The 2025-26 high school boys basketball season was defined by remarkable balance across the region, a fact perfectly captured by the composition of this year's All-Area team. A total of 10 different schools are represented among the 13 honorees, showcasing the depth of talent throughout the area. Fort Hill, Frankfort, and Southern each secured two selections, while Allegany, East Hardy, Keyser, Mountain Ridge, Northern, Petersburg, and Union each placed one standout player on the prestigious list.
Selected through a process of coach nominations and a final meeting, the team is headlined by Allegany’s Chris Manherz, who earned the distinguished Area Player of the Year honor. He is joined on the First Team by a formidable group of seniors: Frankfort's sharpshooting Frostburg State commit Jeremy Phillips, Mountain Ridge's fellow Frostburg-bound talent Cameron Breighner, Southern's Jacob Brown, and Fort Hill's Liam Hamilton. The First Team is rounded out by two dynamic juniors from the Potomac Valley Conference, Union's Braylon Ward and East Hardy's Gideon Good.
The Second Team features a mix of experienced veterans and rising stars, including seniors Jayden McNally (Northern), Kaleb Kuhn (Petersburg), and Braylon McGreevy (Keyser), alongside juniors Kycin Waites (Frankfort) and Jameson Powell-Morris (Fort Hill), and promising sophomore Graham Harvey (Southern). An additional 14 players received Honorable Mention recognition for their outstanding seasons.
A closer look at the First Team reveals some incredible individual stories. Jeremy Phillips of Frankfort cements his legacy as one of the most prolific scorers in school history. The 6-foot guard shattered the school's career scoring record with 1,448 points and dominated the area statistical leaderboards this winter, leading in total points (594), three-pointers made (78), and threes per game (3.12). His clutch shooting and offensive versatility were instrumental in ending Frankfort's 16-year state tournament drought, earning him back-to-back PVC Division 1 Player of the Year awards and a spot on the West Virginia Class AA All-State first team—a rare feat for a Falcon.
"He’s quite an offensive player," said Frankfort head coach Scott Slider. "He’s really, really highly skilled, shoots the ball extremely well. Hit a lot of key buckets for us... He can create space even with guys face-guarding him." Alongside his future Frostburg State teammate Cameron Breighner, Phillips headlines a group of athletes whose hard work and talent made the 2025-26 season one to remember across all ten represented schools.