CHARLESTON — Three times, three years in a row, Ammar Maxwell’s Shady Spring and Zycheus Dobbs’ Fairmont Senior met on championship Saturday in Class AAA at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center.
This year, it was the Tigers getting the best of the Polar Bears in an overtime thriller, 58-55, to wear the crown.
“It’s always a tough matchup with Ammar,” Dobbs said after the game. “He’s one of the top players in the state. I give him a lot of credit. He gave me a hard morning and I hope I gave him a hard morning, too.”
Dobbs was named the tournament MVP, but it’s Maxwell who is the captain of the West Virginia Sports Writers Association’s all-state team.
“Ammar is a selfless kid,” said his coach, Ronnie Olson, after the Tigers’ state quarterfinal victory over North Marion. “He’s played a lot inside for us this year. In the past, he’s played exclusively as a 3-point shooter … he takes what the defense gives him. There wasn’t a single shot that he forced.”
Maxwell concluded his Shady Spring career by averaging 21.2 points per game.
Dobbs, who departs as Fairmont Senior’s all-time leading scorer, put in 23.8 a night.
The Polar Bears and Tigers made up half of the eight-player all-state first team, with Fairmont Senior’s Andre Grant and Shady Spring’s Jack Williams also earning spots.
Grant, who probably saved his best performance for last with 28 points in the state championship game, put in 13.8 points a night and, along with Dobbs, set the tone for a stingy Fairmont Senior defense that allowed the fewest points per game in Class AAA.
Nitro, seeded third in the state tournament, also doubled up with Ashton Crouch and Ty Stephens after a 24-3 season.
Crouch put in 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds a game and Stephens was the Wildcats’ top scorer with 15.4 points plus 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals a night.
Fourth-seeded East Fairmont is represented by Jackson Crouso.
The Bees made the semis on the back of Crouso’s 23.7 points a game; he scored 22 in East Fairmont’s dominant state quarterfinal win over Logan, the second state tournament victory in program history.
Weir’s Colin “G” Cross rounds out the group. Cross was a unit for the Red Riders, averaging 26.9 points per game.
Shady Spring’s Gavin Davis captains the second team, which also includes Fairmont Senior’s Tre Cumberledge, Herbert Hoover’s Donovan Brown, Lewis County’s Ben Putnam, Liberty (Harrison)’s Conner Holden, Midland Trail’s Eli Campbell, Ripley’s Cade Goode and Sissonville’s Max Moore.
“All three of these guys lead each day in practice,” Fairmont Senior coach David Retton said of his all-staters during the season. “We talk a lot about practice and the importance of the practice and keeping focused on the next day.”
Wooden plaques in the shape of West Virginia that include the player’s name, school, 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.
By Michael Minnich/WV News
Here is the Class AAA boys’ all-state basketball team released by the West Virginia Sportswriter’s Association on Thursday, March 28, 2024.
First Team
Zycheus Dobbs, Fairmont Senior (Sr.)
Ammar Maxwell, Shady Spring (Sr.) (Capt.)
Ashton Crouch, Nitro (Jr.)
Jackson Crouso, East Fairmont (Sr.)
Jack Williams, Shady Spring (Sr.)
Andre Grant, Fairmont Senior (Sr.)
Colin “G” Cross, Weir (Sr.)
Ty Stephens, Nitro (So.)
Second Team
Ben Putnam, Lewis County (Jr.)
Cade Goode, Ripley (Sr.)
Gavin Davis, Shady Spring (Sr.) (Capt.)
Tre Cumberledge, Fairmont Senior (Jr.)
Connor Holden, Liberty-Harrison (Sr.)
Max Moore, Sissonville (Jr.)
Eli Campbell, Midland Trail (Sr.)
Donovan Brown, Herbert Hoover (Jr.)
Honorable Mention
Owen Adkins, Scott; Ashton Arthur, Independence; Payton Bailes, Midland Trail; Jalon Bailey, Shady Spring; Grant Barton, Point Pleasant; Cole Blankenship, Logan; T.D. Bodkins, Philip Barbour; Baustin Bower, Liberty-Harrison; Logan Boyce, Robert C. Byrd; Julius Clancy, Logan; Drew Dillard, Winfield; Brayden Edgell, Lincoln; Jensen Fields, Hampshire; Jordan Gray, Hampshire; Dane Hatfield, Herbert Hoover; Brock Holland, Elkins; Derek Lowe, Nitro; Jacob Maier, Grafton; Isaac Meddings, Wayne; Caden Morris, North Marion; Sylas Nelson, Independence; Eli Smith, Lincoln County; Trey Stump, Nicholas County; David Thomas, PikeView; Jared Vestal, PikeView.
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