The unofficial kickoff to the 2013 season occurs on Sunday, July 28, when the 68th annual Rudy Mumley OVAC All-Star Charity Football Classic is staged at Wheeling Island Stadium.

The 64 players and coaching staffs from Ohio and West Virginia report to camp at Bethany College on July 21 to begin their week-long preparations.

Ohio Coach Mark Holenka (Shadyside) and West Virginia Coach Mike Young (Wheeling Central) both have finalized their rosters for the game.

“Picking this team can be a tough process because you want to do what’s right and honor as many kids as possible,” Holenka said. “It’s kind of like fitting a puzzle together because you have some criteria to meet and you can only take so many kids by position.”

In Ohio, 20 of the member schools have at least one player in the game. Seeing that Holenka led his Tigers to a 10-0 season and another trip to the Division VI playoffs, he took the maximum four of his own players on the team.

The West Virginia coaching staff was able to get even representation as well, which has become a goal of Young’s each time he’s done this game.

“I try to pick at least one kid from each school and we were able to do that for the most part,” Young said. “I think we only have two schools not represented and one of those had a player turn it down.”

Young, who guided the Maroon Knights back to the West Virginia Class-A playoffs, chose three of his own players. Those being Nick Naumann, Michael Pleva, and Chance Siebieda. In addition to his own players, Young selected multiple players from all of the Mountain State’s OVAC schools.

Area members participating in this year’s OVAC All-Star game are Nick Asturi and Evan Eggleston from River; Stephen Rogalski and Tanner Hanna from Magnolia; Chris Varner from Hundred; Spencer Mason from Valley; and Hunter LeMasters and Alex Doak from Tyler Consolidated.

Besides the football game there is a McDonald’s OVAC All Star Band, Queen of Queens pageant , and two cheerleading squads.

The West Virginia All Star cheerleaders will include area cheerleaders Kayla Adams and James Jeffers from Magnolia and Lynnsie Parsons from Paden City.

The OVAC McDonald’s All Star Band will have 155 kids at their disposal, including area band members Reece Warren, Archie Petin, Anne Miller, Kendra and Haley White, all from Magnolia High School; Wesley Lloyd from River; Samantha Roberts from Valley; and Veronica Rine, Daniel Grimm, Josh Pelikan, and Caroline Bantug from Tyler Consolidated.

Former OVAC All-Stars making a return trip from 1961-1962 All Star Team include, Don Rice from Hundred; Chuck Grandstaff, Bill Stuart, and Coach Bob Sullivan from Magnolia; Raymond Rataiczak from Powhatan; and Reggie Cooper from Paden City.

Eliza Cain from Magnolia High School and Taylor Clem from Tyler Consolidated High School are the only area 2013 Queen of Queen contestants.

Forty-one of the 50 schools in the OVAC are represented by participants in activities related to this year’s game. There are 36 schools being represented during the OVAC All-Star Classic, including 155 band members, 19 Queen of Queen candidates, 19 cheerleaders, and 64 football players.

Tickets are on sale at Witschey’s Market with tickets available for $7. All tickets at the gate will be $10. All children under the age of five are admitted free of charge.