If you picked any one of five or six different Ohio All-Stars to name the game's Most Valuable Player Friday night you could have made a valid choice, but in the end it was former Warren wide-out Jeremy Fivecoait who claimed the honor in the 19th annual BACF (Battle Against Cystic Fibrosis) all-star game at Don Drumm Stadium Friday night.
Fivecoait hauled in a pair of first-half touchdowns and also intercepted a pass to lead the Ohio All-Stars to a dominating 48-0 victory over the West Virginia All-Star team.
"We just wanted to come out and make a statement," said Fivecoait, who caught three passes for 38 yards on the night. "We heard about how West Virginia has won so many times and we just wanted to go out and show them that Ohio had the team this year."
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JEFF BAUGHAN Special to The Times
Former Warren Warrior and Ohio BACF all-star Jeremy Fivecoait, stiff arming an opponent above, was name the MVP in Friday night’s game at Don Drumm Stadium. Ohio’s stars won 48-0.
Marietta's own Justin Futrell surely drew consideration for the award as well by firing both touchdown passes to Fivecoait, as well as completing seven-of-14 passes for 89 yards on the night.
Futrell's teammate at Marietta, Dustin "Dedder" Baker rushed for 28 yards on seven carries in the game and also returned an interception some 40 yards for a touchdown late in the game, as well as recovering a West Virginia fumble.
Former Monroe Central quarterback and linebacker Tyler Kinchen rushed for a pair of second half touchdowns, while Shenandoah's Shane Crum led the Ohio squad in rushing with 41 yards on 12 carries.
A pair of Fivecoat's former teammates at Warren also should have received consideration as Jeremy Hastie rushed for 28 yards on six carries and Austin Henthorn, in addition to playing great defense, assumed the duties of place kicker for the Ohio squad and responded by making all six of his point after attempts and drilling first half field goals of 32 and 34 yards respectively.
Fivecoat was impressed and maybe slightly surprised with Henthorn's ability to kick as he was not even the place-kicker on the Warriors 2011 team.
"I knew he could kick, but I didn't think he was going to be that good," said Fivecoait. "He's just got it all, he's got size and he's got the leg."
Fivecoait was humbled by the opportunity to once again take the field with several of his high school teammates as well as his high school head coach Andy Schob.
"I loved having the last chance to play with them one more time," said Fivecoait, who will play his college ball at Muskingum University this fall.
"Coach Schob is such a great coach and it's great to get to play one last time for him too."
Fivecoait narrowly missed completing a long pass to Marietta's Mitchel Gearhart on a game opening trick play, but Wirt Counties JT Nemeth broke up what appeared to be a huge play to start the game.
Fivecoait becomes the third former Warren player to claim the MVP, joining Eric Mason in 2010 and Lowell Warden, who claimed the award in 2001.
Mike Morrison is a Marietta Times part-time sports writer.
