Photo by Karen Akers
by Chris Johnson
For the WVSWA
Any basketball coach will tell you it takes every player on the roster to buy in if the team is going to have any kind of success.
That was certainly the case for the Bridgeport High School boys’ basketball team, which capped a 26-1 season with the Class AAA state championship.
Two senior players for the Indians who led the way when it comes to buying in were Phoenix Sickles and Landon Sanders, both of whom are first-team selections for the Class AAA All-State Boys Basketball Team announced today by the West Virginia Sports Writer’s Association.
Sickles, who was selected as the captain of the first team, averaged 12.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
Sanders averaged 12.5 points (including a team-best 62 3-pointers), 2.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
Both played pivotal roles that helped Bridgeport capture the Class AAA state championship. In three state tournament games, the Indians outscored their three opponents by an average of 20 points per game.
Sickles was named the Class AAA tournament MVP, averaging 11 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2 blocked shots per game. Sanders joined his teammate on the all-tournament team, averaging 10.7 points during the three-game stretch.
“In four years, you could count on one hand how many things Phoenix and Landon combined missed,” BHS coach Dave Marshall said. “That’s including offseason, conditioning, lifting, helping out at our youth camp.
“Either guy you could put on another team and they would average 25 points a game. Both can score and have scored for us. But this team was so unselfish, nobody cared who was getting the points as long as somebody was.
“You get in a game where maybe the points are down for Phoenix or Landon, but they are still on the floor because they do so many other things so well and the leadership they provide.”
In addition to Sickles and Sanders, six more players from state tournament teams are first-team selections.
Class AAA runner-up Nitro is represented by the duo of junior Ty Stephens and senior Ashton Crouch.
Shady Spring also has a pair of first-teamers in senior Jack Williams (18 ppg, 8 rpg) and senior Jalon Bailey (17 ppg, 5 rpg).
Fairmont Senior’s Trea Cumberledge (22.4 ppg), also a senior, is a first-team selection as is Chapmanville senior Joey Golihue (19.8 ppg).
Rounding out the first team are Wayne senior Isaac Meddings and Herbert Hoover senior Dane Hatfield.
Ripley’s Blake Justice was named the second-team captain.
Other second-team selections are Lewis County’s Ben Putnam, Robert C. Byrd’s Camryn Newsuan, Bridgeport’s Jack Spatafore, Elkins’ Levi Wanless, Greenbrier East’s Nathan Dixon, Herbert Hoover’s Donovan Brown, Bridgeport’s Carter Zuliani, Chapmanville’s Keaton Terry and Frankfort’s Jeremy Phillips.
This marks the 105th year, the WVSWA has announced an all-state boys’ basketball team.
CLASS AAA
First Team
Dane Hatfield, Herbert Hoover, 6-3, Sr.
Jack Williams, Shady Spring, 6-3, Sr.
Trea Cumberledge, 6-3, Fairmont Sr.
Phoenix Sickles, Bridgeport, 6-5, Sr. (Captain)
Ty Stephens, Nitro, 6-0. Jr.
Jalon Bailey, Shady Spring, 5-10, Sr.
Landon Sanders, Bridgeport, 6-1, Sr.
Ashton Crouch, Nitro, 6-3, Sr.
Isaac Meddings, Wayne, 6-1, Sr.
Joey Gollihue, Chapmanville, 6-3, Sr.
Second team
Blake Justice, Ripley, 5-9, Jr. (Captain)
Ben Putnam, Lewis County, 6-7, Sr.
Camryn Newsuan, Robert C. Byrd, 6-1, Jr.
Jack Spatafore, Bridgeport, 6-1, Sr.
Levi Wanless, Elkins, 6-0, Sr.
Nathan Dixon, Greenbrier East, 6-2, Jr.
Donovan Brown, Herbert Hoover, 5-10, Sr.
Carter Zulliani, Bridgeport, 6-6, Sr.
Keaton Terry, Chapmanville, 6-7, Fr.
Jeremy Phillips, Frankfort, 5-8, Jr.
Honorable mention
Dillan America, Grafton; Connor Batwanz, North Marion; Logan Boyce, Robert C. Byrd; Julz Butler, Fairmont Senior; Lucas D’Angelo, Elkins;Reid Fisher, Winfield; Brock Green, Independence; Elijah Hall, PikeView; Brody Hamric, Greenbrier East; Quinton Harbert, North Marion; Derek Lowe, Nitro; Anderson McDougal, Bridgeport; Braylon McGreevy, Keyser; Damir Mowder, Weir; Andrew Murdock, Brooke; Khi Olson, Shady Spring; Aiden Rice, Lincoln; Eli Smith, Lincoln County; Ronnie Staley, Wayne; Matthew Stellato, Ripley; Trey Stump, Nicholas County; Ethan VanMeter, Hampshire; Gavin Williams, Bridgeport;
