MORGANTOWN – When the 77th annual Rudy Mumley OVAC All-Star football game kicks off on Saturday, both Team Ohio and Team West Virginia will aim to outduel one another on they way to a big victory.
Each player is looking to bring his own individual strengths to make a positive impact to the team as a whole. For the eight Monongalia County players, there are many strengths one could point out. Two of them though, speed and versatility, are to that are sure to have an influence on the game.
With a smaller roster of 28 players, players may be lining up at multiple positions on all three sides of the ball for head coach Mike Young and Team West Virginia.
The good thing for the players coming from Mon County is, most of them have played two or more positions for multiple years in high school at a high level.
Whether it was pure talent, a lack of players on the team, or a combination of both, the local athletes coming from the area schools have seen their fair share of football playing on offense, defense, and special teams.
Trinity Christian’s Levi Teets and Bryce Bailey played nearly every single play last season due to the demand for players, but also due to their talent on the field.
Teets produced most on offense, his main position, rushing for over 1,300 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also caught 24 passes for 369 yards and eight scores. While those numbers are good, he also helped lead the TCS defense recording 71 tackles, six fumble recoveries, and five interceptions. He could be used at almost any position on Saturday for Coach Young and his staff.
“This week is all about trying to be consistent and get our plays down quicker,” Teets said of preparation for the game. “This summer I’ve been trying to continue to get better with my footwork and technique, trying to get a little faster as guys at the next level will bet bigger and faster than I’m probably used to.”
For a player like Drew Boczek, who has played for MHS, Trinity, and Clay Battelle, playing multiple positions isn’t new either. In fact, he is listed as a quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive back for the game on Saturday. While he won’t play every down in the game, it’s possible, and would probably be beneficial, for Team West Virginia to line him up at multiple spots.
While he focused solely on playing safety in 2022 for Morgantown, Boczek lined up at quarterback for both TCS and C-B. In 2021, he was named captain of the all-state second team.
As a junior, Boczek threw for 667 yards and six touchdowns in 11 games, caught 18 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for 209 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, he had three interceptions — two returned for touchdowns, three forced fumbles and 72 total tackles.
MHS’s Eli Stahara will line up in the trenches on the offensive line, joined by Jacob Stevens from UHS, Matthew Gadd from C-B, and Bailey from Trinity. Teets will play linebacker on defense and see some action as a returner and in the backfield.
Former Hawks Jake Croston and Landon Cool will each line up at defensive back for Coach Young and Team West Virginia. Cool, a Waynesburg University signee, will also play wideout.
The 77th annual OVAC All-Star football game will kickoff at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, July 22 at Wheeling Island Stadium.
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