MORGANTOWN — Football, fast and fishing.
Those three words have something in common when it comes to Morgantown football senior Bobby Powell.
On the field, Powell’s ability to make a difference with the ball in his hands is something to look out for and it mostly stems from the quickness of his feet. Finding gaps and cutting upfield may be one of Powell’s biggest strengths, along with his overall game sense and awareness.
The VMI commit is all business when it comes to putting on the pads and taking the field with his teammates, but last summer he picked up a new hobby in his free time that he found himself doing with every free second he could spare, fishing.
“That’s true, I just got into it this summer with my friends,” he said after practice recently. “A bunch of my friends were fishing all the time over the summer and invited me out one day and I went all the time after that.”
Over the summer, Powell spent every opportunity he could find to get out and do some fishing. Mainly a bass fisher, he says his personal best at the moment is four pounds. However, some of his friends who are more experienced often fish for catfish, which is something he plans on trying out when he has the chance.
“I’m learning something new and getting better every time I go out,” Powell said. “One of my favorite spots to go is actually in Fairmont, but I also enjoy going out to Cheat Lake when a group of friends head out there.”
Recently Powell had his right hand in a cast dealing with an arm injury, and while it didn’t hinder his playing time on the field, it wouldn’t have been something to easily get over while trying to do everything necessary while fishing.
“The cast was restricting me a good amount from having the ball in my right arm, but now with this little wrap I should be back to normal and able to carry it like I was,” he said pointing to his right hand.
As far as football, Powell has helped lead the Mohigans to a 6-2 record so far entering Friday’s Mohawk Bowl matchup and he says no matter how many games are left, the focus is to continue to learn and get better.
“We are working hard on working together as a team and perfecting our schemes,” he said. “Once we get everything down it’s just about game plan and getting our minds right for the game. Personally, I love to compete so when we get to play in a big rivalry game like this it’s something you always look forward to. These are the games that you want to be in and we have to be ready to give everything we have.”
Powell and the Mohigans will visit University High on Baker’s Ridge at 7:30 p.m. on Friday for the 2023 Mohawk Bowl in a huge game toward each team’s spot in the playoff rankings.
