’s name, school, licensed WVSWA logo, and year of the honoree are available to all-state first-team, second-team, and honorable-mention selections and can be purchased from the Bear Wood Co. through WVSWA.org or Bearwoodcompany.com.
CLASS AA
First team
Eli Sancomb, Wheeling Central, 6-4, Jr. (Captain)
Parker Schramm, Williamstown, 6-2, Sr.
Jayden Bryant, Williamstown, 6-4, Sr.
Zaden Ranson, Charleston Catholic,6-2, Jr.
Kadien Vance, Westside, 6-4, Sr.
Jase Smith, Bluefield, 6-3, Jr.
Broc Johnson, Wyoming East, 6-4, Fr.
Lucas Lambert, Logan, 6-3, Fr.
Isaac Hodges, Ritchie County, 6-7, Jr.
Talan Muscari, Wyoming East, 5-8, Fr.
Second team
Max Olejasz, Wheeling Central, 6-6, Jr.
Kadyn Hines, James Monroe, 6-3, Soph.
Noah Dawson, Ravenswood, 6-2, Sr.
Cruz Isaly, Williamstown, 5-11, Sr. (Captain)
Zayden Sherod, Logan, 6-3, Sr.
Austin Bishop, Westside, 6-2, Sr.
Konnor Fox, Wyoming East, 6-9, Soph.
Jerod Trent, 5-11, Doddridge County Jr.
Asher Flanery, 5-10, Buffalo, Soph.
Payton Bailes, 6-0, Midland Trail, Jr.
HONORABLE MENTION
