O-R Athlete of the Week: Ethan Varesko, Beth-Center
Name: Ethan Varesko
School: Beth-Center
Class: Senior
Sport: Football
Varesko’s week: The Bulldogs tailback gained 438 yards on 22 carries and scored four touchdowns in Beth-Center’s 52-37 victory over Bentworth in Class A Tri-County South Conference action last Friday at Beth-Center Stadium.
Varesko’s scoring runs were from 65, 48, 49 and 49 yards, and he ran in one two-point conversion. Varesko also threw three passes for two-point conversions.
“I think my best game prior, yardage wise, was 233 yards,” Varesko said. “I knew I was going to be getting a lot of carries because Bentworth throws the ball a lot and puts up points. I want to give a shout out to my line and quarterback, Jonah Sussan, for doing such a great job.”
The 438 rushing yards is believed to the most in a single game by a player from Washington County.
Varesko said he and his teammates enjoy eating at Vesta 88 River House in Fredericktown.
“You have to take the linemen because they do so much work that doesn’t get in the headlines,” Varesko said. “I would have been nowhere close to my rushing total last week without my line.”
Not shying away from contact: Varesko said he was more of a speed back when he started playing football but has transformed into a versatile runner.
“When I was younger, I would always go to the outside and just outrun everyone, but as I matured, I realized I could run between the tackles,” Varesko said. “I enjoy delivering some contact when guys try to tackle me. I also play linebacker on defense, so hitting is nothing new for me.”
Old-school football: Bentworth’s passing game is an anomaly in the Tri-County South Conference as most teams prefer the ground-and-pound approach. Beth-Center hosts West Greene on Friday in a matchup of two 3-1 teams that like to run the football.
The Pioneers’ Colin Brady is one of the top running backs in Class A. Beth-Center is at conference-leading California in two weeks. The Trojans’ Spencer Petrucci has been piling up the yards on the ground, but California has other options at running back.
“We know both games are going to be very physical with a lot of running plays,” Varesko said. “We had a rough start to the season, and I missed the first two games, but we are starting to put it together now. We are confident that we can win the conference and get into the playoffs. All of the seniors want to end their careers at Beth-Center in the postseason.”
Time to relax: Varesko enjoys hunting and fishing when he is not playing sports, lifting weights and conditioning. He plays for the baseball team at Beth-Center as a center fielder, shortstop and pitcher.
“Hunting and fishing are two activities that I really enjoy because it gets you out in nature and helps you to relax,” Varesko said. “When you are playing sports, there is a lot of intensity, which I enjoy, but it is nice to go into the woods or a body of water and have some time to myself.”
Compiled by Jonathan Guth