Junior Class Pacing Bluefield - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

Junior Class Pacing Bluefield

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By Bryan Levin, Sports Director/Anchor - email
BLUEFIELD -

For the second year in a row, the top spot in Class AA belong to Bluefield. But it's not something that happened overnight.

"We played AAU basketball all our lives together. We played peewee ball. We've been winning championships since AAU ball and rec league ball. Playing together helps out a lot," said small forward Michael Yost.

"We've played together a lot since we were little. So that's helped a lot on the court with our chemistry," said shooting guard Anthony Eades.

All four captains are juniors. Along with Yost and Eades are Lykel Collier (point guard) and DJ Edwards (forward). And they all rely on each other.

"Eades and Yost knock down shots and take a lot of pressure off me. And for DJ to finish, it makes it so much easier for me," Collier said.

"We have separate roles and we all know what we have to do to help our team win at the end of the game," Edwards said.

Since middle school, it was clear that this group could win.

"We went undefeated. We went 18-0 at the middle school. I just thought good things would happen to this group if they just stick together," said Tony Webster, who coached at Bluefield Middle School and is an assistant coach with the varsity squad.

Just last year, Bluefield made it to the state tournament, and came up short in the championship game-losing 58-52 to Tug Valley.

"It benefited us a lot this year. Just to let us know where they will be at, exactly what spots. I know where to throw the ball and they are right there," Collier said.

"We thought if we came out, worked hard in the offseason, came here and kept our minds straight and worked hard at practice, we would have the chance to go upstate and hopefully win it one year," Yost said.

And once again, that mission is in sight.

"I'm glad we had last year to help us out. Now we know what we have to face when we go back up to Charleston this year," Edwards said.

"We've been looking forward since we came up here. Our goal is to win a state championship and that's what we're working for," Eades said.