Nogay siblings teaming for the same goal
Friday, December 4 , 2009
By JOSH STROPE- The Intelligencer & Wheeling News-Register
Wrestling coach Mike Nogay has left quite a legacy on the Weirton Madonna athletics program.
While successful in his own right, his biggest contribution to the school has been his children.
Triplets Eddie, Jen, and Max have been solid players and students during their four seasons with the Blue Dons.
Eddie and Max, who will be starting in Saturday's West Virginia Class A championship game against Man at Wheeling Island Stadium, have grown leaps and bounds since their freshmen seasons under the tutelage of Bob Kramer.
They are also standouts on the wrestling and baseball teams.
Jen is a three-sport star in her own right, putting up solid numbers in soccer, basketball, and softball.
While Jen is preparing for basketball season, which starts Tuesday at Bishop Donahue, her brothers are set to make up for last season's defeat in what is going to be the biggest football game of their lives.
''We've been excited because of what happened last year around this time,'' Max said. ''We feel we have some unfinished business. We are prepared to go in there and do what needs to be done.
''I'm thankful I'm healthy and most of my team is. We are healthy and we are real excited.
''It means a lot to us and it's a big goal for us to bring a title back to the high school and community.''
Max, this season's quarterback, was limited during the 2008 title game against Williamstown because of a cast on his hand, the result of a broken wrist. He played on defense and made 14 tackles.
This season, Max is making his name one that will go down in Weirton Madonna lore.
Max has rushed for 1,087 yards and 22 scores in his senior campaign. In his last four games (regular-season finale at then-unbeaten Clay-Battelle and in the playoffs against Gilbert, Tucker County and Wheeling Central), the 5-foot-11, 180-pound signalcaller has carried the ball 80 times for 674 yards and 11 touchdowns.
''Everybody seems to be focusing on Max because he has so much ability,'' Kramer said. ''He is surrounded by a great supporting cast and each one in their own right has done their job. They do things for whoever is carrying the ball but when Max is in there, they feel real confident in their jobs.''
And football might be his worst sport.
The youngest of the Nogay siblings, born 4 minutes after Eddie and 2 after Jen, is a state wrestling champion, and during the baseball playoffs last season hit three home runs against Williamstown to put the Blue Dons in the state tournament. He's hoping to play baseball in college, looking at West Virginia, Pittsburgh, and Duquesne as possible destinations.
''It's been a great experience,'' Eddie said. of playing with Max in three different sports. ''He's my younger brother, but not my little brother. It's a sibling rivalry. We excel together in athletics and I'm glad he's on our team.''
Max may get most of the attention, but Eddie is far from a slouch.
The 5-11, 150-pound wideout has nine catches this season for 167 yards and two touchdowns.
That's right, when Max is looking to throw the ball, he has a speedy target that he has been working with since they were kids. It's a chemistry that has made this quite a pairing.
On the first play from scrimmage this season, the dynamic duo connected for a 44-yard touchdown pass against Paden City.
''I ran a deep fly pattern for a touchdown,'' Eddie said. ''We are on our own little page out there.''
And of course, there is always going to be a sibling rivalry.
''If I can get an interception one game or he throws a touchdown one game, we always try to one-up each other,'' Eddie said. ''See who can make the bigger play. But the best is when we both join forces together to make a big play, that's when it's most exciting.''
Max added: ''It's a love and hate thing. I love having him out there. I hate when he gets hit. Sometimes we get in arguments, but at the end of the day we just laugh about it.''
