×

Enrietti eager to play in OVAC All-Star Game

ALL SMILES — Weir’s Cody Enrietti rushed for 1,358 yards and 13 touchdowns last season before tearing his ACL in Week 9. (Photo by Josh Strope)

BETHANY — One of the fun things for coaches in the Rudy Mumley OVAC All-Star Football Game is getting to work with different players. For Bishop Donahue and West Virginia coach John Durdines, after just a few days of practice, he is already enamored with Weir’s Cody Enrietti.

“Cody looks great,” Durdines said. “He looks so eager to just be out on a football field again, I have to wind him back in. We are not wanting to go full contact and he is going through the line looking for contact. We are like, ‘ease off Cody. We have to keep the defense healthy, too.’

“He is running like he always does and is looking to play both sides of the ball, and he will. He is a special athlete, there is no doubt about that.”

And who could blame him?

Weir had state title aspirations last season before Enrietti went down with an injury in Week 9. He had his ACL reconstructed, an internal brace placed into his MCL and part of his meniscus taken out. His season was done.

While the Red Riders put up a strong showing in the playoffs, making it a lot further than many may have thought without Enrietti, you can’t help but wonder would could have happened if he would have played in the postseason.

Enrietti rushed for 1,358 yards (113.2 per game) and 13 touchdowns. On defense he had 11 tackles for a loss, including one safety.

Needless to say, he was itching to get back on the football field.

“I always grew up watching the greats from the OVAC, the greats from my school like Quincy Wilson play in this game,” Enrietti said. “To be one of the ones selected as one of the best in the Ohio Valley, it means so much.

“Whenever I hurt my knee in November, had my surgery in December, it really did crush me. I took it with a grain of salt and worked hard to get back to here. That is what I was pushing for, being in this game. It was a great feeling (to be selected) because coach Durdines put trust in me. Coming off a knee injury, who knows how I would come back? I want to thank Coach Durdines for picking me.”

Not only did Enrietti make it back in time for the OVAC All-Star Game, set for Saturday at the Dave Bruney Football Complex in Martins Ferry, but he took the field for the Red Riders’ state runner-up baseball squad.

According to the 6-foot-3, 250-pound running back, the knee is fine. That is good news for West Virginia and possibly bad news for the Ohio squad.

“The knee is good to go,” he said. “The cuts feel great. It feels great pushing off of it. No weakness. I have been so hungry to get back out here. To get the opportunity to go at it with some of the best here is so much fun.”

Enrietti, who was first team all-state, All-OVAC and All-Valley, is using this week as a springboard to get back in football-playing shape. He will continue his academic and athletic careers at West Liberty this fall.

“I had to get back into the swing of things because I haven’t played football in a long time,” Enrietti said. “That’s why I am going full bore to get myself ready for college.”

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.73/week.

Subscribe Today