All-Tidewater Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Woodside guard Trevor Smith gave ‘everything he’s got’ for state champs

NEWPORT NEWS — For the past four years, Trevor Smith has the been face of the Woodside High boys basketball program.

And in his final season, he accomplished his biggest feat as he helped lead the Wolverines to the Class 5 title, the program’s first state championship since 2005.

“He’s always going to give you everything he’s got,” said Woodside coach Stefan Welsh, who as a player led the Wolverines to back-to-back titles in 2004 and ‘05. “He plays every game like it’s Game 7 of the NBA Finals.”

In the final game of his high school career, Smith showed up big as he scored a game-high 17 points — including 15 in the second half — to lead the Wolverines to a dramatic comeback to win the state title.

Smith is the 2023 All-Tidewater Boys Basketball Player of the Year, and he is the first Peninsula-area player to win the award since The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press began selecting teams together in 2020.

Woodside players surround teammate Trevor Smith after the Wolverines defeated Patrick Henry 54-52 in the Class 5 state championship game on March 11. (Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot)

But Smith didn’t just show up in the final game.

To get to the region final, Woodside had to get past unbeaten Menchville, which had two regular-season wins over the Wolverines.

With Woodside down by eight in the second half, Smith sensed the momentum changing as he scored 17 of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter to help the Wolverines upset Menchville. They went on to beat Maury to win the Class 5 Region B title.

“[Smith] is a prolific scorer with a strong determination not to lose,” Maury coach Brandon Plummer said. “He has led his team all season and is a strong, dependable source in clutch situations.”

Smith, a 6-foot-2 senior guard, averaged 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals. He was named the Class 5 Player of the Year and the Class 5 Region B Player of the Year.

Woodside's Trevor Smith goes in for a layup against Patrick Henry during the Class 5 state championship game. He had a game-high 17 points. (Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot)

Welsh said it has been a pleasure to coach Smith, who will play for the University of Richmond.

“He’s the hardest worker. He’s never too high and never too low,” he said. “And he always comes to play. You don’t find a lot of kids like him. They don’t come along too often.”

Larry Rubama, 757-446-2273, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com Follow @LHRubama on Twitter.

All-Tidewater Boys Basketball Players of the Year

The All-Tidewater Player of the Year honor was not given from 1971-79. It also wasn’t given out in 2021 because of COVID. The list doesn’t include teams from 1972-74 because we were unable to find those teams. If you have information on them, please email me at larry.rubama@pilotonline.com. Here’s a look at the all-time All-Tidewater boys basketball teams.

2023 – Trevor Smith, Woodside

2022 – George Beale, King’s Fork

2021 – No POY named because of abbreviated season.

2020 – Jayden Epps, King’s Fork

2019 – Michael Christmas, Landstown

2018 – Dereon Seabron, Lake Taylor

2017 – K.J. Davis, Norcom

2016 – Travis Fields, Norcom

2015 – Chris Clarke, Cape Henry

2014 – Troy Locke, Norcom

2013 – Marcus Evans, Great Bridge

2012 – Rashaun Madison, Norview

2011 – Dorian Finney-Smith, Norcom, and James Michael McAdoo, Norfolk Christian

2010 – Dorian Finney-Smith, Norcom

2009 – JaQuon Parker, King’s Fork

2008 – Corey Law, Deep Creek

2007 – Myles Holley, Booker T. Washington

2006 – Kelly Beidler, Tallwood

2005 – Vernon Macklin, Norcom

2004 – Marquie Cooke, Nansemond River

2003 – Marquie Cooke, Nansemond River

2002 – John Gilchrist, Salem

2001 – John Gilchrist, Salem

2000 – Hassan Robinson, Granby

1999 – David Johnson, Maury

1998 – Carlton Aaron, Atlantic Shores

1997 – David Selby, Indian River

1996 – Jason Capel, Indian River

1995 – Shawn Hobson, Granby

1994 – D.J. Dunbar, Churchland

1993 – Joe Smith, Maury

1992 – Michael Evans, Booker T. Washington

1991 – Petey Sessoms, Cradock

1990 – Darrell Paul, Deep Creek

1989 – Curley Young, Deep Creek

1988 – Alonzo Mourning, Indian River

1987 – Alonzo Mourning, Indian River

1986 – J.R. Reid, Kempsville

1985 – J.R. Reid, Kempsville

1984 – J.R. Reid, Kempsville

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1983 – Mark Whitaker, Manor

1982 – Wes Stallings, Deep Creek

1981 – Rolando Lamb, Cradock

1980 – Billy Walker, Booker T. Washington

1970 – Roy Ebron, Booker T. Washington