CHARLESTON – After the best season in program history, Clay-Battelle made a statement in Class A football.
With a 12-2 record and multiple school records set, seven players were named to the Class A all-state football team on Tuesday.
The Cee-Bees, who were making their first trip to the state finals, placed four of its standouts on the first team – junior quarterback Corey Coen, sophomore running back Caleb Hall, junior linemen Zach Gump and senior lineman Kooper Statler – a group that helped Clay-Battelle score a school-record 515 points.
Clay-Battelle senior Braden Ponceroff, a utility selection who was all over the field for the Cee-Bees, leads the first-team defense as captain. He finished with 48 tackles, five tackles for a loss, and seven interceptions. Teammate and linebacker Cooper Payton earned second-team honors and led the Cee-Bees in tackles with 67. Finally, junior Cody Clovis was named second team at defensive back.
Headlining the team at captain, however, is a Wildcat – Pendleton County quarterback Colton Roberson – one of a bevy of underclassmen for the Class A offense. Roberson, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound sophomore and one of nine sophomores or juniors on the offense, totaled 4,388 yards and had 60 total touchdowns, guiding the Wildcats to the single-A semifinals, where they fell to the Maroon Knights. He is joined on the team by classmate and favorite target Travis Owens, a 6-foot, 160-pound wide receiver who caught 65 passes for 1,189 yards and 17 touchdowns.
The state saw Wheeling Central’s offensive workhorse in first-team running back Kade Koroneos, a senior who ran for a state-record 415 yards in the finals after rushing for fewer than 1,000 yards before the playoffs.
He is joined on the first team offense by Maroon Knight teammates Dom Paesani, a 6-1, 270-pound junior lineman, quarterback and utility selection Nico Kusic, and placekicker Clay Petry.
Sherman’s third consecutive playoff appearance was spearheaded by senior wide receiver Trey Lester, who had 50 receptions, 1,104 yards, and 14 touchdowns.
Wahama, which had won 25 consecutive games before falling to Cameron in the playoff quarterfinals, placed a senior and a junior on the team. Offensive lineman Alijah Hicks and junior running back Reezin Stitt represent the White Falcons, who will take a 42-game winning streak into the 2026 season.
Meadow Bridge reached the playoffs for the second consecutive year, going 7-3 in the regular season for the first time since 2015. A multi-purpose weapon, utility player Kaiden Sims, who ran for 1,544 yards and 20 TDs, was the Wildcats’ top selection on offense.
Cameron, which avenged last year’s Class A final loss to Wahama with an upset of the White Falcons in the quarterfinals, is represented on the offense by lineman Carter Paczewski.
Sherman’s Dawson Green, a 6-1, 235-pounder, is one of five linebackers on defense, including a sophomore – Cameron’s Talen Brown – and a junior – Meadow Bridge’s Bow Wykle. The Tide’s Colby Atkins, a sophomore, makes up one of the utility spots.
Defensive back Treyvon Bearhs is a junior from Wahama and one of three defensive backs, who include Tug Valley’s Bryson Elia and East Hardy’s Levi Price.
Wheeling Central defensive linemen Troy Mortakis and Maddox Stillion make up half of the front, along with Wirt County’s Braden Whipkey and St. Marys’ Eli Wilson. Wirt linebacker Jake Moore was also a second-team choice.
Rounding out the first team defense is punter Sam Marks from Tucker County.
Wooden plaques in the shape of West Virginia that include the high school name, player’s name, licensed WVSWA logo, and year of the honoree are available to all-state first team, second team, and honorable mentions and can be purchased from the Bear Wood Company through WVSWA.org or Bearwoodcompany.com.
By Rich Stevens (For the WVSWA)
Class A All-State football team
First Team
QB: Colton Roberson, Pendleton County (captain)
QB: Corey Coen, Clay-Battelle
RB: Reezin Stitt, Wahama
RB: Kade Koroneos, Wheeling Central
RB: Caleb Hall, Clay-Battelle
WR: Trey Lester, Sherman
WR: Travis Owens, Pendleton County
OL: Dom Paesani, Wheeling Central
OL: Zach Gump, Clay-Battelle
OL: Alijah Hicks, Wahama
OL: Carter Paczewski, Cameron
OL: Kooper Statler, Clay-Battelle
UTL: Kaiden Simms, Meadow Bridge
UTL: Nico Kusick, Wheeling Central
K: Clay Pietry, Wheeling Central
Defense:
DL: Braden Whipkey, Wirt County
DL: Troy Mortakis, Wheeling Central
DL: Maddox Stillion, Wheeling Central
DL: Eli Wilson, St. Marys
LB: Dawson Green, Sherman
LB: Jake Moore, Wirt County
LB: Cooper Peyton, Clay-Battelle
LB: Talon Brown, Cameron
LB: Bow Wykel, Meadow Bridge
DB: Treyvon Bearhs, Wahama
DB: Bryson Elia, Tug Valley
DB: Levi Price, East Hardy
UTL: Braden Ponceroff, Clay-Battelle (captain)
UTL: Colby Atkins, Sherman
P: Samuel Marks, Tucker County
Second Team
QB: Tyler Smith, Wirt County (captain)
QB: Eli Pauley, Sherman
RB: Marshall Holland, Cameron
RB: Caleb Mullins, Man
RB: Anthony Morgan, Wirt County
WR: Reid Kisamore, Tucker County
WR: Andrew Lemley, Wirt County
OL: Luke Weir, Wheeling Central
OL: Teagan Scott, Wahama
OL: Anthony Lancaster, Magnolia
OL: Korbin Miller, East Hardy
OL: Logan Berry, Greenbrier West
UTL: Colton Dunbar, Greenbrier West
UTL: Chase Owens, Pendleton County
K: Hunter Mill, Wahama
Defense:
DL: Josh Crossland, Tucker County
DL: Easton Wyer, Wirt County
DL: Ty Heavner, Pendleton County
DL: Austin Chadwell, Wahama
LB: Max Olejasz, Wheeling Central (Captain)
LB: Emeri Sanford, Greenbrier West
LB: Aidan Compton, Ritchie County
LB: Cane Thompson, Tug Valley
LB: Kason Angel, Cameron
DB: Jeremiah DeMoss, St. Marys
DB: Joey Hall, Wheeling Central
DB: Cody Clovis, Clay-Battelle
UTL: Soier Reed, Cameron
UTL: Chase Southern, Sherman
P: Chase Schoolcraft, Calhoun County
Honorable Mention:
Turner Shriver, Ritchie County; Ryder Wright, Webster County; Griffin Taylor, Pocahontas County; Aiden Phares, Tygarts Valley; Preston May, Tug Valley; Cameron Slone, Tug Valley; Rome Riddel, Calhoun County; Brier Gray, Gilmer County; Brody Vargo, Magnolia; Haydon Moore, Pocahontas County; Garrett VanMeter, East Hardy; Trevor Roof, East Hardy; Braxton Sword, Man; Austin Gear, Tygarts Valley; Jacob Toler, Man; Isaiah Cutlip, Webster County; Carter Satterfield, Ritchie County; Lexington Grogg, Gilmer County; Remington Huffman, Gilmer County; Ethan Van Camp, Valley; Jace Larsen, St. Marys; Keelyn Eichelberger, Tucker County; Cade Rapp, Tucker County; Finn Loy, Magnolia; Landin Clower, Montcalm; Jordan Price, Montcalm; Robert Evans, Tolsia; Braxton Lester, Mount View; Korbin Nunn, Montcalm; Corey Minter, Richwood; Trent Roles, Meadow Bridge; Kammron Redman, Pendleton County; Luke Elkins, Sherman; Bradley Kidwell, East Hardy; Eli Franklin, Summers County; Colt Sandy, Clay-Battelle; Collin Magers, Cameron.
