photo by: Nick Henthorn

Wheeling Central’s Kade Koroneos (26) rushes with the ball during the WVSSAC Class A state championship game on Laidley Field in Charleston. Koroneos is one of nine Maroon Knights on the WVSWA Class A All-State football teams.

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 and totaled 1735 rushing yards and 33 rushing touchdowns between the regular season and 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. Kusic passed for 1312 yards and 15 touchdowns, while running for 769 yards and five scores.

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 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.

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. Mortakis racked up 9.5 sacks this season and 64 total tackles, while Stillion finished with seven sacks and 76 total tackles.

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.

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

DB 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, Pendleton County; Luke Elkins, Sherman; Bradley Kidwell, East Hardy; Eli Franklin, Summers County; Colt Sandy, Clay-Battelle; Collin Magers, Cameron.