The Kanawha Valley has been a hotbed of high school softball, with three teams from the area earning trips to the softball state tournament this season.
That success is reflected in the selection of the All-Kanawha Valley first and second teams as well as that of Winfield coach Steve Hensley as Coach of the Year, Huskies star Laila Varney as Player of the Year, and Riverside’s Riley Smith as Rookie of the Year.
The selections were voted on by the Gazette-Mail sports staff.
Hensley guided Winfield to a 26-9 record in 2024 and a second straight Class AA state championship. The Generals’ berth in the state title game was the third straight for the school, including a runner-up finish to Herbert Hoover in 2022.
For Winfield this season, the championship followed the graduation of key players that, early on, left Hensley’s team struggling.
At 3-8 following a one-run loss to Hurricane, Winfield won 24 of its next 26 games — a stretch that included its run through the Class AA playoffs — eventually capturing its second consecutive state championship.
Hensley credited his players for the Generals’ success.
“For the most part, this team, probably as well as any team we’ve had, just kind of stayed within themselves,†Hensley said. “They didn’t really get outside their skill set, so to speak. From that midpoint on they just were really consistent.â€
However, Hensley found himself putting first-year varsity players in those vacant spots and moving other returning players to new positions after last year’s senior class graduated.
Losses in the regular season to Lincoln County and one sectional tournament loss to a talented Poca team during the sectional tournament were the only missteps Hensley and Winfield had on the way to a championship trophy.
Herbert Hoover, meanwhile, appeared to be headed for the state championship too behind Varney, who led the Huskies from the pitching rubber as well as in the batter’s box.
With a 20-4 record, Varney helped Hoover to the Class AA semifinals where their season ended one game shy of a title game rematch from the previous season with Winfield.
Varney posted a 1.34 ERA this season with 261 strikeouts in 141 innings pitched.
“Obviously, the season didn’t end how we wanted it to,†said Varney, who is headed to the University of ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä to play for the Golden Eagles. “I’m still proud of our team because we were a young team. We had a really impressive season.â€
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Smith, a sophomore who played her first full season of varsity softball for head coach Michael Myers, batted .400 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs while starting every game at shortstop.
She helped Riverside to within a game of the Class AAA Region 3 championship, but a loss to St. Albans ended the Warriors’ season.
Smith’s performance this season didn’t surprise Myers.
“We knew from her freshman season that she was a pretty good ballplayer,†Myers said. “She’s got natural gifted ability.â€
The rest of the All-Kanawha Valley first team included pitchers Mattie Carroll of Winfield and Ava Bentley of St. Albans.
Sissonville’s Lydia Ellis was the top catcher.
The infield was composed of Hurricane’s Jayden Jones as well as Alex Anderson, Winfield’s Kennedy Schilling, Poca’s Lindzie Runions and Buffalo’s Kimmie Dillman.
The Generals’ Evie Loyd plus George Washington’s Kate Swisher and Addie Armstrong made up the first-team outfield.
Kiera Cochran of Buffalo and Hurricane’s Kate Justice earned two of the utility spots. The final utility player selected for the first team was St. Albans slugger Sydney Young.
On the second team, Hoover’s Hannah Shamblin, GW’s Mckinzee Hinkley and South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä’s Alex Hill took the pitching slots.
At catcher, Rylee McClellan was the selection.
Smith, GW’s Tylie Barton, Sissonville’s Ana Soblit, South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä’s Caroline Dunn and Hurricane’s Punkie Harper rounded out the infield.
Poca’s Kendra Dunbar, Hoover’s Ayva Veltri and Sissonville’s Makynli Berrier were outfield selections.
Riverside’s Kelee Harrison, Buffalo’s Morgan Cobb and St. Albans’ Kierston Lacy were named second-team utility players, rounding out the All-Kanawha Valley teams for 2024.
