Kowcheck, Campbell and Frankos suit up for W.Va.
By MIKE MATHISON, sports editorWEST LIBERTY - The 63rd Annual Rudy Mumley All-Star Football Classic will begin at 7:15 p.m. on Sunday at Wheeling Island Stadium and the West Virginia squad has five graduates of Brooke High School suiting up for the gold and blue - Josh Frankos, Jesse Campbell, Drake Kowcheck, Scott Victorio and Jim McFarland.
"It's been a blast so far," said Frankos. "Everybody has come together well. Everybody is having fun until game day."
Frankos, who is headed to Westminster to continue his football career, should see most of his action on Sunday at free safety.
Kowcheck will take his talents to Marshall University, where he will walk on.
"I've been down there the past three years for states (in wrestling)," said Kowcheck, who will study criminal justice. "I've wanted to go there since I was a sophomore. I've seen the campus, liked the city and it just clicked. I didn't want to go anywhere else.
"It's going to be nice being away from home. But, I can come home when I want.
"I'm just hoping I do good enough to make the team and maybe, in the future, get a scholarship. Hopefully, I can start one year down there.
"Since I was 5 I wanted to play college football.
"Football and wrestling are two things that I love. Marshall doesn't have wrestling, but I can always wrestle in the offseason."
It will be Campbell's final football game. He was recently accepted into the ironworker's union.
"It's awesome," he said about the environment. "My dorm mate is cool. Everyone just hangs out in the cafeteria. Since (Brooke football) coach (Dave) Reitter told me about this, I've been really excited about playing.
"We're all-stars, we know what we're doing. We're just learning a new offense and defense.
"It's a different experience. I've had the same coaches for four years. They do it differently, but, it's still football."
The West Virginia squad is being coached by the Linsly football staff, headed by coach BJ Depew.
"They're good coaches, nice guys and really easy to get along with," said Frankos. "It's nice to have air conditioned dorms. I was excited when I got this call. I was here two years ago when the Weir coaches were coaching."
"I've met a lot of new friends and the coaches are really cool," said Campbell. "Practice is going well. It's nice to know you don't have to run (sprints at the end of practice). Especially with me, I hate running."
Kowcheck echoed that statement.
"Conditioning isn't a lineman's favorite thing to do," he said.
Ohio has won 12 of the last 13 meetings. The Mountaineers' lone win was in 2004.
"I'm looking forward to breaking the streak," said Campbell.
"At Brooke we had some good athletes. But, down here everybody is good," said Kowcheck.
(Mathison can be contacted at mmathison@heraldstaronline.com)
