Way Too Early : Top 10 All Area POTY - SWVA/Southern WV

🏈 2025 All-Area Player of the Year Watchlist

Top 10 High School Football Players from SWVA and Southern WV to Watch This Season

For the past two high school football seasons, we’ve hosted the All-Area Player of the Year award for Southwest Virginia (SWVA) and Southern West Virginia. The top player from each state goes head-to-head in a fan vote to claim the crown.

Last year, it was no surprise when West Virginia’s top-ranked player, Daniel Jennings (Princeton Senior High), took the title over Kelden Hamilton (Eastside High School, VA).

With Jennings reclassifying to the Class of 2025 and preparing to enroll early at Penn State, the title is now up for grabs.

Here are the Top 10 players to keep your eye on this fall! 👀

🔟 Top 10 Players to Watch:

1. Kelden Hamilton – Coeburn, VA (Eastside High)

💪 Position: RB / LB

📊 Stats:

1,635 rushing yards, 23 TDs

5 receptions, 55 receiving yards

100+ tackles, 18 TFL, 4 sacks, 1 INT (96-yard pick-six)

🏆 1st Team All-State (LB), 2nd Team All-State (RB)

Kelden is back for his junior season after a dominant sophomore year on both sides of the ball.

2. Brad Mossor – Princeton, WV (Princeton Senior High)

💪 Position: WR / DB / Return Specialist

📊 Stats:

1,259 receiving yards (2nd in WV)

Top return man in the state

🛡 Lockdown defender and elite playmaker in the return game. Expect fireworks every time Mossor touches the ball.

3. Kaiden Sims – Meadow Bridge, WV (Meadow Bridhe High)

💪 Position: RB

📊 Stats:

2,422 rushing yards, 30 total TDs

🎯 Eyeing the state rushing record (3,826 yards) in his senior season. Nicknames include Kaiden2K, 2KSims, and Mr. 2K—all well-earned.

4. Chance Baker – Princeton, WV (Princeton Senior High)

💪 Position: QB

📊 Stats:

2,732 passing yards

36 TDs, 3 INTs

🧠 Stepped up big time after losing star WR Dom Collins (now at WVU). Baker silenced all doubts with a top-5 season in WV.

5. Mike Reece – Lebanon, VA (Lebanon High)

💪 Position: QB

📊 Stats:

3,220 passing yards, 41 TDs

3 rushing TDs

📚 Set a Virginia state record with 42 completions in a single game. Known as Mr. ENERGY—he’s the heartbeat of Lebanon football.

6. Gabe Lilly – Bluefield, VA (Graham High)

💪 Position: QB / RB / WR

📊 Honors:

Led Graham to an undefeated season and a 2024 Class 2 State Championship

1st Team All-State (RB), 2nd Team All-State (LB)

🎯 A true Swiss Army knife. When Graham needs a play, Lilly delivers.

7. Sylas Nelson – Independence, WV (Independence High)

💪 Position: RB

📊 Stats:

1,800+ rushing yards

🔥 People call it a “breakout season” in the making—despite already dominating. Expect even more from this explosive back in 2025.

8. Keith Chandler – Big Stone Gap, VA (Union High)

💪 Position: RB

📊 Stats:

1,000+ rushing yards

🛻 Nicknamed the “Semi-Truck” of Appalachia, Chandler is a YAC (yards after contact) machine. Good luck trying to bring him down.

9. Jysir Williamson – Bluefield, VA (Graham High)

💪 Position: DL

📊 Outlook:

Mentored by 2x Class 2 Defensive Player of the Year Omari Hill

Expected to lead the state in TFLs, sacks, QB pressures, and hits

🏭 The Graham defensive line factory continues—Williamson is next up.

10. Brock Green – Independence, WV (Independence High)

💪 Position: QB

📊 Stats:

1,882 passing yards, 19 TDs

6 rushing TDs

🌟 Freshman phenom and AA All-State 1st Team QB. The future of West Virginia football is already here.

🏅 Honorable Mentions

• Willis Wilson – Bluefield, WV

• Aiden Woods – Abingdon, VA

• Xavier Kennard – Bluefield, VA

• Landyn Moore – Princeton, WV

🔥 Stay Tuned

We’ll be tracking these athletes all season long—who will rise, who will surprise, and who will take home the All-Area Player of the Year crown?

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