Photo by Seth Staskey St. Clairsville duo Colin Oberdick, left, and Drew Sefsick will team up one more time in Saturday’s OVAC All-Star Game.

WHEELING — Drew Sefsick and Colin Oberdick were one of the area’s most lethal combinations.

The St. Clairsville products — quite simply — gave opposing defenses absolute fits.

Now some eight months removed from their last hookup of the season, which came in the Division IV playoffs against Carrollton, the Red Devil paring hopes to rekindle some of their magic Saturday evening during the 76th edition of the OVAC Rudy Mumley All-Star Football Game.

The Sefsick to Oberdick combination helped to earn each player All-Ohio acclaim last season after they hooked up 39 times for 973 yards and 13 touchdowns through the air.

Quite simply, Sefsick and Oberdick did for each other what good players — in all sports — do. They made each other better.

Unfortunately, the pair’s run together was cut short.

During the aforementioned game against Carrollton, Sefsick sustained what proved to be a significant knee injury that not only cost him the rest of the football season, but it also led to him being on the shelf for both high school basketball and baseball seasons.

As the Devils adjusted their offensive approach because of the adjustments at the quarterback spot, Oberdick’s production was limited.

He caught only five passes for 41 yards in the final two Red Devil games.

“It’s awesome that we have this chance to play in this game and do it together,” Oberdick said. “It’s like one last hurrah for us, so it’s really exciting.”

Once Sefsick was cleared to return to sports, he resumed his baseball career with the Post 159 American Legion squad and he and Oberdick worked out together to prepare for this week’s game.

It was like they didn’t miss a beat.

“I feel like he hasn’t missed a step since his knee injury,” Oberdick said. “We’ve thrown every week and it’s felt like it did during the season. He’s gotten his legs under him, the arm strength is there and the tight spiral is there. Everything’s good.”

Sefsick, who admitted that when he returned to doing football workouts, felt soreness quite simply because of the use of different muscles than he had been using for baseball and in rehab. However, there was no apprehension or nerves.

“I am ready to go,” Sefsick said. “I will admit the first day (of OVAC camp), I was taking it a little easier than I normally would, but as the week has gone on, I feel a lot more comfortable.”

Knowing the fact that Sefsick is coming off the injury and he’s got a baseball career at Wheeling University ahead of him, Ohio head coach Mike McKenzie and his offensive staff have been developing packages for Sefsick as more of the throwing quarterback and Monroe Central’s Malachi Rose-Burton will be a dual-threat option.

“I don’t plan on doing much running or scrambling,” Sefsick smiled. “I like the offense Coach McKenzie uses. It’s totally different from what we did at St. Clairsville, but I really like it. It’s a lot of passing and screen-type stuff.”

Though he doesn’t plan to run and there probably won’t be any designed runs for Sefsick, he realizes that West Virginia’s players will be trying to bring a pass rush.

“I have to do what I have to do in the game,” Sefsick sad.

That offensive approach is one that Sefsick and Oberdick, who is headed to Wheeling University for football, hope to exploit one more time together.

“It feels really good to represent St. Clairsville one more time,” Oberdick said. “I’ll always represent St. Clairsville, but this is truly the last time to do it in a high-school event, and I didn’t think about that until I got here. It’s truly an honor.”

Sefsick is also soaking up the entire OVAC All-Star experience.

“Being on this team is really fun and a great honor,” Sefsick said. “I am thankful that I have the opportunity. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and coming off the injury makes it even more special.”