Ohio captains ready to lead their teams

WHEELING - If the honor of being selected to play in tonight's 65th-annual Rudy Mumley Ohio Valley Athletic Conference All-Star Charity Football Classic, four Ohio players learned late Thursday they'd been given another honor.

St. Clairsville's Logan Cook, Steubenville's Jordan Banks and Buckeye Local's Bobby Spence and Rylan Pyciak were voted by their teammates as team captains for today's game at Wheeling Island Stadium, which is slated for a 7:15 p.m. kickoff.

"We've got a bunch of good kids on this team and I would have been happy with whomever the kids selected," Pobolish said. "This is their team and I think they made some fine selections of young men who will lead us well."

Cook is one of the rare placekickers to be voted as a team captain in this all-star game. However, according to the coaching staff, he's constantly involved in drills and cheering on his teammates, which obviously rubbed off.

"This is just a great honor knowing that I've earned the respect of my teammates in less than a week," Cook said. "I hope I can lead them right."

Cook admits he's not the most vocal guy, but he's worked hard since arriving at West Liberty University last Sunday.

Pyciak has also been a standout during the week much like he was in both football and wrestling at Buckeye Local.

Along with learning he'd be starting at a defensive end, Pyciak was truly honored to be picked by his teammates.

"I can't wait to lead this team into battle," Pyciak said. "There aren't words to explain it. To be chosen as one of the four from all of these guys is just an honor more than anything."

Knowing that his teammates and not his former coaches at Buckeye Local made the selection makes it even sweeter for the future Baldwin-Wallace athlete.

"I don't look at myself as a very vocal and outstanding person, but I just try to lead by example," Pyciak said. "It makes me feel great that people followed my example. I was captain at Buckeye, but here everyone was a leader on their team."

Banks came to OVAC camp with the same mentality which was instilled in him at Big Red by head coach Reno Saccoccia and his teammates noticed.

"I didn't know very many of these guys obviously when we got here (last Sunday)," Banks said. "Then to have those guys pick you as a captain later in the week based on what you've done on the practice field is an honor."

Banks will be one of the Ohio defensive starters tonight and he's spent much of the week practicing as if it was already Sunday, of which many Ohio players served notice.

"I was taught to do that at Steubenville Big Red," Banks admitted. "We're always 110 percent and Coach Saccoccia wouldn't have it any other way, but having the ability to lead is something inside of you and I guess I showed that this week."

It's been quite a week for Spence. He's been questioned about his ankle, Pobolish's last go-around and now he's a captain for the Buckeyes after a prep season in which he did basically everything but sell popcorn for the Panthers.

"It's really special to be a captain because of the relationships we've built here this week," Spence said. "I know I am going to love playing with these guys because I already love practicing with them.

I hope I can fulfill all of the team's needs as a captain and plan on doing the best I can."

Spence never went through a drill or practice expecting he'd be voted a captain.

"I am definitely happy to be one," Spence said. "I don't know if being a captain creates anymore pressure, but it makes me want to help my teammates out a lot more and do something special."

West Virginia's captains weren't expected to be voted on until Saturday night.