Print |
E-mail to a friend
PUTNAM NEWS
5 Putnam players close out prep football careers
Corey Good of Buffalo, Kyle Cooper of Hurricane and Kerry Casto of Poca paused following a workout preparing for the North-South All-Star Football Classic last week.
Purchase this photo
CHARLESTON -- Five players representing three Putnam County high schools wrapped up their high school careers last Saturday night in the annual North-South All-Star Football Classic at University of Charleston Stadium.
Kyle Cooper, Andy Fields and Terrell Martin played their prep football at Hurricane. But the trio had a unique opportunity to suit up as teammates again, representing the South Cardinals.
"It was a week of fun," Cooper said. "And it was great to play one more game with my two teammates. We spent the last four years together and had one more go at it."
"I loved it at Hurricane," said Fields. "It was a great experience. We were like a big family. We didn't quite get everything that we wanted to get done, but we started something for the other classes to come."
Cooper (6-foot-1, 215 pounds), Fields (6-0, 180) and Martin (5-11, 190) all plan on playing college football on Saturdays.
Cooper will play linebacker for Robert Morris University, a NCAA sub-division (formerly Division I-AA) team coached by Joe Walton, best known as a head coach of the New York Jets from 1983-1989 and offensive coordinator under Chuck Noll with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1990-1991. He has been the head coach at RMU since 1994.
"It's an honor to be chosen to play in the North-South game," Cooper added. "It's awesome to be able to play with people you watched on film and played against all season."
Fields will play defense at West Virginia Wesleyan while Martin is slated to be a slot back for the Fairmont State offensive unit.
"It was a great opportunity," said Martin of the North-South experience. "I like playing with my friends again. It's one last chance to go out with a bang."
One North-South tradition is the trading of helmet decals. The players bring their own equipment but swap the decals, many players having multiple logos covering their entire helmet.
But on the South squad, there was an abundance of the familiar Redskins decal on many helmets.
"Everyone likes Hurricane, I guess," Martin laughed. "We brought some extra stickers with us."
It's been a little tougher for Corey Good to get statewide recognition for his football exploits than most of the other all-stars, coming from a small Class A school. The former Buffalo Bison was determined to make the most of his final opportunity, however, as a member of the South all-stars.
"It's been a great feeling playing with all these bigger guys," he said. "Some of these guys we get to see a lot on TV and they get a lot of credit. So it was nice to play with them."
Good (6-0, 150 pounds) sees his future as being either a wide receiver or a defensive back at the next level. But he filled in as the Bison quarterback in his senior season.
Good is undecided on his college choice as of now.
"I would like to play football," he said. "Hopefully I can show everyone what I can do. But it was nice to represent Buffalo."
Poca's Kerry Casto joined a legacy of dozens of former Dots to put on the red South jersey to close out their high school football life.
"It feels good to represent Poca," Casto said. "We usually have one or two (players) come up here every year from Poca. I'm glad to be a part of it."
Casto (6-foot-3, 265 pounds) is expected to be an invited walk-on at West Virginia University.
"It's been a dream of mine to play for the Mountaineers," he admitted. "I'll probably be on defense. I'm a little small to be on the offensive line."
The North defeated the South 22-0 in the 2009 game.
Martin contributed in many ways, rushing six times for 13 yards, catching a pass for a three-yard gain, running back two kickoffs for 61 yards and intercepting a pass.
Cooper ran four times for 16 yards and Good caught a pass good for 10 yards.
