Two St. Joseph Central Catholic students pulling double duty

FREMONT, Ohio (WTVG) - Paige Drusback, a junior at St. Joseph Central Catholic High School, loves soccer.

“(The competitiveness and) the aggressiveness in the sport and the ability to express yourself with movements on the field,” Drusback said.

Except SJCC does not offer girls soccer. But Drusback and another St. Joe’s student, freshman Ella Price, have found a unique solution -- they lace up the boots for the girls team at Fremont Ross High School.

“The fact that you can put together a bunch of strangers and they can bond like they’ve been sisters or best friends forever,” Price said.

Severo Ramirez, in his first year as the head coach of the girls varsity soccer team at Fremont Ross, is a long-time club soccer coach around Fremont.

“I’ve actually known Paige before she was in high school,” Ramirez said. “So it’s nice to have the ability to coach her in high school now. For Ella, it is a keeper that we need and she’s been very great in that role.”

The duo has their kicks on the pitch, and when they finish soccer practice, it is quickly off to football practice across town for the St. Joseph Central Catholic football team.

“It’s crazy,” Drusback said. “But it’s kind of fun because you’re getting all of the excitement from one practice and bringing it over and killing a ball. Or trying to.”

Paige’s father Todd is the head football coach at Rossford High school, so football runs in her blood, and she loves watching the Cleveland Browns. This is her first fall playing high school football, and it all started about a year ago at another football game.

“We had a powder puff game last year,” Drusback said. “Me and Ella kicked and we did pretty good. So (Brian) Spicer came up to us and asked us to try out. So we did and now we are on the team, which is crazy.”

Spicer is the head football coach at SJCC and is in fifth season leading the program.

“I also told them I was going to make it worth their while,” Spicer said. “So if they’re going to come out, they’re both going to kick. I told them, ’It is not a competition between the two of you.’ Although I’m sure they probably look at it that way. That’s good because that keeps them on their toes.”

Paige and Ella need to stay on their toes with the clothes they pack for practice since each school in Fremont has a different color.

“I actually got a new pair of cleats today,” Drusback said. “So I’ll be having a purple and white pair for soccer and these will be for football.”

Copyright 2020 WTVG. All rights reserved.