The West Virginia Sports Writer's Association selected two Warrior football players to different All-State teams this week.

Warrior running back Kyler Doss was selected for First Team as running back. Doss was also selected last year.

"Sports writers from the bigger newspapers get together and they vote on First team and Second Team, Special Honorable Mention and Honorable Mention," said Doss.

Quarterback Skylar Knisely made Second Team as a defensive back, although he has never played the position in the regular season.

"They try to select the best players from around the state, but they're not always position specific. Several quarterbacks this year that were very good, one of them they have on there as the All State punter. When they get overrun with offensive players they look for places to put them. Although they try to get a good representation of who the best players in the state are, they're not always per position," said Warrior coach Mike Knisely.

Warrior running back Hunter Grimes received a Special Mention from the sports writer's association and Warrior linebacker Brandon Gloshen received an Honorable Mention.

Being selected to the All-State Teams are no easy feat.

"They usually get a pretty good representation of your best football players on the First and Second teams. We face a geographic situation where people just don't get to see our kids as much. If we didn't get out and play some of the places we go, we'd be seen even less. In the past 10 years or so we've started to build a reputation of having a quality football program and quality football players. Because we have made the play-offs so many times we have been seen by writers from around the state," said Knisely. "If we do have an outstanding player, hopefully he'll have a good game and he'll make an impression. That guy may see him down the road and remember him and give him a thumbs up."

Although the Sports Writer's Association makes the selections, they receive input from the coaches themselves.

"About mid-November all the coaches in the state receive a ballot from the state Sports Writer's Association. We nominate players from our team and you can also nominate players from teams we've played against," said Knisely. "I don't send out 20 kids on the ballot, I put on our top five or six guys. This year I nominated six kids, four of them got some kind of honor. Four I think is the most we've ever had, we're very happy to get those four kids some sort of recognition," said Knisely.

The First Team All State players will be invited to the state sports writer's banquet and dinner next year, according to Knisely.

"It's a nice event they do for them," said Knisely. "All State players from all different sports are invited, they have a dinner, they even get a little plaque I think," said Knisely.

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