MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — With his college football destination locked in, the immediate focus for Spring Mills senior Xavier Anderson is to help defend the school’s first basketball state championship. The Cardinals are off to a 2-0 start in their Class AAAA title defense with a a trio of new starters in their lineup.
“I feel like we can make another run this year,” Anderson said on the Citynet Statewide Sportsline. “We’ve got good pieces on our team, especially new kids stepping up. Jayson Jones and Chase Jones, Tyler’s little brother, they are going to play big roles this year. I am playing the biggest role, replacing Caleb Thomas. We should dominate all year.”
Spring Mills is entering their first full season under head coach Shannon Layton. Layton was named interim head coach midway through the 2024-2025 season and he was promoted to the permanent post during the offseason.
“Coach Layton is a down-to-earth man. He is completely honest with all of our players. He doesn’t lie to you. He keeps it one-hundred. He is a defensive coach and he loves defense.”
Anderson played a key role in the Cardinals’ 24-1 season, which ended with a 41-38 win over George Washington in the Class AAAA final.
A week prior to the start of basketball season, Anderson signed with WVU as one of 49 members in their 2026 recruiting class. Anderson previously committed to play at Cincinnati before signing with the Mountaineers.
“Going to Cincy just didn’t feel right. It is a long, long trip and I would be away from everybody like all of my family. It was definitely a hard decision but it was definitely the right decision. Going to WVU, playing with my brother [Max] and playing for a legendary coach in Rich Rodriguez and playing for my tight end coach in Coach [Michael] Nysewander, he is just a great down-to-earth guy and I love that.”
Anderson’s football coach, Marcus Law, was able to provide Xavier with a good scouting report of what to expect from Rich Rodriguez. Law was a defensive back during Rodriguez’s first tenure at WVU from 2003-2006.
“Coach Law loves Coach Rod. Every single time I went on a Cincinnati trip, he would always try to get me to go to WVU.”
Anderson was named the captain of the Class AAAA first team All-State defense in 2025. He finished with 41 tackles (18 for loss), 12 sacks, three forced fumbles, and seven fumble recoveries as a defensive end. At WVU, Anderson is slated to play tight end for coach Michael Nysewander.
“He is a good run-blocking coach. I love the way they block in downblocking situations. All the plays they have will be great for me. Splitting me out, playing a little wide receiver and catching the ball, and at tight end I can be a little sneaky catching the ball. That’s my role.”
In addition to Coach Law, Xavier had another Mountaineer helping to guide him to Morgantown. Xavier’s older brother Max just finished his first season as a quarterback at WVU.
“I love watching Max develop. He got a little bigger than me, which is surprising. I feel like he is being a great role model towards me. He led me to my decision to go to WVU because they work extremely hard every day.”