Cook Takes Male Gamer of the Week Honors
Teays Physical Therapy Center, Inc. and The Putnam Herald are pleased to present this week’s male Gamer of the Week to senior, Jay Cook of the Poca High School football team.
The Fall 2020 sports season has been a whirlwind to say the least. But if anyone was built to handle the tough circumstances, it was the senior class for the Poca Dots football team. The group of seniors has been through a lot in their four years, from a humble 2-8 start as freshman in the 2017 season to a contender for the state championship each of the last couple years. They have been through the hard times and have come out on the other side. This week’s Gamer of the Week is the embodiment of that grit and determination. Senior quarterback, Jay Cook has led his team through the good times and the bad. With this season being severely impacted by the COVID-19 virus, Cook led the Dots to a 5-1 record in the games they were able to play with the lone loss coming to AAA power, Cabell Midland. In the team’s final two games, they defeated cross-county rivals, Buffalo and Winfield. On October 16, the Dots took down a strong Buffalo side 42-7. Three weeks later on November 6, they followed that up with a 13-7 slugfest victory against Winfield. In that game, Cook led the charge going 14-23 for 141 yards through the air and 2 touchdowns. The Dots were without key position players Ethan and Toby Payne for this game, but Cook led the way to victory as other members of the team stepped up in their absence. “Obviously Toby and Ethan are very good players and a huge part of our team, but I think with that win we were able to show that we aren’t just a two-player team and that we have a lot of guys who can play and are ready to step up and contribute whenever they are called upon,” noted Cook.
With the unknown constantly looming, the season has been frustrating for Cook. “It’s been a really tough year. Especially being a senior and it being my last year, it’s just been tough not getting play all of our games. But it’s been important for us to stay focused and be able to practice every week and get ready for the next game whenever you finally do get an opportunity to play again. It would be pretty easy to get down and not care anymore, but our team has done a pretty good job of staying positive and staying ready to go.” In an article with the Charleston Gazette last year, head coach Seth Ramsey had this to say about Cook’s presence within the locker room. “He’s just a great leader. Very reliable and very tough. I’ve always said that if you have a tough quarterback, you’re going to have a tough team, and I believe we have one of the toughest quarterbacks around. He’s just so smart and he’s a winner. That’s what you want out of that position.”
Cook is even more successful in the classroom than he is on the football field with a 4.2 GPA throughout high school. He is a member of the baseball team, student council, National Honor Society, and has done Math Field Day. He will attend Marshall next fall to explore a career in the science field whether that be pre-Med or pre-Dentistry.
At the time of writing, the conclusion to the Dots season is still up in the air. They are firmly in the AA state playoffs if the season is allowed to be completed. If it is not however, that will not mark the legacy that Cook and his fellow seniors have left on the town and the school as a group that turned the fortunes around for that football program. “This team is like a brotherhood. It’s like a big family. It’s been a really great experience to represent my town. I love Poca. I love the school, the community, all my teammates. It’s just been really great to represent them over the past 4 years,” noted Cook. From an outsider’s perspective, it really is about more than just sports in the home of the Dots. It’s about the feeling you’re able to provide a community with that has given you so much growing up.
Please look for other local high school athletes to be named in next week’s male Gamer of the Week Sponsored by Teays Physical Therapy Center, Inc. and The Putnam Herald.
Jonah Skiles, MBA, is the Director of Fitness Operations at Teays Physical Therapy Center and Potential Plus.