Wolfe follows in father's footsteps

SYLVA - Like father, like son.

Recent Smoky Mountain graduate Jayce Wolfe will be a guard in Monday's East-West All-Star basketball games inside the Greensboro Coliseum (the girls tip off at 6:30 p.m., followed by the boys at 8:30).

Wolfe is an East-West All-Star exactly 25 years after his father played in the football game. Jonah Wolfe graduated from Cherokee in 1991.

Jayce Wolfe is the career leader in assists (701) at Smoky Mountain and had a strong senior year.

He was named the Co-Western North Carolina Athletic Conference Player of the Year and landed a spot on the Citizen-Times All-WNC team after averaging an area-best 8.5 assists per game to go along with 7.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.3 steals a night. Wolfe was the WNCAC tournament's most valuable player and a N.C. Basketball Coaches Association all-district pick.

Wolfe has not yet made a college commitment.

Here are bios for all of Monday's East-West basketball players and coaches from WNC:

Brooklyn Allen

Brooklyn…Pisgah…5-8…F…coached by Brandon Holloway…as senior, named AP All-State, All-Conf, All-District, WNC POY, Conf POY, District POY, Conf Tournament MVP…Blue/White All-Star participant…avg’d 24.6 pts, 9.6 rebs., 3.8 assists, 3.5 stls…had 10 double-doubles…as junior, named All-Conf, All-District, All-State, All-WNC, Conf POY, Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament MVP…as soph, named All-Conf, All-District, All-WNC, Conf All-Tournament, regional All-Tournament…scored 2,201 career pts…also named All-Conf, All-WNC, Conf POY in volleyball…member of Nat’l Honor Society, PEP Club, FCA…PASCO pres…scholarship with Appalachian State where she will major in elementary ed…favorite college athlete is Marcus Paige…favorite pro is Kobe Bryant…says “I am very excited to play against the state’s best players and hope the game helps me to transition my game to the collegiate level.”

Dalton Gossett

Dalton…Erwin…5-7…G…coached by Terry Gossett…as senior, named All-Conf, All-District, All-WNC, Holiday on the Hardwoods Tournament MVP…avg’d 18.5 pts, 6.6 assists, 3.8 stls, 5 rebs…as junior, named All-Conf, All-District, All-WNC, Conf  POY, Regional All-Tournament, avg’d 15.1 pts, 4.2 assists, 3.8 stls, 4.7 rebs…as soph, named All-Conf…also played volleyball and was named All-Conf, All-District, and All-State in softball…member of Beta Club, Career Tech Ed Honor Society…North Carolina Scholar…undecided about college choice…will major in criminology…wants a career in law enforcement or the legal field…favorite college athlete is Marcus Paige…favorite pro is Russell Wilson…says “Just to get an opportunity to play with the caliber of talent in this game is a dream come true; I feel blessed and hope I can live up to the honor.”

Damon Scott

Damon…Asheville…5-10, 155…G…coached by Sonita Warren-Dixon…as senior, named All-Conference, All-WNC, All-District, Conference POY, Blue/White All-Star game MVP…avg’d 20 pts, 4.4 rebs, 5.8 assists, 3.8 stls…as junior, named All-Conference, team capt and Offensive POY…avg’d 15.9 pts, 4.04 rebs, 5 assists, 4.3 stls…as sophomore, named team capt and Offensive POY…scored over 1,000 career pts…Student Body rep…scholarship to play at Emory and Henry where he will major in pre-pharmacy studies…plans career in pharmacy or as a nursing director…favorite college athlete is Marcus Paige…favorite pro is Steph Curry…says “I feel like playing in this all-star game will finish my high school career off with something great, and I am very excited to be in Greensboro on July 18.”

Jayce Wolfe

Jayce…Smoky Mountain…5-8, 160…G…coached by Jimmy Cleaveland…as senior, named All-Conf, Conf All-Tournament, All-WNC, All-District, Conf POY…Blue-White All-Star selection…as junior, named All-Conf, All-Region…as sophomore, named All-Conf, Conf Tournament MVP…also played football where he was named All-Conf...served as youth basketball coach…undecided about college choice…plans to major in accounting or business management…favorite college athlete is Brandon Ingram…favorite pro athlete is Kevin Durant…says “I have heard many good things about the East-West All-Star game from friends who have played in it in the past. I hope to have a good time playing the game I love and make new friends during the experience. I’m looking forward to playing with the top seniors, in NC.”

COACHES:

Jimmy Cleaveland

West head coach is entering his 10th season at Smoky Mountain High where he has gone 243-38 in 10 seasons…has compiled a career record of 369-68 and his teams have won 11 conference regular season titles, 9 conference tournament titles and made 15 state playoff appearances, including 1 state championship, in 16 seasons…10 times named Conference Coach of the Year and twice named NCBCA Coach of the Year…named 2004-2005 AP State Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year…served as the head coach of the 2006 Blue/White game…previously served as an assistant and then head basketball coach and as a football assistant coach at Pisgah High and as  JV women’s and JV men’s basketball coach  and JV and varsity assistant football coach at Brevard High…born in Gallop, New Mexico…1985 graduate of Sylva Webster High where he played basketball and was named All-Conference and DB of the Year in football…1990 graduate of Western Carolina University…says “I feel this is a tremendous honor, and I am very humbled to be included in the fraternity of coaches that have represented the state of NC in this endeavor.  I am married to my wife Lisa, and we have two children, Anna (18) and Clay (13). My biggest supporters have been my late father, Ray Cleaveland, and my mother, Vivian Cleaveland.  I have been fortunate to work under great coaches in basketball and football throughout my career, and they all have influenced me and been wonderful mentors to me.”

Terry Gossett

West assistant coach is entering his 19th season at Erwin High where he has gone 343-143 in 18 seasons…has compiled a career record of 394-173 and his teams have won 10 conference regular season titles, 6 conference tournament titles, and made 15 state playoff  appearances, including 5 Regional appearances,  in 21 seasons…4 times named Conference Coach of the Year…named 2015 Western North Carolina  and District 12 Coach of the Year…previously served as head coach at Franklin High and East Henderson High…born in Asheville, NC…1978 graduate of Erwin High where he played basketball, baseball, and football…1983 graduate of Union University where he played baseball on a team that finished 3rd in the 1983 NAIA World Series, Lubbock, TX…earned Masters of Education from Western Carolina University in 1999…earned Ed.S. in Educational Administration and Supervision from Lincoln Memorial University in 2001…says “It is an honor to be selected to coach in the East-West game. There are so many outstanding coaches and players in North Carolina and this game recognizes some of the best.” 

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