BY KYLE LOVERN
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

Tug Valley was well represented on the Class A All-State football teams voted on by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.

Eight players earned All-State honors, which is one more than last year.

Five Panthers were named to the first team, which is another school record. Two were named to the second team and one player made the honorable mention list.

Those on the first team were sophomore quarterback Preston May, senior offensive lineman Dakoda Walker, senior linebacker Adam Slone, junior defensive back Bryson Elia and sophomore wide receiver Cameron Slone, who earned a utility spot on the First Team.

Two more Tug Valley players, sophomore linebacker Cane Thompson and senior kicker Aiden Bosserman were named to the second team.

Senior tight end/defensive end Ashton Davis was an honorable mention selection.

The Panthers’ season came to a close Dec. 6 with a tough 36-0 loss at home to Cameron in the Class A state semifinals, leaving Tug just one game short of reaching the state championship game in Charleston.

Tug Valley entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed and Coach Hady Ford’s squad was ranked No. 1 in the state for much of the regular season.

May had an outstanding 2024 season for the Panthers as he led all of Class A in passing yards, touchdowns, completions and attempts. For the season, May was 182 of 300 in the air for 2,877 yards with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also added 392 rushing yards on 64 attempts with two more scores in his breakout year.

May did all of this despite playing most of the season with a broken bone in his throwing hand. The talented May had surgery just days after the end of the season.

May’s center, Walker, was also key to the Panthers’ success this fall. A two-way player, he also recorded 65 total tackles, a pair of sacks and eight tackles for loss on the defensive line.

Elia was a first-team member of the squad as a sophomore. Brothers Adam and Cameron Slone were named to the first-team defense.

Elia, who is a versatile running back on offense, had great stats on both sides of the ball.

On the offensive end, he rushed for 1,478 yards on 196 carries and scored 20 touchdowns. He also grabbed 32 passes out of the backfield for 379 yards and six touchdowns.

On defense, Elia had 52 tackles, six interceptions and two fumble recoveries. He was named as a First Team defensive back for the second straight year.

Adam Slone was primarily a defensive player and finished with 113 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, three sacks and a safety.

Cameron Slone also had a big year on both sides of the ball with 73 catches for 1,325 yards and 14 touchdowns as a receiver and 41 tackles and five interceptions as a defensive back.

Thompson was the captain of the second-team defense and led the Panthers in tackles with 122 total stops. He also had nine tackles for loss, three interceptions, four sacks and two fumble recoveries.

Bosserman had an outstanding season as the Tug Valley kicker. He successfully booted 50 of 54 extra points and two field goal tries. He made a 29-yard field goal at Tolsia during the regular season and also kicked a 24-yard field goal against the Rebels in the first round of the playoffs.

Davis was also big for the Panthers on both sides of the ball.

On the defensive end, he had 43 tackles, five sacks, a fumble recovery and four tackles for loss. As a receiver, he reeled in 26 passes for 407 yards and six touchdowns.

—

Class A All-State Football Team as selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association

First Team Offense

QB – Preston May, Tug Valley, SO.

WR – Landon Thomas, Doddridge County, JR.

WR – Josiah Kimble, Pendleton County, SR.

OL – Dakoda Walker, Tug Valley, SR.

OL – Alijah Hicks, Wahama, JR.

OL – Garrett Bordenkircher, Tyler Consolidated, JR.

OL – Trevor Jones, Wirt County, SR.

OL – Jackson Johnson, Sherman, SR.

RB – Connor Lambert, Wahama, SR. (Captain)

RB – Klypsan Wallace, Cameron, SR.

RB – Kaiden Sims, Meadow Bridge, JR.

K – Levi Price, East Hardy, JR.

U – Gavin Derby, Valley, SR.

U – Trey Lester, Sherman, JR.

U – Brody Ewing, Wirt County, SR.

First Team Defense

DL – Kooper Statler, Clay-Battelle, JR.

DL – Seth Ohlinger, Wahama, SR.

DL – Talen Brown, Cameron, FR.

LB – Brycen Eidel, Doddridge County, JR.

LB – Jared Reall, Tucker County, SR. (Captain)

LB – Ben Withrow, Wahama, SR.

LB – Reezin Stitt, Wahama, SO.

LB – Adam Slone, Tug Valley, SR.

DB – Bryson Elia, Tug Valley, JR.

DB – Mason Scott, Cameron, SR.

DB – Porter Goodwin, Wirt County, SR.

U – Garrett Wilfong, Tucker County, SR.

U – Cameron Slone, Tug Valley, SO.

U – Brandon Poticher, Greenbrier West, SR.

P – Braiden Haught, Ritchie County, SR.

Second Team Offense

QB – Brysen Dixon, Doddridge County, JR. Captain)

QB – Sam Marks, Tucker County, JR.

WR – Tristen Cline, Montcalm, SR.

WR – Peyton Tingler, Petersburg, JR.

OL – Jackson Foster, Sherman, SR.

OL – Owen Morgan, Valley, SR.

OL – Dominic Maple, Madonna, SR.

OL – Hunter Wright, Cameron, SR.

OL – Hayden Smith, Ritchie County, SR.

RB – Branson Winfrey, Tyler Consolidated, SR.

RB – Tyson Adkins, Summers County, SR.

RB – Price Strawderman, East Hardy, SR.

K – Aiden Bosserman, Tug Valley, JR.

U – Chanton Davis, River View, SR.

U – Robert Evans, Tolsia, SO.

Second Team Defense

DL – Kolton Toler, Wirt County, SR.

DL – Samuel James, Doddridge County, JR.

DL – Brody Rice, St. Marys, SR.

DL – Matthew Geer, Madonna, JR.

LB – Maverick Gum, Clay-Battelle, SR.

LB – Cane Thompson, Tug Valley, SO. (Captain)

LB – Kaleb Amos, Webster County, SR.

LB – Wesley Molish, Madonna, SR.

DB – Isaiah Sampson, Wirt County, SR.

DB – Trey Ward, Man, JR.

DB – River Williams, Sherman, SR.

U – Braden Ponceroff, Clay-Batelle, JR.

U – Landon Streets, Magnolia, SR.

U – Jared Trent, Doddridge, JR.

P/U – Tyler Smith, Wirt County, JR.

Honorable Mention

Turner Addair, River View; Kason Angel, Cameron; Dustin Baisden, Man; Joey Barr, Valley; Devon Burgess, Pocahontas County; CaDan Campbell, Ritchie County; Ashton Davis, Tug Valley; Ashton Davis, Meadow Bridge; Brandon Davis, Doddridge County; Jeremiah DeLong, River View; Krystian Eidel, Doddridge County; Jackie Ferguson, Webster County; Dawson Green, Sherman; JaRon Hale, Mount View; Wyatt Harris, Wahama; Tre Huggins, Hundred; Ryan Kent, St. Marys; Reid Kisamore, Tucker County; Anthony Lancaster, Magnolia; Peyton Lee, River View; Finn Loy, Magnolia; Eli Mathias, East Hardy; Payton Metheny, Petersburg; Tristan Mullins, River View; Gavin Nestor, Tucker County; Chase Owens, Pendleton County; Eli Pauley, Sherman; Carter Paczweski, Cameron; Slaton Pettit, Cameron; Aiden Phares, Tygarts Valley; Mark Phillips, Tucker County; Jake Roberts, Wahama; Colton Roberson, Pendleton County; Trace Rohrbaugh, Petersburg; Landon Savage, Clay-Battelle; Turner Shriver, Ritchie County; Trace Simpkins, Wahama; Talyn Snyder, Doddridge County; Brady Strode, Tyler Consolidated; Logan Tingler, Calhoun County; Evan Vandall, Greenbrier West; Conor White, Man; Jaylen Younger, Montcalm.