MORGANTOWN – Every single year, an impressive class of senior student-athletes earns their high school diplomas and leaves behind a legacy in the halls of the schools they represented on the field, court, rink, or in the pool.
The class of 2026 will leave a lasting impact in both Monongalia and Preston counties, with names like Slaton Manko, Maddie Wisman, Jack Byrer, Kooper Statler, Austin Porta, Waylon Colistra, Easton Hayes, Bri Fox, Parker Hopkins, and Luke Quigley, who are a small percentage of names that come to mind.
But as each year passes and each class leaves, there are always those who have yet to conclude their stories and some who may be waiting to begin writing theirs.
Morgantown High’s Maddox Twigg and Leah Greeny will both return after leading their teams to banner seasons.
Trinity Christian’s Paige Hopkins will be back after earning First-Team All-State softball honors in 2026.
Corey Coen will be under center for Clay-Battelle once again after a run to the Class A state championship game in 2025.
Hayden George, Maximus Fortier, and Micah Gainer will be back on Baker’s Ridge for University High after having memorable years on the gridiron, the wrestling mat, and on the trail/track.
Back-to-back First-Team All-State pitcher Maddox Boggs will lead MHS in 2027 with a new catcher behind the plate, as two-time First-Team All-Stater Bryson McNew takes his talents to Morgantown High for his senior campaign.
Finally, after having her junior season stolen by injury last summer, one of the top-ranked girls basketball players, Kayli Kellogg, will be back on the court for the Mohigans.
After one of the most successful years in prep sports in the Dominion Post coverage area, the 2025-2026 year will be tough to follow.
Here are the top ten athletes to watch next year:
10. Paige Hopkins, Trinity Christian softball
For three seasons, Paige Hopkins has consistently proved she’s one of the top players in Class A softball. The Trinity Christian Swiss-Army Knife earned WVSWA First-Team All-State honors in 2026 as a utility player and will be back in 2027 to try and help a talented senior class lead the Warriors back to South Charleston for the state tournament. Hopkins ended 2026 batting .612 with 41 hits (12 doubles, 6 triples), 15 RBIs, and only two strikeouts. She was also a solid defensive piece in the infield and a reliable arm in the circle for the Warriors. Hopkins has what it takes to build on a successful 2026 season in 2027.
9. Maddox Boggs, Morgantown baseball
For the second year in a row, Maddox Boggs proved he’s one of the best arms in the entire state on the mound. The Morgantown High hurler was named a First-Team All-State pitcher for the second year in a row in 2026. Boggs led MHS with 63 innings pitched with a 1.33 ERA. He allowed only 12 earned runs and earned 49 strikeouts as the Mohigans reached the Class AAAA state championship for the second consecutive season. Boggs will be a name to watch on the diamond in 2027.
8. Bryson McNew, Morgantown baseball
A new face with a familiar name will roam the halls and the dugout for Morgantown High School in 2026-2027, as former Preston High all-stater Bryson McNew recently shared his transfer news. McNew has been one of the best players in the state since he began playing high school baseball. Last season for the Knights, he batted .537 with 36 hits (8 HRs) and 27 RBIs. The 2025 Johnny Bench Award winner will bring pop to the MHS lineup and be a force on both sides of the ball.
7. Corey Coen, Clay-Battelle football
Clay-Battelle quarterback Corey Coen helped lead his team on an unforgettable run to the Class A football state championship game in 2025, the program’s first-ever appearance. Coen totaled over 2,000 yards of offense and 37 touchdowns for the Cee-Bees last season on his way to earning WVSWA First-Team All-State honors. Coen and the returning backfield duo of Caleb Hall and Caleb Snodgrass could be the best rushing attack in Class A football in 2026.
6. Micah Gainer, University cross-country/track and field
Like clockwork, another name is emerging as one of the state’s top runners for University High. Micah Gainer capped a stellar sophomore running year that included a first-place finish in the 2025 cross-country state meet to go along with the Hawks’ 7th-straight team title. He finished his sophomore season with a state title in the 3200-meter run at the 2026 state track and field meet. Gainer still has two more years on Baker’s Ridge and is poised to continue to stack wins and medals.
5. Kayli Kellogg, Morgantown girls’ basketball
It’s sort of strange to say a season-ending injury makes a player’s season even more intriguing than it would have been, given they had a full season the year prior. That’s exactly the case with Kayli Kellogg, who returns for MHS for her senior campaign after missing the entirety of her junior year. Kellogg filled the stat sheet in 2024-25, scoring 21.9 points, grabbing five rebounds, dishing 4.6 assists, and nabbing 3.8 steals per contest as a sophomore. Kellogg and the Mohigans will once again be a top team in Class AAAA, with Kellogg being an early frontrunner for the Mary Ostrowski Player of the Year award.
4. Maximus Fortier, University wrestling
Much like the UHS cross-country team, the wrestling program has a returning state champion who made waves in his sport last year. Virginia Tech commit Maximus Fortier won the 175-pound state title, finishing the year with a 39-2 record and helping UHS capture a third consecutive team state championship. The Hawks will once again be favorites to repeat as champions, and Fortier will be one of the main reasons for that. He also has a pretty great name, to boot.
3. Hayden George, University football
The University High football team made an improbable run to the Class AAAA semifinals as the 7-seed with an upset of No. 2 Huntington on the road in the quarterfinals. One of the biggest causes of the Hawks’ success was wideout Hayden George, who finished the year with 93 catches for 1,323 yards and 11 touchdowns. George averaged over 100 yards per game in 2025 and will be a leading candidate for the Randy Moss Award (top WV WR) from Week 1. George also plays a key role in the secondary on defense, with seven interceptions last year. With the Hawks bringing back a bulk of their talent from last season, George could be one of the top players in the state in 2026.
2. Leah Greeny, Morgantown volleyball
Since she stepped foot on the court for Morgantown High, Leah Greeny has made her name known throughout the state in volleyball. The returning state Gatorade Player of the Year helped the Mohigans capture the 2025 Class AAAA state championship as an all-around leader. She led MHS with 357 kills (48.5%), 91 aces, and 494 receptions. Greeny will be one of the frontrunners in the state again in 2026 as the Mohigans aim to win back-to-back state titles.
1. Maddox Twigg, Morgantown football
Did you expect to see anyone else at No. 1? The 2025 J.R. House Award recipient for the state’s top quarterback, Maddox Twigg, is the top returning athlete in the Dominion Post coverage area for the 2026-2027 year. Twigg was nothing short of spectacular as a sophomore as he led MHS to the Class AAAA state championship. Twigg finished 2025 with 2,227 yards with 26 touchdowns through the air, adding 1,073 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. He also had a pick-6 from the MHS secondary. In the Class AAAA state championship game against Martinsburg, Twigg accounted for 316 total yards and was responsible for all four MHS touchdowns. With multiple offers to play Power-4 football before he has even taken the field as a junior, Twigg may not only be the top player in the area to watch but maybe the entire state.
