HEAD OF THE CLASS: Kayli Kellogg, Jimmy Gregg headline our top 10 prep athletes to watch in 2025-26
Names like Brock Kehler, Cole Turner, Brady Savage, AJ Thomas, Preston Luzader, Hannah Stemple, Sadaya Jones, and many more come to mind when thinking of the 2025 class, in particular.
But with every graduating class of seniors comes a new class of juniors, sophomores, and incoming freshmen who are either ready for their chance to make a name for themselves or have already begun to do so, and will return to the program next season.
Morgantown High's Kayli Kellogg is the top-ranked girls' basketball player in the state, earning consecutive first-team all-state selections in her first two seasons with the Mohigans.
But she is joined by a broad spectrum of talented athletes from all five schools who aren't too far behind her.
Division I football prospects Jimmy Gregg of University High and Maddox Twigg of Morgantown each aim to have a big season in 2025.
Brody Kehler of UHS and Parker Hopkins of Trinity Christian have emerged as two quality multi-sport athletes in the area.
Preston's Bryson McNew and Morgantown's Maddox Boggs are two of the top players on the baseball diamond in the 2027 class.
Ava Turner of Preston and Clay-Battelle's Kooper Statler each enjoyed breakout seasons, respectively.
While MHS track and field star Elecia McCurrie was simply, well, Elecia McCurrie. If the 2025-26 school year turns out to be another banner years, these will be the top 10 headliners: Kooper Statler
Kooper Statler emerged as a force on the defensive side of the ball for the Cee-Bees on the gridiron. His breakout game came during a 34-28 upset victory over No. 8 Meadow Bridge on the road. Statler tallied 20 tackles and forced four fumbles (all recovered by C-B) in the game. His efforts earned him first-team all-state honors for Class A. He is also one of the leading pitchers and hitters for the C-B baseball team. Parker Hopkins
Parker Hopkins has become one of the top goalkeepers on the soccer field and catchers on the baseball diamond in Class A for the Warriors. He finished as runner-up in voting for Goalkeeper of the Year in Class AA/A and was one of the best catchers in Class A baseball this season, hitting .471 with 24 hits, 20 RBI, nine extra base hits, and 28 runs scored. He also threw out 13 of 24 baserunners attempting to steal. Maddox Boggs
Maddox Boggs exploded onto the high school baseball scene this season for the Mohigans on the mound. The 2027 prospect went 9-2 this season with a 1.75 ERA in 68 innings, allowing 52 hits and earning 44 strikeouts. Only a sophomore in 2025, Boggs started the state championship game against Hurricane for MHS and could be one of the best arms in the state next season. Ava Turner
Ava Turner made a name for herself during her freshman season on the mat in Kingwood. Not only did she dominantly win a state championship, but Turner also won the Powerade Tournament, a nationally renowned wrestling tournament held each year. She finished the 2024-25 season 22-1. Bryson McNew
Bryson McNew picked up where he left off during his freshman season for the Knights with an incredible display of offense this spring. McNew slugged for a .640 batting average this season with 31 hits (15 extra-base base-hits), 27 RBI, and eight home runs. He was also solid defensively, without an error at the catching position. McNew is aiming for his second consecutive all-state first-team selection. Maddox Twigg
Maddox Twigg is another freshman athlete who made his name known last season. Twigg entered his freshman year with high expectations and delivered, helping lead MHS to the state quarterfinals. Twigg rushed for 500 yards and four touchdowns on 86 attempts last season while also throwing a pair of touchdowns in the run-heavy MHS offense. Twigg is highly ranked among the Class of 2028. Brody Kehler
Another Kehler is rising the ranks on Baker's Ridge after the athletic year Brody Kehler had for the Hawks. A three-sport athlete, Kehler was the starting tailback for UHS this season, before he won the state championship in the 165-pound weight class on the mat. He then helped UHS capture the team state championship at the state track and field meet as a sprinter a few weeks ago. Brody Kehler will be a name we hear for the next three years, just like his older brother Brock. Elecia McCurrie
MHS sprinter Elecia McCurrie once again proved why she is the top sprinter in the state. McCurrie captured the 100-meter and 200-meter state championships this season and anchored the MHS 4×400 relay team to a second-place finish that propelled the Mohigans to the team state title a few weeks ago. McCurrie is the first MHS sprinter to win a state title and could very well capture many more before she graduates. Jimmy Gregg
Jimmy Gregg is currently one of the highest-rated punters of the 2027 class in the country. Gregg is down to two schools (WVU and NC State) in his recruiting process after a standout season with the Hawks. Gregg was also the top earner for the Alex's Lemonade Stand fundraiser, supporting cancer research, raising $7,680 through punting. Kayli Kellogg
Kayli Kellogg has dominated the girls' basketball scene in WV for the past two seasons, earning first-team all-state selections her freshman and sophomore seasons while leading MHS to consecutive state championship game appearances. Kellogg filled the stat sheet in 2024-25, scoring 21.9 points, grabbing five rebounds, dishing 4.6 assists, and nabbing 3.8 steals per contest. Kellogg and the Mohigans will once again be a top team in Class AAAA, with Kellogg being an early frontrunner for the Mary Ostrowski Player of the Year award.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Yankees 7-Time All-Star Delivers Injury Message After Dominating Former Team
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The New York Yankees nearly missed out on a Paul Goldschmidt revenge game, but they got one just in the nick of time. Goldschmidt made his return to his old stomping ground this weekend when the Yankees faced the St. Louis Cardinals. The 2022 National League Most Valuable Player played his last six years in St. Louis, but he only got to play in one game over the weekend. After sustaining a knee injury on Tuesday night against the Minnesota Twins, Goldschmidt was held out of the lineup for three straight games. But on Sunday, he made his return against longtime Cardinals teammate Miles Mikolas, and he went off. ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 17: Former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt #48 of the New York Yankees acknowledges the crowd before batting against the St. Louis Cardinals in the second inning at... ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 17: Former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt #48 of the New York Yankees acknowledges the crowd before batting against the St. Louis Cardinals in the second inning at Busch Stadium on August 17, 2025 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by)The 37-year-old Goldschmidt had three hits, two of which were doubles, a run scored, and a massive RBI to put the game on ice in the top of the ninth inning. The Yankees got an 8-4 win to finish off their first sweep since the All-Star break. Usually, a player returning to face his old team can concentrate on the emotional side of the reunion. Goldschmidt had to fight his way back to the field in time, but he said his knee issue didn't impact his mentality before the series finale. "I really wasn't worried about the knee," Goldschmidt said, per Jeff Jones of "There's this weird, like subconscious, when you've kind of hurt something or your body maybe wants to test it out a little bit. But I'd hit fine (in the cage), I'd done defense. But yeah, to get out there and play nine, it was good." Goldschmidt received an ovation from the Busch Stadium crowd before the first game of the series on Friday night, and another when he stepped to the plate for his first at-bat on Sunday. Now, the Yankees have to keep the momentum rolling, as they've built a 3 1/2-game lead on the Cleveland Guardians for the final American League Wild Card spot, and are within 5 1/2 games of the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the American League East. If Goldschmidt shows no ill effects from his brief absence, he'll be a key bat for New York down the stretch. More MLB: Phillies' Kyle Schwarber Speaks on 'Scary' Injury to Cy Young Contender
Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
The Sports Report: Mookie Betts helps Dodgers sweep Padres
From Jack Harris: It was a sight that's been all too rare this season, coming precisely when the Dodgers needed it most. Mookie Betts, bat in hand, game on the line. A swing as smooth as it was strong, his two-handed finish sending the ball out of sight. For so much of this year, the Dodgers have been picking Betts up amid a career-worst season at the plate. On Sunday afternoon, with a rivalry game and division lead hanging in the balance, he returned the favor with his biggest moment in what felt like ages. After once leading by four, then watching the San Diego Padres claw back to tie the score, the Dodgers completed a weekend series sweep on Betts' go-ahead home run in the eighth. The no-doubt, 394-foot, stadium-shaking blast sent the Dodgers to a 5-4 win and gave them a two-game lead in the National League West; and had Betts skipping around the bases with a swagger that has been missing for much of the campaign. 'It's been a long time,' Betts said — since he had delivered such a clutch hit, looked so much like his old self at the dish, and trusted a swing that has frustrated him since the earliest days of the season. Continue reading here Dodgers box score MLB scores MLB standings Jo Adell hit a three-run homer in the first inning and kicked off a six-run tenth with an RBI single as the Angels beat the Athletics 11-5 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep. Kenley Jansen (5-2) struck out two in a scoreless ninth to give him 1,268 for his career, the fourth-most strikeouts by a reliever in major league history. In the 10th, automatic runner Mike Trout advanced to third on a passed ball, Taylor Ward walked and Adell lined a single to center against Michael Kelly (2-2) to make it 6-5. Christian Moore drove in his third run of the game with a grounder and Luis Rengifo followed with a two-run triple off Ben Bowden. Bryce Tedosio added a sacrifice fly and Zach Neto capped the scoring with a 436-foot homer to left-center, his 21st. Continue reading here Angels box score MLB scores MLB standings From Gary Klein: Rams coach Sean McVay was not talking. Aubrey Pleasant deferred to McVay. And Stetson Bennett was so busy leading a comeback victory, he said he did not notice. No one in the Rams' organization could answer these questions: How did Matthew Stafford's scheduled workout on Saturday play out? And was he at the Rams' 23-22 victory over the Chargers at SoFi Stadium? A team spokesman declined to comment, saying McVay would address the situation on Monday. Continue reading here From Ben Bolch: There were some breakdowns before UCLA broke training camp. Don't worry, these were the poignant, bring-everyone-together kind. As part of coach DeShaun Foster's efforts to connect a team featuring 55 new players and eight new assistant coaches, everyone participated in a series of brotherhood meetings over the last two weeks at the team hotel in Costa Mesa. Coaches stood before the entire team, sharing anecdotes about their experiences in the game. Players told their stories in more intimate position-group settings run by a coach from a different position. 'A lot of tears,' Foster said Saturday before his team's final camp session. 'So I just like that the players were being vulnerable and letting their guard down because they saw the coaches do it. So, you know, I just think that really brought us together and we're gonna see if it worked.' Continue reading here From Ira Gorawara: Kristen Nuss was covered in sand, dulling her neon two-piece swimsuit. A white lei hung around her neck as she attempted to balance her champion's plaque awkwardly in one hand. 'This thing is heavy,' she said, 'my arm is getting sore.' Despite her and partner Taryn Brasher repeating as AVP Manhattan Beach Open champions — grinding out a 15-21, 21-18, 15-13 victory over former USC standouts Megan Kraft and Terese Cannon — on Sunday, the weight of both the hardware and the title wasn't lost on Nuss. 'This is Wimbledon,' Nuss said. 'It's the granddaddy of them all. My mom always said she wanted me to play at Wimbledon. ... This is definitely one of the most coveted trophies right here.' Continue reading here From Jad El Reda: Her name was etched in the memory of millions thanks to her role as Gabrielle Solís in 'Desperate Housewives,' a series that established Eva Longoria as one of the most influential Latina actresses in Hollywood. She went on to become a producer, director, entrepreneur, activist and, in recent years, an investor in the world of sports, where she has earned the nickname 'La Patrona' — or 'The Boss' in English — which easily could be the title of a Mexican soap opera. After more than two decades of credits and awards earned in the entertainment industry, Longoria has shifted her focus. Today, her role as 'La Patrona' of Liga MX team Club Necaxa draws on her family's roots, her passion for storytelling and her commitment to giving Mexico visibility in the world. Her involvement was not limited to serving on Necaxa's board of directors as a celebrity investor. From the beginning, she knew she wanted to tell a story. Inspired by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds' 'Welcome to Wrexham' docuseries, she decided to produce the the docuseries 'Necaxa,' which premiered on Aug. 7 on FX. Cameras take viewers behind the scenes, follow along on road trips and offer an intimate look at the soccer team. Few could have imagined a Mexican American actress would become the leading front office voice for a historic Mexican soccer club, whose home stadium — Estadio Victoria — is located in the city of Aguascalientes in north-central Mexico. Continue reading here Sonia Citron tied her career high with five three-pointers and finished with 24 points, Kiki Iriafen added 18 points and 10 rebounds and the Washington Mystics beat the Sparks 95-86 on Sunday. Iriafen has 12 double-doubles this season and set a franchise rookie record for most games (six) with at least 15 points and 10-plus rebounds. Shakira Austin had 14 points and Jade Melbourne, who fouled out with less than two minutes left, scored 11 for Washington (16-18). Continue reading here The secret to Sparks star Cameron Brink's success after her ACL injury? Vision boards Sparks box score WNBA standings 1923 — Helen Mills, 17, ends Molla Bjurstedt Mallory's domination of the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championships and starts her own with a 6-2, 6-1 victory. 1958 — Floyd Patterson knocks out Roy Harris in the 13th round at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles to retain his world heavyweight title. 1964 — The International Olympic Committee bans South Africa from competing in the Summer Olympics because of its apartheid policies. 1994 — South Africa is introduced for the first time in 36 years during the opening ceremonies of the 15th Commonwealth Games held in Victoria, British Columbia. South Africa had been banned from the Games since 1958 because of its apartheid policies. 1995 — Thirteen-year-old Dominique Moceanu becomes the youngest to win the National Gymnastics Championships senior women's all-around title in New Orleans. 2004 — Paul Hamm wins the men's gymnastics all-around Olympic gold medal by the closest margin ever in the event. Controversy follows after it was discovered a scoring error that may have cost Yang Tae-young of South Korea the men's all-around title. Yang, who finished with a bronze, is wrongly docked a tenth of a point on his second-to-last routine, the parallel bars. He finishes third, 0.049 points behind Hamm, who becomes the first American man to win gymnastics' biggest prize. 2008 — A day after winning an Olympic gold medal in Beijing, Rafael Nadal officially unseats Roger Federer to become the world's No. 1 tennis player when the ATP rankings are released. Federer had been atop the rankings for 235 weeks. 2013 — For the first time in Solheim Cup history, the Europeans leave America with the trophy. Caroline Hedwall becomes the first player in the 23-year history of the event to win all five matches. She finishes with a 1-up victory over Michelle Wie and gives Europe the 14 points it needed to retain the cup. 2013 — Usain Bolt is perfect again with three gold medals. The Jamaican great becomes the most successful athlete in the 30-year history of the world championships. The 4x100-meter relay gold erases the memories of the 100 title he missed out on in South Korea two years ago because of a false start. Bolt, who already won the 100 and 200 meters, gets his second such sprint triple at the world championships, matching the two he achieved at the Olympics. 2016 — Jamaica's Usain Bolt completes an unprecedented third consecutive sweep of the 100 and 200-meter sprints, elevating his status as the most decorated male sprinter in Olympic history. He wins the 200-meter race with a time of 19.78 seconds to defeat Andre de Grasse of Canada. American Ashton Eaton defends his Olympic decathlon title, equaling the games record with a surge on the last lap of the 1,500 meters — the last event in the two-day competition. Helen Maroulis defeats Japan's Saori Yoshida 4-1 in the 53-kilogram freestyle final to win the first-ever gold medal for a United States women's wrestler. 2018 — Accelerate cruises to a record 12 1/2-length victory in the $1-million Pacific Classic at Del Mar, becoming just the third horse to sweep all three of Southern California's major races for older horses in the same year. 1915 — Boston opened Braves Field with a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. 1931 — New York's Lou Gehrig played in his 1,000th consecutive game. Gehrig went hitless in the 5-4 loss to Detroit. 1948 — Brooklyn's Rex Barney pitched a one-hitter for a 1-0 win over Robin Roberts and the Philadelphia Phillies at Shibe Park. 1956 — The Cincinnati Reds hit eight home runs and the Milwaukee Braves added two to set a National League record for home runs by two clubs in a nine-inning night game. Bob Thurman's three homers and double led the Reds in the 13-4 rout. 1960 — Lew Burdette of the Milwaukee Braves pitched a no-hitter, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0. Burdette faced the minimum 27 batters. 1965 — Hank Aaron of Milwaukee hit Curt Simmons' pitch on top of the pavilion roof at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis for an apparent home run. However, umpire Chris Pelekoudas called him out for being out of the batter's box when he connected. Nevertheless, the Braves won the game 5-3. 1967 — California's Jack Hamilton hit Tony Conigliaro on his left cheekbone with a fastball in the fourth inning of a 3-2 loss to Boston. Conigliaro was carried unconscious from the field and missed the remainder of the 1967 season and the entire 1968 season. The 22-year-old already had more than 100 home runs. 1977 — Don Sutton of the Dodgers pitched his fifth one-hitter to tie the National League record. Sutton gave up a two-out single in the eighth inning to San Francisco's Marc Hill. The Dodgers won 7-0. 1995 — Tom Henke became the seventh pitcher to reach 300 career saves, surviving a rally by the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning of the St. Louis Cardinals' 4-3 victory. 2000 — Darin Erstad of the Angels made a spectacular, game-saving catch in the 10th inning and followed it with a homer in the 11th as the Angels defeated the New York Yankees 9-8. 2006 — Alfonso Soriano became the third player in major league history to have at least four seasons of 30 homers and 30 stolen bases, and the Washington Nationals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-4. 2007 — Micah Owings went 4-for-5, including a pair of mammoth homers, drove in six runs and scored four times while pitching three-hit ball through seven innings as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves 12-6. 2011 — Mike Jacobs became the first player suspended by Major League Baseball for a positive HGH test under the sport's minor league drug testing procedures. The 30-year-old minor league first baseman, who was in the big leagues from 2005-10, received a 50-game suspension for taking the banned performance-enhancing substance and was subsequently released by the Colorado Rockies. 2017 — Manny Machado capped a three-homer night with a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Baltimore Orioles rallied past the Angels 9-7 in a game that featured 10 home runs. 2018 — New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom pitched his first complete game of the season and lowered his major league-leading ERA to 1.71 with a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. 2019 — Zack Grenke records the 200th win of his career as the Astros defeat the Athletics 4-1. 2021 — Shohei Ohtani continues to do it all by himself on the field. Today, he becomes the first hitter in the majors to reach 40 homers this season, and also improves his record on the mound to 8-1 as he pitches 8 full innings for the first time of his career. The Angels defeat the Tigers, 3-1. 2021 — Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman hit for the cycle for the second time in his career as they beat the Miami Marlins 11-9. Compiled by the Associated Press That concludes today's newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you'd like to see, email me at To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Twins $100 Million Platinum Glove Star Among Stars Dubbed 'Most Likely' to Be Traded
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Minnesota Twins didn't look to be the most aggressive sellers at the trade deadline for the weeks leading up to it, but they shocked the baseball world when they made a plethora of huge deals. Minnesota quickly turned itself into an uncompetitive ball club, despite the fact that it had quite a bit of talent on the roster before August. As a result, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller recently predicted that the Twins could trade star outfielder Byron Buxton in the offseason. MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 17: Byron Buxton #25 of the Minnesota Twins rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Detroit Tigers in the third inning of the game at Target Field... MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 17: Byron Buxton #25 of the Minnesota Twins rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Detroit Tigers in the third inning of the game at Target Field on August 17, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. More"Turning Buxton into prospects would not only expedite this rebuild, but it would also open the door for top prospect Walker Jenkins to take the reins in center field just as soon as he's ready for the big leagues," Miller wrote. "Buxton is having the best season of his career, already setting high watermarks for both runs and RBI, almost certain to reach new bests in both hits and home runs, if he stays reasonably healthy. "Those last five words always have been the rub with Buxton, and $45M for three years' worth of a soon-to-be 32-year-old, injury-prone center fielder might make a lot of teams balk at trading for him. But quality center fielders are so scarce these days that even the medical history wouldn't stop a few of the bigger market clubs from aggressively pursuing him." During the season, Buxton shut down the trade rumors by reminding the media that he has a no-trade clause and seemed unwilling to waive it for a trade to any team. But with the Twins seemingly opting to rebuild, this could quickly change. While Buxton might love Minnesota and the franchise, it's unlikely that he's going to want to spend the last years of his prime playing for a team that isn't seriously trying to contend. More MLB: Kyle Tucker $500 Million Deal? Cubs Free Agency Buzz Already Turning Heads
