FAIRMONT — East Fairmont’s Kenly Rogers has always been one to set goals.
When she signed her letter of intent to join West Virginia State’s women’s basketball team next fall, it checked a box.
“Playing college basketball was a goal I created in my freshman year,” Rogers said back in November. “To see that come true was the hard work I put in.”
She finished second in the school’s all-time scorer list with 1451 points, trailing only Darcie Vincent’s mark of 2000. Scoring her 1,000th point this season, Rogers became just the sixth Bee to do so. She also did despite only playing seven games in a pandemic-shortened freshman season.
Another goal checked.
“It’s a testament to what we are building here,” Rogers said the night she scored her 1,000th point. “We haven’t had a 1,000-point scorer in 26 years — I don’t think it’ll take another 26 for someone else to get this.”
Her junior season was the school’s first with 20 wins. In the 2023-24 season, her team beat that mark with a 25-1 record. The Bees won the Big 10 conference championship for the first time since 1996, finishing undefeated in conference. Rogers was named Big 10 player of the year.
“That was goal number one,” East Fairmont coach James Beckman said on the night they clinced the conference.
The one loss on East Fairmont’s schedule came in the state semifinals to Big 10 foe Lewis County. The Bees were the No. 1 overall seed and won their first state tournament game since 2007 in the state quarterfinals.
While the Bees fell short of the ultimate goal — an undefeated season and a state championship, Rogers was able to still check one final box.
Rogers captains the Class AAA all-state first team, as selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association. Rogers led the Bees in scoring with 18.4 points per game while adding 4.3 rebounds per game, 4 assists per game and 3 steals per game.
“Her work speaks volumes,” Beckman said. “She’s put the time in, it’s well deserved. First-team captain was a goal that she had. She’s worked on her craft for four years here at East Fairmont. She’ll continue to work throughout the years at West Virginia State. I’m ecstatic for her.”
It was done in limited minutes as the Bees tended to rotate through nearly a dozen players each night. Rogers’ points-per-32 minutes increases to 24.7 points per game.
“Every record we broke last year, we scorched this year,” Beckman said. “Most points, most consecutive wins — 25-0. I couldn’t be prouder of our girls. The work they put in, the effort. There’s nothing to hang their heads on.”
The Big 10 conference earned four of eight first-team spots. Rogers was joined by Lincoln’s Ashlyn Riley, Philip Barbour’s Braylyn Sparks, and Lewis County’s Ella Pinkney.
Pinkney, a junior, averaged a double-double of 14 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game for state runner-up Lewis County. The Minutemaids defeated East Fairmont in the semifinals before falling to Nitro in the state championship game.
While Lincoln did not make an appearance in the state tournament, Riley’s average of 25.3 points per game led the state regardless of class. The senior had a quadruple-double performance during the regular season against Fairmont Senior and also scored 43 points against Philip Barbour and 41 against Preston. She scored 26 or more points in 12 of 23 games played.
Sparks, a senior, led the Colts with 12.1 points per game, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 steals per game. Philip Barbour returned to the state tournament after a championship game appearance in 2023.
Nitro’s Natalie Smith, a junior, who averaged 15.9 points per game for the state champion Wildcats and scored a game-high 17 in the title game, was also selected for first-team honors.
Ripley’s Sophie Nichols, a senior, was the type of player that you saw come across your timeline as an electric scorer. Her average of 22.2 points per game, including a 48-point game against Nitro, earned a first-team spot.
Wayne’s Brooke Adkins, a junior, was part of a Pioneers team that was regularly ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the Associated Press poll throughout the season. She averaged 15.1 points per game and 8 rebounds per game, plucking 4 steals per game as well. She also earned a first-team spot.
Sissonville’s Kynna Britton, a junor, rounded out first-team selections, averaging 22.7 points per game and 5 rebounds per game for the Indians.
Lewis County’s Kenna Maxwell captains the second team as the Minutemaids’ leading scorer, averaging 16 points per game. She is joined by PikeView’s Riley Meadows, North Marion’s Emma Freels, Robert C. Byrd’s Martina Howe, Keyser’s Bibs Felton, East Fairmont’s Brooklyn Shupe, Wayne’s Jayce Sammons and Philip Barbour’s Arrington Sparks.
All-State honorees and honorable mentions can obtain state-shaped wooden plaques with name, school, year and honor at wvswa.org or bearwoodcompany.com.
By Tyler Kennett/For the WVSWA
Girls Basketball Class AAA All-State Team as Selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association
First Team
Natalie Smith, Nitro (Jr.)
Kenly Rogers, East Fairmont (Sr.) (Captain)
Sophie Nichols, Ripley (Sr.)
Ella Pinkney, Lewis County (Jr.)
Ashlyn Riley, Lincoln (Sr.)
Brooke Adkins, Wayne (Jr.)
Braylyn Sparks, Philip Barbour (Sr.)
Kynna Britton, Sissonville (Jr.)
Second Team
Riley Meadows, PikeView (Jr.)
Emma Freels, North Marion (Sr.)
Martina Howell, Robert C. Byrd (Sr).
Bibs Felton, Keyser (Fr).
Brooklyn Shupe, East Fairmont (Soph.)
Jayce Sammons, Wayne (Fr.)
Kenna Maxwell, Lewis County (Sr.) (Captain)
Arrington Sparks, Philip Barbour (Sr.)
Honorable Mention
Addie Adkins, Wayne; Addyson Amick, Logan; Austyn Barnes, Shady Spring; Izzy Blomquist, Hampshire; Rylee Bodkins, Philip Barbour; Brooklyn Cawley, Nitro; Kendal Connolly, Point Pleasant; Gracelin Corley, Elkins; Halle Crouse, Logan; Carleigh Curotz, Robert C. Byrd; Brooklyn Davisson, Lincoln; Ava Edwards, Nitro; Emma Elliott, Liberty Harrison; Cat Farmar, Pikeview; Maddie Fauver, Berkeley Springs; Kyleigh Findley, East Fairmont; Lacey Goodson, Independence; Payten Goodwin, Lewis County; Kelsey Harper, Scott; LaDonna Herron, Philip Barbour; Hadley Horne, Grafton; Bryn Hunt, Lewis County; Kailee Haymond, East Fairmont; Brooklyn Jackson, North Marion; Jaylin Jenkins, East Fairmont; Antonela Johnson, Winfield; Karson Jones, Nitro; Haley Justice, PikeView; Kenna Keener, Grafton; Autumn Kerchner, Keyser; Della Knight, Hampshire; Izzy Knotts, Philip Barbour; Meya Kotsko, North Marion; Kaitlyn Lester, Westside; Harmony Mills, Independence; Emma Moore, East Fairmont; Tarayn Myers, East Fairmont; Alexis O’Dell, Nicholas County; Emma Pickney, Lewis County; Erin Ryan, Ripley; Chevelle Salmons, Lincoln County; Kyla Sutherlin, Robert C. Byrd; Adrienne Truman, Nicholas County; Janai Turner, Weir; Makaela Ullman, Sissonville; Jorjalynn Ward, Philip Barbour; Maliyah Young, Fairmont Senior
