PA Big 33/PSFCA East-West all star rosters to be announced next Thursday

Tagged under: All-Stars, News

Billy Splain | January 25, 2019

St. Joseph quarterback Marquez McCray drops back to pass for team PA in 2018 game

On Thursday, January 31, 2019, 11:00 a.m from the Dauphin County Administration Building, Pennsylvania’s 38-member Big 33 team will be announced along with the Pennsylvania and Maryland Cheer Teams for the 62nd Big 33 Football Classic. Under the leadership of the statewide coaches’ organization, the Dauphin County Commissioners are partnering to support the PSFCA Big 33 Football Classic, an all-star football game, that has also been described as the “Super Bowl of high school football, ” and has been played since 1957.

The Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association’s (PSFCA) Big 33 game will be played on Monday, May 27th at Central Dauphin School District’s Landis Field in Lower Paxton Township, Dauphin County. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. with Pre-Game fun, family events being planned, starting in the morning. This is the first time the game has been held on Memorial Day, a move that Executive Director Garry Cathell said was done “so that more of the higher profile players could play in the game. With many colleges having players report early, we hope this gives more players a chance to participate in the game. We lose a lot of players each year due to the early report dates some colleges have.”

In every Super Bowl there has been an alumna of the Big 33 game. This year there are two representatives: New England Patriot back up QB Brian Hoyer who was a member of the 2004 Ohio team that defeated Pennsylvania 34-30. Hoyer was the quarterback for St. Ignatius in Cleveland, Ohio and Rams safety John Johnson III. Johnson was a member of the 2013 Big 33 squad from Maryland. That team lost to a Tyler Boyd led PA team 58-27. In addition to those players, the Big 33 is also represented by Rams defensive end Aaron Donald was selected to play for the PA squad in 2010 but did not play in the game and 1997 alum Brett Veach from Mt Carmel who is the KC general manager.

Bruce Clark poses with his wife and son Brandon after last years Big 33 game

Former Penn State defensive player Bruce Clark has been named as this years honorary captain. Clark was a member of the 1976 Big 33 team and played for New Castle in high school. Clark has not only played in the game and now serving as honorable chairman, last year he got to watch his son, Brandon, play in the game. 

In addition to the PSFCA Big 33 Game, the 2019 East/West All Star Game will take place this year on Sunday, May 5th with a 2 p.m. kickoff at Mansion Park Stadium in Altoona, PA. The rosters for each team will also be revealed on Thursday. This maybe the last time these two games will be played on separate weekends. Discussions are being held about having both games take place on the same weekend.

For information on how the teams are chosen go to https://westernpafootball.net/news/how-are-the-big-33-and-east-west-teams-chosen/

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