BETHANY - Steubenville Big Red graduate and Ohio defensive end William Houst is making his mark at all-star games this summer.
First the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Houst shared the Buckeyes' Linemen of the Game award for his play on defense and scored a touchdown on offense in the Penn-Ohio Game.
Now before he's played a down in the 67th-annual Rudy Mumley Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Football Charity Classic, which will kickoff at 7:15 p.m. tonight at Wheeling Island Stadium, he quickly impressed his teammates as Steubenville Central's Brannt Pieniazek, Buckeye Local's Greg Ring, and Harrison Central's Matt Shurina all named him as the teammate they were most excited to play with.
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Houst, an All-Eastern District first-team, All-Ohio Division III second-team, and All-OVAC first-team honoree, humbly laughed off the praise his Buckeye teammates thrust upon him.
"I think they're being sarcastic about it, but it's an honor that they think I'm good," said Houst. "It's fun to be in this game with these guys.
"It's a great honor to play with a bunch of good players from the OVAC. With all the great competition we have with each other it's real nice."
Houst finished his senior campaign with 55 solo tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, and 3.5 sacks.
When asked what he loved to do most on a football field he smiled and replied, "Sack the quarterback. I like to see the fear in his eyes."
It turned out Houst is most excited to see play someone he is very familiar and that he wanted one more chance to team up with.
"(Big Red's) Leshawn Luke at linebacker," he said. "He just has me fired up."
Like his teammates, Houst is very aware of West Virginia's two game win streak and looks to be a part of ending that and starting a new streak for the Buckeyes.
"It'd be big to pass on to the lower class that we beat West Virginia," said Houst. "We can show nobody can beat this group. It'd be nice to go out with one more big game for a win. We're looking for a double digit points win, too."
Houst has plans to head west to begin his college career. Something he is looking forward to a great deal.
"I'm going to go out to a JUCO for a year," said Houst. "I'm going to Gavilan College in California. I'm glad because I was talking to the coach and he said the other player and I are going to battle for the starting position.
"It's pretty nice to go on to the next level and battle for a starting position as a freshman."
