By JARRID McCORMICK

Williamson Daily News

 

Just a little over a week ago, Tug Valley High School captured the first girls state basketball championship in school history with a 63-45 win over Cameron in the Class A title game.

 

The Panthers added another first on Tuesday as guard Kaylea Baisden has became the first ever girls' player from Tug Valley to be voted the captain of the West Virginia Sports Writers Association’s Class A girls basketball All-State first team.

 

"We've had some first team players before but we've never had a first team captain," Tug Valley head coach Clyde Farley said. "And my take on that when they say first team captain is that they are saying you are the very best player in Class A basketball, and I think that she is."

 

The junior had another standout season for the Panthers in 2021 finishing the year averaging just over 17 points per game to go along with seven assists and six steals per game. She averaged more than 20 plus points per game as a sophomore and garnered a second team nod and was named third team all-state as a freshman.  

 

Baisden guided the Panthers to a 15-2 record, their first state title, and had a breakout performance in her three tournament games at the Charleston Coliseum.

 

She averaged 25 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and four steals per game for the three tournament contests and broke the girls tournament record for all classes when she sank nine 3-pointers during the Panthers 67-24 win over Pendleton County.

 

"I surprised myself a little bit that first day," Baisden said of her performance in Charleston. "This is definitely what I've worked for for most of my life."

 

Baisden was joined on the first team by teammate Makayla May who averaged a double-double for the Panthers this past season. The senior finished the year putting up 14 points and 11 rebounds per game to go along with four assists.

 

May and Baisden were the only set of teammates to garner first team attention and they were joined Cameron's Lili Neely (17 ppg, 5.1 rpg), who helped guide the Dragons to a state runner-up finish.

 

Webster County sophomore Sydney Baird landed on the first team as the leading scorer in the Class posting averages of 30.9 ppg, 6.4 reb ppb, 6.2 apg, 7.3 steals per game.

 

Tucker County's 6'1" sophomore center Kadie Colebank (17ppg, 10 rpg) and Calhoun County's Jose Montgomery (20.3 pgg) were each voted to the first team after leading their team to an appearance in the Class A semifinals.

 

Riverview sophomore Trista Lester joined the first team after guiding the Raiders to the state tournament with an average of 13.4 points per game while Gilmer County's Carrah Ferguson, who was ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll for much of the season before losing to Tug Valley in the regional final, rounds out the illustrious squad.

 

Captaining the second team was Madonna senior Jazzy Melnyk who averaged a double-double in 2021 and helped guide the Blue Dons back to the State Tournament with coach Cory Wingett calling her "his CEO on the court."

 

She was joined on the second team by Tug Valley's Alyssa Newsome (12 ppg), Cameron freshmen Ashlynn Van Tassell (15.3 ppg, 12.7 rpg) and Kenzie Clutter (7.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.6 apg), Richwood's Trinity Amick (19.2 ppg, 19.1 rpg), Calhoun County's  Savannah Cunningham (16.2 ppg), Doddridge County's Abby McDonough (14.9 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 3.0 apg, 3.6 apg), and Tolsia's Julie Boone (10 ppg, 10 rpg, 2 bpg).

 

Editor's Note: Photo by Ray Justice Photography

Tug Valley point guard Kaylea Baisden shoots and makes her girls state tournament record ninth three-pointer during the Lady Panthers win over Pendleton County in the opening round of the Class A State Tournament on Tuesday, April 27, 2021.

 

The Class A Girls All-State Basketball Team as selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association:

 

First Team

 

Kaylea Baisden, Tug Valley; Jr. (Captain)

 

Sydney Baird, Webster County; Soph.

 

Josie Montgomery, Calhoun County; Jr.

 

Lili Neely, Cameron; Sr.

 

Kadie Colebank, Tucker County; Soph.

 

Makayla May, Tug Valley; Sr.,

 

Carrah Ferguson, Gilmer County, Jr.

 

Trista Lester, River View; Soph.

 

Second Team

 

Ashlynn Van Tassell, Cameron; Fr.,

 

Trinity Amick, Richwood; Sr.

 

Jazzy Melnyk, Madonna; Sr. (Captain)

 

Savannah Cunningham, Calhoun County; Jr.

 

Alyssa Newsome, Tug Valley; Sr.

 

Kenzie Clutter, Cameron; Fr.,

 

Abby McDonough, Doddridge County; Soph.

 

Julie Boone, Tolsia, Jr.

 

Honorable Mention

 

Vanessea Alatis, Madonna; Alivia Ammons, Clay-Battelle; Rachel Bates, Valley; Sienna Bircher, Pocahontas County; Selena Browning, Tolsia; Bailey Coleman, Hannan; Mackenzie Crews, Montcalm; Audrey Evans, Tug Valley; Emma Gibbs, Wahama; Macy Helmick, Tucker County; London Hood, Tucker County; Akayla Hughes, James Monroe; Laurel McCombs, Doddridge County; Sarah Michael, Wood County, Christian; Chloe Mitchem, River View; Ali Morgan, River View; Alaina Moore, Madonna; Caroline Nelson, Sherman; Caleigh Phillips, Tyler Consolidated; Brianna Rinehart, Hundred; Emma Taylor, Gilmer County; McKenzie Thomas, Paden City; Victoria Van Matre, Wahama; Ana Young, Pendelton County