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WHEELING - After an 8-4 season in which it advanced to the second round of the Ohio High School Athletic Association's Division V, Region 17 playoffs, the staff of St. Clairsville's football team has been chosen to lead the Buckeyes in the 80th annual OVAC Rudy Mumley All-Star Football Game.
The game will kickoff on Saturday, July 18 at 7:15 p.m. on the artificial surface at Wheeling Island Stadium. Ohio leads the all-time series 46-31-2, but West Virginia prevailed, 15-14, last year as time expired.
St. Clairsville finished second to Indian Creek in the OVAC Class 4A standings.
A capsule of each Ohio coach follows:
BRETT MCLEAN, who posted his 200th career win last fall, has led the Red Devils for the last quarter-of-a-century. His overall mark is 206-70.
The 1996 Mount Union graduate was named the OHSAA Division IV Coach of the Year in 2012 when St. Clairsville advanced to the championship game before falling to Clarksville Clinton-Massie, 46-36, at Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. He was a finalist for the honor in 2008, 2013 and 2021.
McLean graduated from Brooke High School and coached at St. Thomas Aquinas High School for two years before re-locating to St. Clairsville. He played in the 1996 game as a member of the West Virginia team and coached the Ohio All-Stars in the 2007 game.
He has also been honored by the OHSAA Eastern District as Coach of the Year twice.
McLean and his wife, Victoria, have four sons, Sam, Ian, Beau and Reid.
"It's a great honor to coach in the OVAC Rudy Mumley All-Star Game," McLean said. "This game is the jewel of the summer every year and the Ohio Valley's best get showcased annually."
CHRIS BALOG is a St. Clairsville graduate and played in the 1991 game. He has coached the last 10 years with the Red Devils after a two-year stint at Bellaire.
Balog also serves as an assistant baseball coach at St. Clairsville.
He and his wife, Lisa, have three children, Rocco, Lindsay and Cassie.
CHRIS FOGLE has been coaching football for 14 years, the last eight as an assistant at St. Clairsville. His son Griffin, played in the 2024 game.
Fogle graduated from John Marshall before going to West Virginia University where he played football.
Fogle and his wife, Johna, have two sons, Griffin and Max.
BEN FRYE is a graduate of River High School and assisted the Pilots program for one year before spending the last 21 at St. Clairsville. He was also the head track and field coach for the Red Devils.
Frye is a two-time Defensive Assistant Coach of the Year in 2021 and 2024, along with being presented with the Cal Giffin Track and Field Service Award in 2025.
He received his undergraduate degree from West Liberty and his Masters from Salem University.
Frye and his wife, Jenna, have two sons, Max and Tyson.
ERIC GAY is another graduate of St. Clairsville where he played football, basketball and baseball. He has been with the Red Devils football program for 15 years.
Gay is an assistant basketball coach for the Red Devils and also helped out with baseball. He was on the football staff in 2012 when they played for a state championship; was a member of the basketball staff when they competed in the 2012 Final 4 and was an assistant on the 2019 baseball team that made the Final 4.
The West Liberty alum and his wife, Shannon, have two daughters, Hailey and Savannah.
DON GIFFIN has been at St. Clairsville for 25 years as an assistant coach, earning the Offensive Coach of the Year laurels in 2011 and 2012.
The Bellaire High School and Ohio University graduate was on the Ohio staff in 2007 and is currently the OVAC Assistant Basketball Commissioner.
Giffin and wife, Lisa, have one son, Joel.
STEPHEN HICKS is a graduate of Buckeye Local High School and Ohio State University. He played football and basketball for the Panthers and also ran track.
He has been at St. Clairsville for 14 years as an assistant football coach. He also coaches wrestling and previously coached track.
Hicks and his wife, Katie, have two sons, Luca and Callum.
JOHN KUTCHER has been with the Red Devils for the last seven years and has been coaching football for 22 seasons with stops at Harrison Central and Union Local.
A 1997 graduate of Cadiz, he was a member of the 1996 Division VI Regional runnerups. He won a Clarke Hinkle Award in 1997.
He attended Capital and Ohio universities.
He and his wife, Vikki, reside in Cadiz.
BYRON MAYERS graduated from Brownsville (Pa.) Area High School and Bethany College where he played football and ran track.
He coached two seasons at Buckeye Local before moving to St. Clairsville for the past three.
Mayers and his wife, Chelsey, have three children, Rogan, Halen and Ozzy.
CHRIS PATRONE has been the equipment manager at St. Clairsville for the last 29 years.
A Bridgeport, Ohio, resident, and Bellaire High School graduate, Patrone also coaches track and field. He was also a member of the Ohio staff in the 2007 game and his son, Perry, played in the 2024 contest.
Also a graduate of Ohio University, Patrone has a daughter, Adrianna who is a teacher in the Martins Ferry School District.
VERN RIDGWAY graduated in 1995 from Brooke High School and has been an assistant coach under McLean for the last 25 seasons.
He was a member of the Ohio staff for the 2007 game and received his AAS in Criminal Justice at the former Eastern Gateway Community College in Steubenville.
He resides in Follansbee.
KEVIN SACCO has been at St. Clairsville for 29 years, the past 28 as an assistant football coach. He is also an assistant varsity basketball coach for the Red Devils and coached Tennis for 10 seasons, with his 2006 boys team finishing second in the OVAC Tournament.
A St. Clairsville and Wheeling Jesuit University graduate, Sacco was on the 2007 Ohio staff.
He and his wife, Lori, have a son, T.J.
Team managers are Beau McLean, Hudson Pastor, Luca Hicks and Max Frye.