CHARLESTON — 2024 was a dream season for running back Connor Lambert and the Wahama football team.
Lambert and the White Falcons captured just the second state title in school history on Friday afternoon as they topped Cameron 29-22 at UC Stadium at Laidley Field in Charleston to cap off a perfect 14-0 season.
Lambert’s season became even sweeter after the victory as he was named as the captain of the offense on the Class A all-state team by the West Virginia Sportswriters Association.
The senior credited last year’s heartbreaking 22-20 loss to Greenbrier West in the Class A quarterfinals for fueling this season not just for him, but for the entire White Falcon team.
“The week after last year’s Greenbrier West loss, me and a couple of teammates starting hitting the gym immediately,” Lambert said.
Lambert was the cog that made the high-scoring Wahama offense roll, as the White Falcons averaged 54 points a game.
Lambert led Class A in rushing as the speedy senior ran the ball 150 times for an astounding 2,331 yards and 45 touchdowns. He was a big-play machine for the White Falcons as he averaged 15.5 yards a carry.
“Our offensive line is great. I feel like they are the most underrated part of our game, honestly,” Lambert said. “The running backs can’t take any credit because the offensive linemen are great.”
Lambert added 16 catches for 330 yards and six scores in the receiving game, while also scoring three more touchdowns on interception returns, four on punt returns and one on a kick return, which gave him 59 TDs on the year.
“Speed and vision, I feel like, is my strength, and the ability to cut off a dime,” Lambert said.
Joining Lambert on the first-team offense is one of the guys up front who helped open the holes for the running back as Wahama’s Alijah Hicks was named as an offensive lineman.
The quarterback of the first-team offense was Tug Valley’s Preston May, who led Class A in passing yards, touchdowns, completions and attempts. The sophomore completed 182 of 300 passes for 2,877 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while also adding 350 rushing yards and two more scores.
After the Panthers’ season-ending loss to Cameron in the Class A semifinals, Tug Valley coach Hady Ford revealed that May had been playing all season with a broken bone in the wrist on his throwing hand, which required surgery just days after the season ended.
May’s center, Dakoda Walker, joined him on the first-team offense representing the Panthers.
Tug Valley, which entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed and won a school-record 12 games, was tied with Wahama with five first-team selections as each team also saw three players named to the first-team defense.
Joining Lambert on the first team at running back was Klypsan Wallace of Cameron and Kaiden Sims of Meadow Bridge.
Wallace was a bruising runner for the runner-up Dragons, who made their first state championship game appearance in school history. He finished the season with 244 carries for 1,940 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Sims also had a dominating season for the Wildcats as the junior ran for 2,433 yards and 30 TDs on 241 carries.
First-team wide receivers were Landon Thomas of Doddridge County and Pendleton County’s Josiah Kimble. Thomas hauled in 47 passes for 746 yards and 12 TDs for the Bulldogs, while Kimble had 1,032 receiving yards, caught 18 TDs and averaged 22 yards a catch.
Landing a spot on the first-team offense as utility players were Sherman’s Trey Lester (877 rush yards, 10 TDs, 507 receiving yards, six TDs), Wirt County’s Brody Ewing (1,827 rush yards, 27 TDs) and Valley Wetzel QB Gavin Derby, who finished with 1,642 rush yards and 20 TDs while also passing for 750 yards and 10 more scores.
Rounding out the first team as offensive linemen: Sherman’s Jackson Johnson, Wirt County’s Trevor Jones and Garrett Bordenkircher from Tyler Consolidated. East Hardy’s Levi Place was named the first-team kicker after he hit 4 of 8 field goals with a long of 43 yards.
Like Lambert, and typical of Class A football, many of the top stars in Class A are two-way players.
Tucker County senior Jared Reall was named the captain of the first team defense as a linebacker after a year in which he dominated on both sides of the ball for the Mountain Lions. He ran for 2,068 yards and 29 touchdowns while also leading Tucker County with more than 140 tackles.
Reall’s teammate Garrett Wolfong joined him on the defense as a utility selection as he made more than 80 tackles and picked off five passes while also catching 10 touchdowns and compiling more than 740 yards receiving.
Wahama had three selections on the defensive side as defensive lineman Seth Ohlinger (64 tackles, 6 sacks) and linebackers Ben Withrow (105 tackles) and Reezin Stitt (125 tackles) were chosen to represent the state champions.
Tug Valley also saw three players named to the first-team defense. Bryson Elia (1,478 rushing yards, 20 TDs, 379 receiving yards, six TDs, six INTs) was named a first-team defensive back for the second straight year. Brothers Adam Slone (113 tackles, 16 TFL, three sacks) and Cameron Slone (73 receptions, 1,325 yards, 14 TDs, five INTs) were named as a linebacker and utility selection, respectively.
Rounding out the first team as defensive linemen are Cameron freshman Talan Brown (101 tackles, 19 TFL) and Clay-Battelle’s Kooper Statler, while Brycen Eidel (135 tackles) from Doddridge County was named as a linebacker.
Cameron’s Mason Scott and Wirt County’s Porter Goodwin landed spots as defensive backs. Scott led the Dragons with five interceptions and was their top receiver with 12 touchdowns and 503 yards receiving, while Goodwin hauled in 16 TDs with 1,059 receiving yards and three interceptions for the Tigers.
Rounding out the first team was utility selection Brandon Poticher from Greenbrier West (83 tackles, six TFL, six blocked kicks) and Ritchie County punter Braiden Haught, who averaged 40 yards a kick with a season long of 59 yards and 27 kicks inside the 20.
Captains of the second team are Doddridge County QB Brysen Dixon on the offense and Tug Valley sophomore linebacker Cane Thompson on defense.
Dixon threw for 1,810 yards and 21 touchdowns this season for the Bulldogs, while Thompson led the Panther defense with 122 tackles, 11 TFL, four sacks and three interceptions.
Wooden plaques in the shape of West Virginia that include the player’s name, school, licensed WVSWA logo, year of the honoree are available to all-state first team, second team and honorable mentions and can be purchased at from the Bear Wood Company through WVSWA.com or Bearwoodcompany.com.
By Jarrid McCormick (Williamson Daily News)
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 – Tristan Cline, Montcalm, SO.
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, SR.
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-Battelle, 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.
