The Ohio High School
Football Coaches Association sent more of a representative all-star
team to Hershey, Pa., to face a Pennsylvania all-star team in the 51st
annual Big 33 Football Classic Saturday, but the result remained the
same.
The
Pennsylvania all-stars jumped out to a 24-0 lead and cruised to a 31-16
win over the Ohio squad before an estimated crowd of 7,000 at
Hersheypark Stadium.
The Ohio High School
Football Coaches Association sent more of a representative all-star
team to Hershey, Pa., to face a Pennsylvania all-star team in the 51st
annual Big 33 Football Classic Saturday, but the result remained the
same.
The
Pennsylvania all-stars jumped out to a 24-0 lead and cruised to a 31-16
win over the Ohio squad before an estimated crowd of 7,000 at
Hersheypark Stadium. The victory was the third straight for the
Pennsylvania side, which now has a 9-7 edge since the Ohio-Pennsylvania
Big 33 series resumed in 1993.
The
Ohio teams were blown out the last two years (61-42 in 2006 and 28-10
last year) as the lion’s share of the state’s top available players
went to the Ohio North-South Classic, which was played simultaneously
with the Big 33. But the OHSFCA allowed Ohio Big 33 coach Jim Ryan of
Olmsted Falls to have more access to the state’s top players.
Ryan’s
Big 33 team included four OSU signees in kicker Ben Buchanan, tight end
Nic DiLillo, defensive end Nathan Williams and defensive tackle
Shawntel Rowell. Defensive back Zach Domicone was also on the Big 33
roster at one point, but missed the game due to an apparent injury.
The
Ohio squad also included two other players who could wear the Scarlet
and Gray.
Defensive lineman Dawann Whitner plans to enroll at OSU in
the winter, while wide receiver Taylor Rice of Dublin Scioto said he
plans to enroll this fall as a walk-on.
Rice had a 13-yard touchdown catch on the game’s final play.
Buchanan
booted a 47-yard field goal, but also had a punt blocked following an
errant snap. DiLillo made one catch for minus-5 yards. Rowell had
roughly five tackles with at least one going for a loss. Williams was
also praised for his play at end for Ohio.
“There
were some situations in the first half where they took advantage of the
opportunities we gave them,” Ryan said. “They did a nice job of
capitalizing on those mistakes and we had to play catch-up.”
The
Ohio MVP was running back Michael Shaw of Trotwood-Madison, who is
headed to Michigan. Shaw had a second-half touchdown run for Ohio.
The
Pennsylvania MVP was Temple-bound defensive lineman Adrian Robinson, a
Harrisburg product who logged three sacks and a blocked punt.
“Defensively,
we were tough to handle,” said Pennsylvania coach Jim Morgans of
Parkland. “Our guys up front played exceptionally well.”
Pennsylvania quarterback Tino Sunseri, a Pittsburgh signee, threw three touchdown passes for the Keystone State squad.
Pennsylvania
struck first with a 93-yard touchdown drive, keyed by two Ohio personal
foul penalties. Suneri capped it with a 10-yard TD pass to Jonathan
Baldwin. Sunseri then found Cameron Saddler in the left flat for a
catch-and-run 52-yard TD that made it 14-0.
David
Soldner’s 39-yard field goal made it 17-0 before Robinson blocked an
Ohio punt, setting up a Mike Jones 3-yard TD run and a 24-0 halftime
lead for Pennsylvania.
