WHEELING — A pair of Ohio Valley high school football coaching staffs have been rewarded for the seasons they had last fall.

Harrison Central and Weir have been selected to lead Ohio and West Virginia, respectively, in the 78th annual OVAC Rudy Mumley All-Star Football Game on Saturday, July 20 at Wheeling Island Stadium.

Harrison Central went 9-3 last season under head coach Anthony Hayes. The Huskies finished fourth in Ohio Division V, Region 17 and defeated Wooster Triway in their first playoff game, 40-10. However, they fell to Garrettsville Garfield, 56-35, in the second round.

“On behalf of the Harrison Central football program, Harrison Central high school and all of Harrison County, we are grateful for the incredible honor to coach in one of the finest all star football games in the country,” Hayes said. “We understand the tradition of care that goes into this game. We want to be a small part in continuing the same good work as those who came before us.

“As young kids and then later as coaches, we have watched many legendary coaches lead Ohio with such class. The list of coaches that have been a part of this amazing all star game is nothing short of a who’s who in high school football so we want to honor those great coaches by offering our very best, just as they did,” Hayes added.

“We have the great responsibility to uphold the tradition that is Ohio football and we are excited about it. The player commitments are in and we feel good about our roster. It will be nice to coach our own players one more time, as well as have the opportunity to coach all of those great players from other programs around the valley. We have played against many of these players and we are pretty happy about having them on our team this go around. Preparations are already underway and we look forward to meeting with our team.”

Joining Hayes will be Harrison Central staff members Mark Smith, Ty Kenny, Drew Case, AJ Barsch, David Nameth, Ian White , Cain Noble, Roger Herbert , Bill Bryant , Marky Smith, Matthew Smith and Matt Cowser.

The Red Riders had a great run last season, going 11-2 and advancing to the Class AA state semifinals under head coach Frank Sisinni. After a 9-1 regular-season campaign, Weir received the No. 5 seed and hosted No. 12 Frankfort, squeaking out a 23-21 victory at home. It was then on the road to No. 4 Scott and a slim, 35-33, triumph. However, No. 1 North Marion was too powerful in a 48-14 nod.

“Coaching the OVAC All-Star game this summer and representing the state of West Virginia is a huge honor for us at Weir High School,” Sisinni said. “Not only is it an honor to represent this side of the river within the conference, but it is an honor to represent the Weir High football program and the community in this game.

“For us to be OVAC 4A football champions in 2023 and get to be coaches in this game is a huge honor for us. We will get to coach some of the valley’s most talented players and see how they practice and play up close and personal throughout the week at Wheeling University. We are looking forward to the preparation for the game and excited to be part of such a storied event that kicks off the football season every year.”

In addition to Sisinni, other Weir staff members are Tom Taylor, Chris Hill, John Leary and Dave Cowden.