HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — Pennsylvania’s top high school football players will face off against Maryland’s best in the 66th Big 33 Football Classic on Sunday.
Pennsylvania will be coached by Mike Farr of Schuylkill Haven and Maryland will be coached by Dameon Powell of CH Flowers. Farr has coached the Hurricanes since 2005, but has been on the coaching staff since 1986.
“I think we’re all excited. It’s been months of waiting for the opportunity to get here,” said Farr.
The “High School Football Super Bowl” is more than a football game. The festivities include cheerleaders, All-Star band members, a buddy program, foster families for players and the scholarship winner.
Additional initiatives such as the buddy program, which matches soccer players and cheerleaders with children with special needs to bond with throughout the event, help improve the community where the event takes place. the event.
On Saturday, a UPMC “Buddy meet and greet” will take place where players and cheerleaders will play together on the pitch at Rocco Ortenzio Stadium. After that, the American Legion Riders will arrive to meet all of the event attendees. Following practice for the players, the PSFAC/RSFA Elite Showcase will begin, which is a combination featuring top high school football players from previous combinations across the state.
Event day on Sunday begins with a Big 33 Renewal Brunch, followed by the Big 33 Recognition Ceremony and PSFCA Hall of Fame Brunch.
From 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., a free fan experience and dynamic rally with inflatable games, children’s activities, food and music will take place. During the event, the PSFCA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. in the Bishop McDevitt Auditorium. This year’s inductees are Garry Gouse (Portage), Bob Palko (West Allegheny/Mt. Lebanon), Jeff Weachter (Bishop McDevitt), Mike Ricci (Garnett Valley) and Rick Keely (Berks Catholic).
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and ceremonies including Dauphin Co. Commissioner, PA Adjutant General, Miss PA, Honorable Big 33 Chairman and former NFL player Bo Orlando and General George Joulwan , former Big 33. The match will start at 7 p.m.
The Pennsylvania center has five players representing the region in the game, including linebacker Rocco Daugherty of Manheim Central, linebacker Amir Jones of Harrisburg, wide receiver Tyshawn Russell and defensive tackle Riley Robell of Bishop McDevitt and running back York Suburban’s Mikey Bentivegna.
When it comes to motivating his players, Farr says it doesn’t take much.
“All you have to say to a Big 33 player is someone from this team, from Maryland or Pennsylvania, is going to be in the NFL one day and then in the Super Bowl,” said Farr. “They really understand when they get the invite to play in this game how important it is.”
Big 33 players are then recruited by Division 1 colleges and many alumni go to the NFL. There has never been a Super Bowl without at least one former Big 33 player on the roster. Some notable products from the Big 33 football classic include NFL players like Kyle Brady, John Cappelletti, Kerry Collins and Sean Gilbert.
The full rosters for the 2023 game are as follows:
Pennsylvania
#NAMEHEIGHTWEIGHTPOSSCHOOL0Jahmil Perryman5-9170 lbsATHMcKeesport1Racari El6-2210 lbsDEGateway2Colin O’Sullivan6-0180 lbsQBUpper Dublin3Daimon Jacobs5-11180 lbsDBWest Chester Rustin4Cadin Olsen6-5220 lbsQBArmstrong5Rocco Daugherty 5-10190 lbs LBManheim Central6Campbell Melzer6-0175 lbDBNorth Allegheny7Semaj Bridgeman6-2235 lbsLBImhotep Charter8Sincere Smith6-1185 lbsWRWestinghouse9Amir Jones6-2190 lbsLBHarrisburg10Cameron Jones5-11185 lbsDBWilson11Christian Santiago6-1240 lbsTEMcDowell12Jamieal Lyons6-4245 lbsDERoman Catholic13Seth Turner 6-1195 lbsPGreat Valley14Kenny Johnson6-2190 lbs.WRDallastown15Wakeem Page5-11175 lbsWRCathedral Prep16Terrell Reynolds6-2235 lbs.DEHarrisburg20Rahmir Stewart6-0195 lbsDBImhotep Charter21Nigel Linton5-8185 lbsRBWhitehall22Tyshawn Russell6-2180 lbsWRBishop McDevitt23Mikey Bentivegna5 -8190 lbsRBYork Suburban24Dylan Darville6-1180 lbsDBEmmaus26Donovan Walker6-1175 lbsDBAliquippa33Ben Sosnowski6-1190 lbsKHollidaysburg35Gavin Moul6-1220 lbsLBethel Park40Max Heckert6-0220 lbsLBPine-Richland52Sean Kerrigan5-11190 lbsLSCentral Bucks East55Kyree Butler6-1315 lbsDTUp by Dublin56Neco Eberhardt6-3280 lbs.DTAliquippa57Andrew Kocan6-4285 .OLCanon-McMillan62Isaiah Kerns6-0270 lbs.OLPine-Richland67Abdullah Daud6-5280 lbs.OLNorth Allegheny70Naquan Crowder6-4340 lbs.OLAliquippa72Anthony Caccese6-7280 lbs.OLExeter Township75Naquil Betrand6-6345 lbs.OLNorthe ast 77Xavier Archawski6-5285 lbs.OLLower Merion88Stephen Scourtis6-4245 lbs. TEstate College99Riley Robell6-3300 lbs.DTBishop McDevitt
Maryland
#NAMEHEIGHTWEIGHTPOSSCHOOL0Ricardo Cooper5-9160 lbs.DBCalvert Hall1Malique Leatherbury5-9170 lbs.WRWicomico2Dillon Dunathan6-2225 lbs.LBDamascus3Sean Johnson5-10185 lbsQBCH Flowers4Sean Williams, Jr.5-10180 lbsRBMilford Mill Academy5Corey Jones6-1170 lbs s.WRMilford Mill Academy6Damarcus Butler6- 2165 booksDBPotomac7Trey Goodridge5 -11180 lbsWRMount Saint Joseph Academy8Max Moss6-0180 lbsWRArchbishop Spalding9Asa Locks6-1180 lbsDBPatuxent10Dustin Hottel5-10210 lbsLBDamascus11Tony Hart, III6-3190 lbsDBDunbar12Jack Pellic ciotti6-2205 lbs.QBLiberty13Kshawn Cox5-11 175 lbs.DBDr. Henry A. Wise14Devin Malloy5-11180 lbs.DBRock Creek Christian Academy15Anthony Hawkins6-3175 lbs.DBBroadneck17Josh Johnson6-2180 lbs.WRLaurel18Matthew Longa6-1200 lbs.LBQuince Orchard19Alan Zhao6-1185 lbsKMarriotts Ridge21Mekhi Dukes5-11160 lbs. WRPatterson23Bryce Cox5-11195 lbs. RBMount Saint Joseph Academy24Nate Furrow5-10200 lbs.LBBel Air31Abraham Olugbemi6-1300 lbs.DLArundel36Julien Moutome6-4225 lbs.DLSt. Frances Academy50Joshua Fedd6-4235 lbs.DLDunbar51Ebubedike Nnabugwu6-2290 lbs.OLDunbar52Emanuel Gee6-3320 lbs.DLMilford Mill Academy54Jalon Edwards6-3235 lbs.LBPatuxent55Chimdy Onoh6-6275 lbs. OLMcDonogh58Brandon Fuentes6-4340 lbs.OLDamascus71Aidan Johnson6-3280 lbs.OLOour Lady of Good Counsel72Dajuan Jones6-1300 lbs.DLDundalk74Caleb Herb6-4280 lbs.OLSouth River75Rodney Judkins6-3270 lbs.OLMergenthaler Vo-Tech77Michael Crounse6-5300 lbs .OLDematha Catholic88AJ Szymanski6-4240 pounds .TELoyola Blakefield99Josh Hay ward5-9230 lbs.DLFrederick
