Three-sport athletes Kali Allen and Jonah Bryan were named West Bladen High School’s senior female and male athletes of the year, respectively, Thursday, May 21 at the annual athletic banquet.
Allen played volleyball, basketball and softball for the Knights. She was all-conference in basketball and softball, selected the Most Valuable Player for the basketball team and earned the Leadership Award in softball.
Allen batted .349 with 18 runs scored and 14 runs batted in for the Knights’ softball team. In basketball, she led the team with 7.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. She also made a team-high 34 3-point field goals. In volleyball, she was a starter and played a key role during a record-setting 15-4 season.
Bryan, who was West Bladen’s Valedictorian, was on the soccer, football and baseball teams. In baseball, he had a .357 batting average and a .962 batting average. In soccer, Bryan scored four goals and had two assists in a 6-1 win over a Red Springs team that was in first place in the Southeastern Conference at the time. He was the Knights’ placekicker in football.
Tylik McCall received the Sayaun Dent Memorial Scholarship. The award is in memory of Dent, who starred in basketball at West Bladen from 2015-17 and led Sandhills Community College to the 2020 NJCAA Division III national championship. He died in a vehicle crash in April 2023.
Other award winners were:
Comeback Player of the Year: Haley Taylor
Volleyball
Accolades: 2nd round of NCHSAA playoffs
All Conference: Greer Pope, Kimberly Dowless
Offensive Player of the Year: Makenna Thurman
Defensive Player of the Year: Emogen Bryant
Most Versatile Player: Natalee Sykes
Football
All Conference: Isaiah Robinson, Justin Spaulding
Offensive Player of the Year: Ahmarie White
Defensive Player of the Year: Isaiah Robinson
Knight Award: Hunter Hester
Trenches Award: Wendell Way
Boys’ Soccer
All Conference: Jonah Bryan, Alejandro Lopez Sandoval, Gerson Verdugo-Roblero
3A Southeastern All Region team: Jonah Bryan
Offensive Player of the Year: Alejandro Lopez Sandoval
Defensive Player of the Year: Gerson Verdugo-Roblero
Knight Award: Jonah Bryan
Girls’ Tennis
Accolades: Faith Wren and Lileigh Anderson qualified for NCHSAA doubles regionals. Jehleah Purdie qualified for singles regionals.
All Conference: Faith Wren, LiLeigh Anderson
Co-MVP: Faith Wren and LiLeigh Anderson
Cross Country
Girls’ All Conference: Jailyn Russ
Boys’ All Conference: Michael Reyes-Maldenado, Dylan Taylor
Girls’ MVP: Jailyn Russ
Boys’ MVP: Dylan Taylor
Bowling
Accolades: Boys’ team finished 6th in state tournament
Boys’ MVP: Brody Rhodes
Girls’ MVP: Anna Robinson
Girls’ Basketball
All Conference: Kali Allen, Natalee Sykes
MVP: Kali Allen
Most Improved: Amiya McCarty-Maxfield
Coaches Award: Natalee Sykes
Boys’ Basketball
Accolades: Conference champions, Conference tournament champions, 3rd round of NCHSAA playoffs
All Conference: Jamari Adams Peterson, Damarion Bryant, Jackson Pait
NCBCA 2nd Team All District 2 Basketball Team: Tylik McCall, Jackson Pait
Conference Player Of the Year: Tylik McCall
East-West All Star Game Selection: Jackson Pait
Mr. Hustle Award: Isaiah Robinson
Toughness Award: Justin Spaulding
Us, You, Me Award: Riley Kline
Cheerleading
All Conference: Jyra Best, Ta’Mya Elliott
Most Improved: Arianna McKiver
Knight Award: Honesti Sinclair
Best All Around: Alajeh McMillan
Boys’ Tennis
All Conference: Luke Beck
MVP: Luke Beck
Most Improved: Jude Culbreth
Golf
Accolades: Jonathan Gooden, Jackson Pait, and Andrew Wren qualified for Regionals
Knight Award: Jackson Pait
Most Improved: Evan Melvin
Girls’ Soccer
Accolades: 2nd round of NCHSAA playoffs
All Conference: Roslyn Sanchez-Trejo, Faith Wren, Makenna Thurman, Brittany Ramirez, Leidi Zuniga Labra
MVP: Makenna Thurman
Knight Award: Faith Wren
Golden Toe: Leidi Zuniga Labra
Girls’ Track and Field
Accolades: Tahlea Bethea, 4th place in NCHSAA regional high jump and 12th place in 3A state meet
MVP: Tahlela Bethea
Runner of the Year: Janavia Adams
Knight Award: Alajeh McMillan
Boys’ Track and Field
MVP: Dylan Taylor
Runner of the Year: Jennsen Santana Martinez
Knight Award: Alvin Lacewell
Softball
All Conference: Allison Hickman, Maycee Kinlaw, Addison Wilcox, Kali Allen
Knight Award: Diyari Mckoy
Leadership Award: Kali Allen
Golden Glove Award: Natalee Sykes
Baseball
Accolades: Randy Ledford Memorial Easter Tournament champions, 3rd round of NCHSAA playoffs
All Conference: Joseph Thomas Hepler, Tyler Lewis, Hunter Hester, Ashton Davis
Offensive Player of the Year: Hunter Hester
Defensive Player of the Year: Ashton Davis
Knight Award: Daniel Bryan
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