SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — South Charleston junior quarterback Kentre Grier has been named the 2014 MetroNews High School Football Player of the Year, based on panel vote of radio broadcasters and sports writers across the state of West Virginia.
While putting together one of the best overall seasons from a high school quarterback in the state, Grier accounted for 4,614 yards of total offense and 60 touchdowns. He completed 220-of-306 passes for 3,553 yards, 47 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while rushing for another 1,061 yards and 13 more scores on 169 carries.
Grier, also named this year as the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year, helped lead South Charleston to an 11-3 record and appearance in the Class AAA state championship game.
“I think I had a pretty decent year, but this offseason I want to work on some of my weak points so I can just keep getting better and better each day,” Grier said. “The individual awards are always great, they let you see that all of your hard work is paying off. But overall, I just want a state championship and that will be the next obstacle next year.”
Capital senior running back Kashuan Haley and junior quarterback Tyrhee Pratt finished second and third, both receiving five first place votes to Grier’s nine. Westside senior quarterback Justin Cogar garnered four first place votes, while Bridgeport running back Dylan Tonkery collected a pair of first place votes after helping lead the Indians to another Class AA state championship.
Class A state champion Williamstown was represented by quarterback Dakota Watson who finished sixth overall in the voting. A couple of other players who were on multiple ballots included Frankfort quarterback Gage Shaffer and Point Pleasant running back Cody Mitchell.
The voting scale awarded three points for a first place vote, two for a second place vote and one point for a third place vote.
| RANK | 2014 METRONEWS PLAYER OF THE YEAR TOP SIX | POINTS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KENTRE GRIER, South Charleston QB |
44 (9) | |
 |
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| STATS: The South Charleston junior completed 220-of-306 passes for 3,553 yards, 47 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Grier also ran for 1,061 yards and 13 more scores on 169 carries. His combined offensive numbers equal out to 4,614 yards and 60 total touchdowns, leading the Black Eagles to the Class AAA state championship game. | |||
| 2 | KASHUAN HALEY, Capital RB |
24 (5) | |
 |
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| STATS: The senior rushed for 1,718 yards and 27 touchdowns on 161 carries, helping lead the Cougars to the Class AAA state championship. He added 302 yards receiving and five more touchdowns on 12 catches. | |||
| 3 | TYRHEE PRATT, Capital QB | 23 (5) | |
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| STATS: Capital’s junior quarterback threw for 1,965 yards and 25 touchdowns on the Class AAA championship team. Pratt rushed for another 656 yards and 11 scores. | |||
| 4 | JUSTIN COGAR, Westside QB |
21 (4) | |
 |
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| STATS: The 6-foot-4, 220-pound senior quarterback led the Renegades to the Class AA semifinals, completing 195-of-323 passes for 2,611 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions. Cogar also rushed for 1,993 yards and 38 touchdowns on 249 carries. | |||
| 5 | DYLAN TONKERY, Bridgeport RB |
16 (2) | |
 |
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| STATS: The Bridgeport junior broke a Class AA Super Six record by rushing for 315 yards and three touchdowns in his team’s title win over Frankfort. Tonkery overcame an injury to rush for 1,559 yards and 17 touchdowns on 183 carries this season. He also caught four passes for 62 yards and another touchdown. | |||
| 6 | DAKOTA WATSON, Williamstown QB |
12 | |
 |
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| STATS: The Williamstown senior quarterback led the Yellowjackets to a Class A championship by rushing for 2,363 yards and 29 touchdowns on 356 carries. He also threw for 1,132 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions on 70-of-147 passing. Defensively, he collected five interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. | |||
After his sophomore campaign in 2013, Grier established himself as one of the best players in the state, setting up what was a marquee junior season for him in 2014.
“I’m not sure if there has ever been a quarterback in the state who has thrown for over 3,000 yards and run for over 1,000 yards in the same year,” said South Charleston coach Donnie Mays. “He accounted for 60 total touchdowns as well and has been the driving force to our offense.
“We’re about as balanced as it gets, I would believe,” Mays continued. “We’re averaging right around 275 yards passing per game and close to 225 yards rushing per game — that shows a lot of what he can do, because he also can run the ball. As far as Kentre goes, as an overall player, he’s the best quarterback I’ve ever coached.”
The quarterback skill-set is in Grier’s family genes as well — his father, Ken Grier, started at West Virginia State in 1990 and 1991.
“He just always told me to work hard at what you want to do,” Grier said of his dad. “If you just keep that same mentality and keep your head (straight) the whole time, you can get everything you want. That’s what I’ve been trying to do through high school – just keep working hard and keep getting better each year.”
And so far, Grier certainly has done just that, going back to his freshman season when he made his debut with the Black Eagles mid-season against Capital. Grier completed 7 of 11 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns in the second half, helping erase a 17-0 South Charleston deficit and turning it into a 20-17 win.
“I just went in and tried to play with confidence like I had been there before,” Grier said of that game back in 2012. “Now, I’ve become even more mature and know how to tackle the hard times better. I don’t get as rattled as I used to. I’ve just grown into a young man (through the last couple of years).”
The recruiting process for Grier is now in full swing as he finishes out his junior year of high school. More recruiting camps and combines will come in the spring and summer.
“He works hard in the offseason, he’s been to numerous camps and goes to the combines,” Mays said. “He works very hard to get better. He has been kind of overshadowed by some of the other players in the state. But this is a great acknowledgement for him, winning (the MetroNews Player of the Year).”
The school Grier has heard the most from on the recruiting front of late has been Charlotte, a program that South Charleston senior running back A.D. Cunningham is already committed to play for.
“Recruiting has been kind of crazy,” Grier said. “I’ve also been hearing a little bit from Marshall, WVU, Clemson and Akron. But really, I just want to work hard this offseason and I will talk to whomever comes my way.”
Grier follows former Madonna quarterback Ross Comis, who won the MetroNews Player of the Year in 2013 before signing with UMass.
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