Bridgeport High School senior standout Anthony Spatafore has been named a Class AAAA first-team All-State selection as announced by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.

 

Spatafore averaged 17.1 points, 5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game and led the Indians to an 18-8 record and an appearance in the Class AAAA state tournament where they fell to eventual state champion Morgantown in the quarterfinals.

 

Spatafore is the first BHS boys basketball player to earn first-team All-State honors since Nick Greely in 2016 (Bridgeport was Class AA at that time).

 

“I’m so happy for him,” BHS coach Dave Marshall said. “I was looking at some stats the other day going back to his sophomore year and how much he’s grown physically and I think that has a lot to do with it.

 

“When he was a freshman he was maybe 5-foot-6, 5-foot-7, and he started growing physically but his passion and his ability level grew so much. I think he had a total of maybe 100 points as a sophomore. Of course that was the COVID year so he didn’t play a bunch but he was probably our fourth or fifth leading scorer.

 

“He came along a lot as a junior and what he did this year for us scoring wise can’t be underestimated but things he did in the locker room and he brought these guys along and made them better. I’m just happy for him and for us and the legacy he leaves this program with.”

 

BHS also had a pair of players earn honorable mention status in juniors Zach Ayoob and Ashton Curry.

 

Ayoob emerged as the team’s best defender in the backcourt and he averaged 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

 

Curry was the facilitator for the team from the point guard spot and averaged 7.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

 

Joining Spatafore on first team are two players from state champion Morgantown in Sha-Ron Young (picked as first-team captain) and Brody Davis as well as two players from state runner-up Parkersburg Couth in Cyrus Traugh and Nathan Plotner.

 

Young averaged 21 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 4.7 steals per game for Morgantown.

 

Rounding out the first-team selections are Jefferson’s Jamari Jenkins, George Washington’s Ben Nicol and Huntington’s Mikey Johnson.

 

George Washington’s Brendan Hoffman captains the all-state second team, joined by Elijah Redfern (Woodrow Wilson), Duane Harris (Huntington), Goose Gabbert (Greenbrier East), Dominic Schmidt (Cabell Midland), Aiden Davis (Wheeling Park), Caleb Thomas (Spring Mills) and Cam Danser (Morgantown). 

 

All-State honorees can obtain state-shaped, wood plaques with name, school, year and honor at wvswa.org or bearwoodcompany.com. 

 

Editor’s Note:Photo of Spatafore by Joe LaRocca.

 

2023 Class AAAA All-State

First-Team

Sha-Ron Young, Morgantown, Jr. (Captain), 6-0, 19.4 

Ben Nicol, GW, Sr. 6-6, 16.3 

Nate Plotner, Parkersburg South, Sr. 6-8 14.0 

Anthony Spatafore, Bridgeport, Sr. 6-3 17.1

Mikey Johnson, Huntington, Jr. 6-3, 17.3 

Brody Davis, Morgantown, Sr. 6-5. 14.6 

Cyrus Traugh, Parkersburg South, Sr. 6-2 15.5 

Jamari Jenkins, Jefferson, Soph. 5-8, 15.7 

 

Second Team

Elijah Redfern, Beckley, Jr. 6-2, 18.1 

Brendan Hoffman, GW, Sr. (Captain) 6-2, 18.2 

Duane Harris, Huntington, Jr. 17.5 

Goose Gabbert, Greenbrier East, Sr. 17.4 

Dominic Schmidt, Cabell Midland, Sr. 22.2 

Aiden Davis, Wheeling Park, Soph. 20.3 

Caleb Thomas, Spring Mills, Soph. 

Cam Danser, Morgantown, Sr. 6-6. 10.5 

 

Honorable mention

Zach Ayoob, Bridgeport; Rafael Barcinas, University; Avion Blackwood, Martinsburg; Aiden Blake, Parkersburg South; Jackson Clark, Hurricane; Ashton Curry, Bridgeport; Coby Dillon, Woodrow Wilson; Izzy Everett, Morgantown; Austin Fleming, Parkersburg; James Fortney-Garbart, University; Jaiden Gladney, Jefferson; Roman Gray, John Marshall; Chase Hancock, Princeton; Kris Joyce, Princeton; Trevor Kelley, Oak Hill; Malachi Lewis, Oak Hill; Matt Mahood, Musselman; Brett Phillips, Wheeling Park; Austin Reeves, Parkersburg South; Clay Robertson, Spring Valley; Khayleb Robinson, Spring Mills; Nate Rodriguez, Parkersburg; Adam Seams, Greenbrier East; Will Shively, Jefferson; Bryson Smith, South Charleston; Jackson Smith, Parkersburg South; Brennan Sobutka, John Marshall Leyton Toepfer, Brooke; Cam Wilkes, Hedgesville.