BLACKSVILLE – Clay-Battelle High School football and baseball standout Kooper Statler was one of the breakout athletes in Class A last year across the state of West Virginia.
After a breakout season for the Cee-Bees on the gridiron that resulted in first-team all-state defensive honors for Class A in the fall, Statler followed up with a solid season on the diamond, helping C-B to a 14-9 record and earning a spot on the Class A all-state second-team as a pitcher.
“Making two all-state teams in two sports was an amazing accomplishment. It means the world to me to be able to represent Clay-Battelle at a statewide level,” Statler said. “Especially after I felt like I couldn’t fully compete during baseball as I was dealing with a shoulder issue. But we had some guys on our team who stepped up for us when we needed them. I thought we hit the ball well through the bottom of the lineup, and that made a difference in some of our wins.”
Kooper’s highlight game of the 2024 football season came against No. 8 Meadow Bridge on the road as the Cee-Bees pulled off a 34-28 upset. Statler earned 20 tackles and forced four fumbles in the game, which were all recovered by the Cee-Bees.
Still, with all the numbers he put up last year, Kooper says his most outstanding quality may have been his leadership.
“I think I made the biggest impact by being vocal on and off the field,” he said. “The main goal this year is making sure everyone is doing their part to get the job done. We want to be the toughest and most physical team on the field every single game, every single play.”
Clay-Battelle posted a 5-5 record under first-year head coach Aaron LaPoe last season, including the upset of No. 8 Meadow Bridge, and Statler says the team couldn’t be more ready to hit the field in 2025.
“The excitement is through the roof right now for everybody,” he said. “I can’t wait to get back out on the field and get to work. I felt that not only did I improve, but the team improved as a whole, and we all came into the summer ready to work hard and push each other on the field and in the weight room. We want to get stronger, faster, and make sure we stay healthy doing it.”
Statler and the Cee-Bees will open the 2025 campaign with a trip to visit Class A state runners-up Cameron on August 29 at 7:00 p.m.
