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Wilson, Okon, Phillips recognized as Players of the Year for their sports; Newsome Coach of the Year for boys and girls cross country

By Mark Pruitt
For the Clemmons Courier

West Forsyth was well represented when the Central Piedmont 4-A Conference released all-conference awards earlier this week.

A total of 36 athletes across seven different sports were awarded the all-conference distinction, with three of those — G’mone Wilson (football), Andrew Okon (boys cross country) and Kendall Phillips (girls cross country) receiving were also recognized for being the player of the year of runner of the year.

Wilson, who helped lead the Titans to an 11-2 finish and a third-round appearance in the NCHSAA 4-AA playoffs, was named the Offensive Player of the Year in the CPC. He finished the season with 1,934 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns and 396 receiving yards and four touchdown catches.

Okon, a senior who transferred to West from Maryland before the start of the school year, won the CPC conference meet in October. He also earned all-region honors with a sixth-place finish at the 4A Midwest Regional in November and finished 21^st in the 4-A state championship meet.

Phillips, a junior captured the girl’s conference championship, was second at the Midwest 4-A Regional, and earned all-state honors with a seventh-place finish at the 4-A state championships.

The Titans had 10 players — six on offense, four on defense — on the team that won the CPC championship.

Joining Wilson were senior running back Zy Dillard, who also finished with more than 1,000 rushing yards this season (1,230 yards, 10 touchdowns) and three offensive lineman who provided the running lanes for the talented tandem.

Senior left tackle Isaiah Brooks, who signed his national letter-of-intent to play football at N.C. A&T, right tackle Jared Wilson, who has committed to play at Georgia, and right guard Owen Brown, also were recognized.

Senior wide receiver C.J. Graham (17 receptions, 375 yards, six touchdowns) was the final offensive player on the list.

Defensively, nose tackle Patrick Smith, linebackers Giovanni Ricciardi and Mack David, and cornerback Kendall Williams also made the team.

Joining Okon on the all-conference team for the boys was Jeremy Eldredge, who was also all-region after a fourth-place finish, Jackson Nichols (sixth at the CPC meet), Will Atkins (the defending state champion in the 1,000 meters indoors and who has signed to run at Duke) who finished 12^th at CPC meet, and Wesley Haggstrom (14^th).

The West girls cross country team dominated the conference meet. Eliza Broce (third), Shelby Lowder (fifth), Bailey Reutinger (6^th), Taylar White (eighth), Ellie Acree (11^th), and Sophie Cowart (13^th) also earned all-conference designations.

Nathan Newsome, who was in his first season coaching both the boys and girls teams, was also recognized as the Coach of the Year for both teams.

The girls volleyball team, which won the regular season and conference tournament championship, had four team members make all-conference.

Taryn Price, Kennedy Hairston, Clara LaRue, and Madie Lichty — who has signed to play sand volleyball for Florida Gulf Coast — helped the Titans to a 24-5 record, including a 9-1 mark in league play, and an appearance in the fourth round of the NCHSAA 4-A tournament.

Four players from the boys soccer team — Mason Paschold, John-John Dickenson, Tyler Henson and Max Fuerher were all honored for helping the Titans finish second in the conference at 17-4-1 (8-2 CPC).

Four members of the girls tennis team also were selected as all-conference.

Sophomore Lauren Kranis, junior Maria Nikas, junior Marion Idulsa, and senior Leah Harding led the Titans to a 12-3 overall record (8-2 CPC, with both of those losses coming to conference champion Reagan).

And in girls golf, two players — freshman Mary Paige Kind and sophomore Peyton Hiller — received all-conference honors.

Congratulations to all these Titans for their distinguished seasons and their recognitions.