Class A State Champion Wheeling Central Dominates All-State Squad with Six Players Listed on First Team
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on December 09, 2025
Wheeling Central dominated the West Virginia Class A high school football playoff field and Williamstown, its only regular season in-state opponent. The Maroon Knights lost two of their first six games and then reeled off six straight to win the school’s 13th crown.
The Maroon Knights also ruled Class A All-State, placing six first team members on the squad, which is voted on by coaches and members of the West Virginia Sports Writers Association and selected by the WVSWA.
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 prior to 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.
The Cee-Bees, who were making their first trip to the state finals, placed four of its standouts on 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.
Sherman’s third consecutive playoff appearance was spearheaded by senior wide receiver Trey Lester, whose 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.
The Class A first team defense consists of mostly seniors, as 11 of the 15 spots are held by upperclassmen.
Clay-Battelle senior Braden Ponceroff, a utility selection who was all over the field for the Cee-Bees, leads the group. He finished with 48 tackles, five tackles for a loss, and seven interceptions. Teammate and linebacker Cooper Payton also earned second team and led the Cee-Bees in tackles with 67.
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, which 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 also was a second team choice.
Rounding out the first team defense is punter Sam Marks from Tucker County.
2025 WVSWA Class A All-State football
First team offense
QB Colton Roberson (c) Pendleton County So. 5-11 181
QB Corey Coen Clay-Battelle Jr. 5-8 150
RB Reezin Stitt Wahama Jr. 5-10 150
RB Kade Koroneos Wheeling Central Sr. 5-10 185
RB Caleb Hall Clay-Battelle So. 5-8 145
WR Trey Lester Sherman Sr. 6-3 175
WR Travis Owens Pendleton County So. 6-0 166
OL Dom Paesani Wheeling Central Jr. 6-1 270
OL Zach Gump Clay-Battelle Jr. 6-7 285
OL Alijah Hicks Wahama Sr. 5-11 290
OL Carter Paczewski Cameron Sr. 6-0 180
OL Kooper Statler Clay-Battelle Sr. 6-2 250
UTL Kaiden Sims Meadow Bridge Sr. 6-1 230
UTL Nico Kusic Wheeling Central Jr. 6-3 195
K Clay Petry Wheeling Central Jr. 5-8 165
First team defense
DL Braden Whipkey Wirt County Sr. 6-5 309
DL Troy Mortakis Wheeling Central Sr. 6-3 220
DL Maddox Stillion Wheeling Central Sr. 6-1 190
DL Eli Wilson St. Marys Sr. 6-1 215
LB Dawson Green Sherman Sr. 6-1 235
LB Jake Moore Wirt County Sr. 6-0 195
LB Cooper Payton Clay-Battelle Sr. 6-1 180
LB Talen Brown Cameron So. 6-0 175
LB Bow Wykel Meadow Bridge Jr. 6-0 200
DB Treyvon Bearhs Wahama Jr. 6-2 185
DB Bryson Elia Tug Valley Sr. 5-10 153
DB Levi Price East Hardy Sr. 5-10 160
UTL Braden Ponceroff (c) Clay-Battelle Sr. 6-1 160
UTL Colby Atkins Sherman So. 5-7 130
P Sam Marks Tucker County Sr. 6-2 185
Second team offense
QB Tyler Smith (c) Wirt County Sr. 6-3 150
QB Eli Pauley Sherman Jr. 5-10 160
RB Marshall Holland Cameron Jr. 5-10 190
RB Kaleb Mullins Man Sr. 6-0 206
RB Anthony Morgan Wirt County Sr. 5-7 150
WR Reid Kisamore Tucker County Sr. 5-10 158
WR Andrew Lemley Wirt County Fr. 5-8 143
OL Luke Wear Wheeling Central Sr. 6-6 280
OL Teagan Scott Wahama Sr. 6-3 290
OL Anthony Lancaster Magnolia Sr. 6-0 199
OL Logan Berry Greenbrier West Sr. 6-2 255
OL Korbin Miller East Hardy Sr. 5-11 270
UTL Colton Dunbar Greenbrier West Sr. 6-4 205
UTL Chase Owens Pendleton County Sr. 5-11 204
K Hunter Miller Wahama Jr. 5-11 285
Second team defense
DL Josh Crossland Tucker County Sr. 6-1 220
DL Easton Wyer Wirt County Sr. 6-3 210
DL Ty Heavner Pendleton County Jr. 6-1 210
DL Austin Chadwell Wahama Jr. 6-1 165
LB Emory Sanford Greenbrier West Sr. 6-0 165
LB Aidan Compton Ritchie County Jr. 6-0 170
LB Max Olejasz Wheeling Central Sr. 6-6 185
LB Cane Thompson Tug Valley Jr. 6-0 195
LB Kason Angel Cameron Sr. 5-11 190
DB Jeremiah DeMoss St. Marys Jr. 6-2 185
DB Joey Hall Wheeling Central Sr. 5-11 180
DB Cody Clovis Clay-Battelle Jr. 6-0 152
UTL Soier Reed Cameron Jr. 5-9 160
UTL Chase Southern Sherman So. 6-2 170
P Chase Schoolcraft Calhoun County Jr. 6-0 157
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
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