MORGANTOWN – Three boys lacrosse players from West Virginia were listed as 2025 All-Americans last week, with two of them coming from Morgantown High School, as attacker Ayden Shepard and defender Jerrod Thompson were given the honor by USA Lacrosse last week.
Shepard and Thompson each had standout seasons for the state championship-winning Mohigans, each in their way, with one leading the attack and the other the defensive line.
Shepard, a Wheeling University signee, led MHS in the attack with 79 goals (5.3 per game) and 25 assists (1.7 per game), with a team-high 104 points in 2025 (6.9 per game).
“Being named an All-American means a lot to me,” Shepard said. “It really shows me the hard work I’ve put in has paid off.”
He capped an impressive offensive season with a stellar postseason run, culminating in a state title with 15 goals and six assists in three playoff games, including six goals in the state championship game against Linsly, an 18-7 victory.
“My play style is unique, I would say,” he said. “Coach Hood and Coach Bennett definitely understood how I played and designed offensive sets to fit that. My mindset was always to be aggressive and hunt to score.”
Thompson was the leader of the back line for the Mohigans and the life of the defense.
“For me, All-American means everything,” Thompson said. “I have five older siblings who all played lacrosse for MHS, and they all made all-state, so that was the minimum this year. All-American sort of feels like stepping out of their shadow.”
He led the team in takeaways with 32, and the Malone University signee was second on the team in groundballs with 62 (4.1 per game).
“I always try to beat my opponent with the basics first, then I grow into the game as I get more comfortable,” he said. “That makes me more aggressive. Above all else, though, I tried to focus more on the team’s success first, above my individual success. My stats were nothing compared to winning the state championship.”
One thing that both Shepard and Thompson mentioned when asked what makes the MHS boys lacrosse program stand out among others in the state was the fact that they both had early playing experience.
“The program is strong because you have the opportunity to play in middle school,” Shepard said. “I started learning the fundamentals then, and when it comes to the high school program, it doesn’t get much better, and it’s a great experience. As a freshman, I absorbed a lot of what I saw from the upperclassmen I played with, which helped me later in my career. I also have to give some credit to my travel team, the Pittsburgh 79ers.”
Hunter Bigelow of Fairmont Senior joined Shepard and Thompson as All-Americans listed for attack.
