Moorefield’s Schoonover and East Hardy’s Tharp Honored By Coalfields & Company
U.S. Army specialist and Moorefield alum Wil Schoonover and Bridgewater College sophomore and East Hardy alum Brett Tharp were the two Hardy County Gridiron stars selected to the Coalfields & Company 2010’s West Virginia Class A All-Decade Team this past March.
Both of these gentlemen were dominate forces on both sides of the ball, but for this All-Decade selection Schoonover was named as a top linebacker and Tharp was designated as a top wide receiver.
“It’s quite an honor actually. I didn’t expect to be recognized as that much of a standout linebacker,” Moorefield alum Wil Schoonover remarked.
The vetting process for the All-Decade team accounted for a lot of factors with input from around the state according to Coalfields & Company website, “the selection process was as thorough and thought out as possible. This included voting done by qualifying coaches and polling done by the public. We used every snippet of stats and memoirs to make the best decision possible.”
Wil Schoonover (2012-2015) was a dynamic linebacker accumulating over 350 tackles for the Yellow Jackets including five interceptions and was a beast in the offensive backfield totaling over 5,000 offensive yards with 84 touchdowns. Schoonover enabled the Yellow Jackets to reach the state semifinals during his senior season.
“With a championship-rich history at Moorefield, it is hard to be considered one of the greats. Schoonover did just that. As a linebacker and running back, he led the Yellow Jackets to two straight quarterfinals and then one semifinal appearance. On offense, he finished with over 5,000 yards of offense and 84 touchdowns. Defensively, he had 350+ tackles, five interceptions, and never allowed a passing touchdown his entire career. He would go onto sign a LOI to Glenville State University,” Coalfields & Company commented about Schoonover on their website.
Joining Schoonover on the Coalfields & Company All-Decade Team’s Defensive unit are: Defensive Linemen – Trevor Hoosier, Williamstown; Vinny Mangino, Wheeling Central; Marquis Frazier, Greenbrier West; Kyle Ritz, Magnolia; Linebackers – [Wil Schoonover, Moorefield]; Luke Jackson, Ravenswood; Adam Murray, Wheeling Central; Defensive Backs – J.T. Hensley, Sherman; Curtis McGhee III, Wheeling Central; Dakota Watson, Williamstown; Malik Boatwright, Greenbrier West; Defensive Utility – Kane Roush, Wahama; Trey Miller, Bishop Donahue; Punter – Colby Brown, Cameron.
Schoonover plans to become a walk-on football player at West Virginia University when his time serving in the U.S. Army comes to a completion.
Brett Tharp (2014-2017) was an integral part of East Hardy’s squad amounting 46 career victories with two state title appearances.
“I am extremely honored to be named to the Coalfields All-Decade Team. The Lord has truly blessed me in many ways,” East Hardy alum Brett Tharp stated.
“This is a milestone that only a few are honored enough to receive and which I will never forget. I congratulate all the other recipients.”
Tharp was en electrifying wide receiver with 206 receptions for 3,028 yards with 55 touchdowns in addition to stellar play as a defensive back earning the West Virginia top defensive back honors in his senior year.
“Tharp was the star player for the Cougars during the greatest stretch in school history. This stretch included a record-breaking regular season win streak as well as two state title game appearances. Tharp was not only prolific, but exceptionally consistent all the way back to being a sophomore. The athletic two-way star finished his career with 206 receptions, 3,028 receiving yards, and 55 touchdowns. He was also apart of 46 wins. Tharp would go onto play for Bridgewater College,” [private]Coalfields & Company noted about Tharp on their website.
Joining Tharp on the Coalfields & Company All-Decade Team’s Offensive unit are: Quarterback – Ross Comis, Madonna; Running Backs – Jaiden Smith, St. Marys; Dylan Lucas, Buffalo; Hunter America, Doddridge County; Wide Receivers – [Brett Tharp, East Hardy]; Stephen Rogalski, Magnolia; Offensive Linemen – Jamin Branch, Wahama; Zach Davis, St. Marys; Liam Fultineer, Mount View; Blake Neely, Williamstown; Hunter Jones, Midland Trail; Offensive Utility – Mark Rucker, Tyler Consolidated; Dalton Brindo; Wirt County; Kicker – Ryan Cunningham, Ravenswood.
Tharp is a two-sport athlete at Bridgewater College playing football and baseball.
The Coalfields & Company WV Class A All-Decade Team’s head coach is Wheeling Central’s Mike Young. Young has a career record of 92-33 with five state championship titles since starting in 2005.[/private]
