One last chance to see Michael Ream play before BGSU

[UK Peregrine]

I thought I would let those who are interested in possibly attending this game that the sixth annual Van Wert County Hospital All-Star Football Game is this Friday. The game pits the Senior stars of the Western Buckeye League (WBL) against the Northwest Ohio All-Stars (represented by the Midwest Athletic Conference & the Northwest Conference). The game will highlight a few future MAC players, namely Michael Ream.

By MARK ALTSTAETTER

SPENCERVILLE — Northwest Ohio All-Star football coach Randy Woods might have a dilemma on his hands Friday when his team attempts to extend its five-game winning streak against the Western Buckeye League All-Stars. Two questions likely will surface when the two teams meet at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Van Wert’s Eggerss Stadium for the sixth annual Van Wert County Hospital All-Star Football Game.

The first question: Which All-Ohio running back will get more carries, Columbus Grove’s Blaine Maag or Delphos St. John’s Matt Shumaker? The other decision Allen East’s Woods and his coaching staff will face is the task of balancing the running attack with its passing game. The rules of the game call for a 40-60 passing-to-running ratio.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Maag is headed to Ashland University to play football and compete in track and field. Maag rushed for 1,436 yards and 21 touchdowns in his senior season, a year after being named Ohio’s Division VI Offensive Player of the Year.

Shumaker (6-2, 230) will be heading to the University of Toledo to play football. He rushed for 1,235 yards and 15 touchdowns this past season in an injury-plagued campaign. As a junior, Shumaker gained 2,100 yards and scored 31 touchdowns.

Bluffton’s Michael Ream, who will be playing football at Bowling Green State University this fall, said he’s having fun this week. The 6-4, 235-pound Ream will be playing tight end and defensive end for the Northwest Ohio squad. Ream was also busy at the state track meet as he placed fourth in the discus.

“It’s fun to get the chance to play with some of these MAC guys,” Ream said. “We’ll have fun this week (at practice) and on Friday we’ll be ready to play.”

Ream poked fun at Maag and Shumaker after Monday’s practice, saying the team’s offense should do “all right.” “If our backfield was just a little stronger,” Ream said jokingly, “but we’ll be OK.”