Big-33

[I-AA Fan]

The Big-33 is still considered the premier game in prep ball. It feature the top-33 players from Ohio and PA. Although, these days the state's have own all-star games and many of the players commit early & do not risk playing ...it is still some of the best players is HS ball today. Needless to say, recruiting any of these players is quite an accomplishment. Here is a list of Big-33 players from the 2009 NFL draft:

2009 NFL Draft - Big 33 Alumni:

1. Round 2- Brian Robiskie (OH) Ohio State- Cleveland Browns
2. Round 4- Brian Hartline (OH) Ohio State- Miami Dolphins
3. Round 5- Scott McKillop (PA) Pitt -San Francisco 49ers
4. Round 5- Javon Ringer (OH) Michigan St - Tennessee Titans
5. Round 7- Larod Stephens-Howling (PA) Pitt- Arizona Cardinals
6. Round 7- Mike Mickens- (OH) - Cincinnati- Dallas Cowboys
7. Round 7- A.Q. Shipley (PA) - Penn State – Pittsburgh Steelers
8. Round 7 -Jaimie Thomas (PA) - University of Maryland – Indianapolis Colts


Here is a list of this year's Big-33 players that have committed to I-AA/FCS schools:

**Ohio:
-78 Smith Jake Columbus DeSales Saint Francis Business 6'2" 280 OL

**PA:
-4 Akins Ronnie North Penn Villanova undecided 6' 1" 185 DB - Defensive Backs
-62 Bucci Josh Beaver Area H.S. Villanova Civil Engineering 6'6" 320 OL - Offensive Lineman
-9 Colbert Jay Neshaminy New Hampshire Education 6' 2" 233 DE - Defensive Ends
-17 Fox Brent Muhlenberg William & Mary 6'0" 180 WR - Wide Receivers
-72 Heath Brandon W.C. Henderson H.S. Delaware History 6' 6" 305 OL - Offensive Lineman
-8 Houston Chris Bishop McDevitt New Hampshire undecided 5' 10" 175 DB - Defensive Backs
-16 Latimer Horvin Bethlehem Liberty Duquesne Accounting 6' 2" 225 LB - Linebackers
-26 Marsh Lyle Bethel Park H.S. Pennsylvania Business 6' 2" 215 RB - Running Backs
-7 Morgan Billy Cardinal O'Hara Hofstra undecided 5' 10" 165 DB - Defensive Backs
-60 Pinciotti Mike St. Joseph's Prep Pennsylvania Business 6' 3" 292 DL - Defensive Lineman
-15 Schademan John Bethel Park H.S. Colgate Business 6' 195 WR - Wide Receivers
-6 Sharbaugh Carson Wilmington Youngstown State Undecided 6'5" 230 LB - Linebackers
-65 Shirey Dan Neshaminy Villanova Education 6'3" 274 OL - Offensive Lineman
-34 Stupar Rob State College Youngstown State Communication/Business 6' 235 DE - Defensive Ends

[WMTribe90]

Are more IA recruits passing on this game? Seems like in years past there would only be two or three IAA guys on the PA roster and PA could certainyl fill an a 33 man roster with IA recruits. Happy for the IAA players on the roster, but curious as to the change.

[andy7171]

Hey, Maryland used to play Pennsylvania in the Big33. I think we beat them the last time and they took their ball and went back to Ohio.

Famous Maryland Big 33 Alum

1989 - Andy7171 - Towson State

[93henfan]

Hey, Maryland used to play Pennsylvania in the Big33. I think we beat them the last time and they took their ball and went back to Ohio.

Famous Maryland Big 33 Alum

1989 - Andy7171 - Towson State

Showboater. xnonono2x :p

[andy7171]

Showboater. xnonono2x :p

You know how many times "The Big 33" pops up in Maryland? I can count on one hand. :o

..I have learned it garnishes more awe factor in PA. xwhistlex

[WMTribe90]

Hey, Maryland used to play Pennsylvania in the Big33. I think we beat them the last time and they took their ball and went back to Ohio.


1992 Pennsylvania 38 Over Maryland All-Stars 0
1991 Maryland All-Stars 17 Over Pennsylvania 9
1990 Pennsylvania 42 Over Maryland All-Stars 28
1989 Pennsylvania 29 Over Maryland All-Stars 19
1988 Pennsylvania 21 Over Maryland All-Stars 13
1987 Maryland All-Stars 26 Over Pennsylvania 22
1986 Pennsylvania 21 Over Maryland All-Stars 7
1985 Pennsylvania 17 Over Maryland All-Stars 14

Not quite, PA won the last game against MD in 91 and PA was 6-2 against MD for the series. Looks like most the games were close though. I definitely prefer the match-up with OH. Like PA, OH has more of a football reputation and the match-up ties into the natural Big 10, PSU v OSU rivalry.

PA leads the series with OH (11-9) all time and this series is more competitive than the MD games. Never knew the Big 33 had a series againt TX, which TX dominated 1-3.

http://www.big33.org/game-history/game-scores-stats/

[andy7171]

Not quite, PA won the last game against MD in 91 and PA was 6-2 against MD for the series. Looks like most the games were close though. I definitely prefer the match-up with OH. Like PA, OH has more of a football reputation and the match-up ties into the natural Big 10, PSU v OSU rivalry.

PA leads the series with OH (11-9) all time and this series is more competitive than the MD games. Never knew the Big 33 had a series againt TX, which TX dominated 1-3.

http://www.big33.org/game-history/game-scores-stats/

It was definatley a mismatch against Maryland. Everyone on the PA roster was I-A bound, mostly big time programs. While most on the Maryland roster were I-AA bound. I was one of three Towson State Tigers on the roster.

Not sure if they employ this rule anymore, but it one team got up by a certain score, they'd kick off if the losing team scored. Kinda like a slaughter rule to keep the game close. My team came back and almost won using that rule. Still to this day I blame our loss on Tyoka Jackson's late hit on the QB in the final minutes.

[Franks Tanks]

Are more IA recruits passing on this game? Seems like in years past there would only be two or three IAA guys on the PA roster and PA could certainyl fill an a 33 man roster with IA recruits. Happy for the IAA players on the roster, but curious as to the change.

Top recruits are bypassing the Big 33 in many cases these days, as many are enrolling in school early. Even in prime years a few Big 33 guys were still going to FCS or D-II schools as the game rewards performance not necessarily how big of a prospect they are. Every so often guys going to big schools are not selected for the Big 33.

[GannonFan]

The Big-33 isn't what it used to be. Sure the matchup of PA-Ohio looks sexier than PA-Maryland, but the Ohio team typically doesn't have the best of the best from Ohio, many of whom opt to play in-state all-star games instead. Still a nice honor, for sure, but it ain't what it used to be in the past.

[Bull Fan]

I'd bet the obvious, that the I-A prospects don't want to risk injury. That seems to be the case with some NY all-star games.

Oh wait, NY doesn't really have a lot of I-A signees xlolx

[ElSissy]

No Super Bowl has been played without at least one Big 33 alum.

[WMTribe90]

Comparing the rosters this year, it appears all but a few of the Ohio players signed with FBS/BCS programs, whereas nearly half the PA players are FCS bound. The WM player is a walk-on receiver, granted he may end up being a great player. It will be interesting to see if the FCS laden PA roster can hold up to the OH roster.

I realize this game rewards outstanding HS careers and isn't based on college pedigree or potential, but obviously some PA players passed on this game. It's a shame more players are bypassing this game IMO. I would have loved the opportunity to play in this game coming out of HS.

[Hoyadestroya85]

Villanova got a good haul this year.. 3 players. Last year we got around two. Shows that Andy Talley is doing a good job recruiting in state.

[Hoyadestroya85]

No Super Bowl has been played without at least one Big 33 alum.

great point.. And i don't see that ending any time soon

[carney2]

I'd bet the obvious, that the I-A prospects don't want to risk injury.

Apparently not the case. As an earlier poster stated, the biggest problem appears to be that many FBS prospects are starting school in the summer - or even the spring - to get into the swing of things before football camp opens. The Big 33 people have jockeyed the date of the game around to fit more players into the schedule, but, as others have said, it ain't what it used to be.

[Paladin1aa]

Here is some info from last years promo on the game. It should be noted that Pa. moved the game up one month to coincide with Ohio's North-South All Star game several years ago . Needless to say, Ohio's game is the longest running All Star game in the nation and has long time tradition. The Big 33 game gets nothing like the talent in the North-South game. Thats going to change or Pa. is going to lose Ohio as well . Most of Ohio's big time players used to opt for playing both the North-South game & the Big 33. But when Pa moved it to the same day, it cut the Ohio talent base down and gave Pa what they were looking for-- going against less than Ohio's best to get an edge in a game .

http://www.jjhuddle.com/news/story.php?article=1463&textsize=small

[turbodean]

Apparently not the case. As an earlier poster stated, the biggest problem appears to be that many FBS prospects are starting school in the summer - or even the spring - to get into the swing of things before football camp opens.

Carney2 how is it that so many FBS players are starting college in January of their senior year? My son attending a top notch prep school and even took classes two summers during his high school years. He was a decent student but there's no way he would have been allowed to graduate a semester early.

How is it these kids can arrange to graduate early all of a sudden once they have a big time schollie offer? I'm really suspicious of this.

So the NCAA can stop FCS summer camps for charitible causes, but FBS schools can raid high schools like this at will. It's amazing how some of these top FBS prospects are such academic geniuses... and can graduate ahead of their peers.

Am i the only one that questions this?

[Hoyadestroya85]

Carney2 how is it that so many FBS players are starting college in January of their senior year? My son attending a top notch prep school and even took classes two summers during his high school years. He was a decent student but there's no way he would have been allowed to graduate a semester early.

How is it these kids can arrange to graduate early all of a sudden once they have a big time schollie offer? I'm really suspicious of this.

So the NCAA can stop FCS summer camps for charitible causes, but FBS schools can raid high schools like this at will. It's amazing how some of these top FBS prospects are such academic geniuses... and can graduate ahead of their peers.

Am i the only one that questions this?

most kids have enough credits to graduate by the end of the first semester of senior year.. i know i did and i took a reduced load that semester.

[downbythebeach]

Good to see St. Francis get a big 33 player; from their website it looks as if he is the only non-FBS recruit on the Ohio team

[Franks Tanks]

Hey, Maryland used to play Pennsylvania in the Big33. I think we beat them the last time and they took their ball and went back to Ohio.

Famous Maryland Big 33 Alum

1989 - Andy7171 - Towson State

Andy- the Big 33 apperance is very impressive.

[andy7171]

Andy- the Big 33 apperance is very impressive.

..thank you for the delayed acknowledgment. xlolx

I was a first alternate and got the call 3 weeks priot to the game. For a very small, 400 students/160 boys, Catholic school, my school put 4 players in the game in a 5 year span. 2 QBs, a WR and me. xreadx

I was on Richie Andersons team and played against Sean Gilbert and Kevin Mitchell. Gilbert was a 6'5" 300lb OLB at the time! xeekx

[TexasTerror]

Pennsylvania, you guys still not willing to play Texas? I do not blame you... ;)


Turning to the lesser states, NFL Network will air the Big 33 high school all-star game between Ohio and Pennsylvania at 6 p.m. Saturday. The Big 33 game matched Texas and Pennsylvania from 1964 through 1967, but the Pennsylvanians cried calf rope after Texas teams, coached by Bobby Layne, won the final three games by scores of 26-10, 34-2 and 45-14. ...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/6487587.html

[Tribe4SF]

Pennsylvania, you guys still not willing to play Texas? I do not blame you... ;)



http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/6487587.html

Those games were during my high school career in PA, and the last two were rough stuff. Texas brought a whole lot of speed those last two years, and we just couldn't hang with them. PA teams were still power focused, and the Texas teams were ahead of the curve.

[andy7171]

I would imagine Texas HS football is to Pennsylvania as Pennsylvania is to Maryland. Just in shear size and talent selection.

[TexasTerror]

I would imagine Texas HS football is to Pennsylvania as Pennsylvania is to Maryland. Just in shear size and talent selection.

Texas currently has its Dallas/Ft Worth area all-stars play Oklahoma in the Oil Bowl and Houston/East Texas group contest Louisiana in the Bayou Bowl. We're split squading against two strong football states. :)

[Franks Tanks]

I would imagine Texas HS football is to Pennsylvania as Pennsylvania is to Maryland. Just in shear size and talent selection.

PA still has very good high school FB and produces a ton of talent. However, Florida, Texas and Cali are cleary the kings right now and stand above the rest by a pretty good margin. PA, Ohio, Louisiana, Virginia, and maybe the Carolina's are probabably in the second tier.

[ngineer]

Speed and quickness are the names of the game.

[I-AA Fan]

PA still has very good high school FB and produces a ton of talent. However, Florida, Texas and Cali are cleary the kings right now and stand above the rest by a pretty good margin. PA, Ohio, Louisiana, Virginia, and maybe the Carolina's are probabably in the second tier.


The debate over HS talent will go on forever. Personally I hate prep football ...outside of who is going to the colleges I follow.


Would not agree at all with your comments. FL, TX, and Cali will produce the the largest numbers, but you are also looking at population ...raw numbers. Heck Ohio and PA combined have only about 1/4 of the number of HS football players as FL or CA ...their populations are moving to Florida and California ...in fact, that is why I have a huge hatred for Florida football teams ...they win with Ohio and PA talent. Take look at the bloodline of most top Florida HS players (2 generations max) and you will see what I mean. One only needs to look at the head-coaches in the last several BCS title games ...Les Miles, Bob Stoops, Jim Tressel, and Urban Meyer all hail from Ohio. Tressel is the only one not coach Ohio prep ball, but he played it. Gee has there been a BCS championship without one of these guys on the sidelines? All of these guys recruit heavily in their home state.


NEO and WPA is once again a premier region for prep ball, and really second-to-none. Eastern PA has diminished heavily, in favor of VA & MD which have really vaulted in prestige. Also, you could not even dream of placing the Carolinas above a state like Georgia. Recruit per recruit, outside of Florida, no state produces the number of DI recruits that GA has (and continues to do) ...in terms of population of HS players. Look at the figures below:

Florida 981 18,328,340 1.9
Texas 974 24,326,974 2.5
California 826 36,756,666 4.4
Georgia 481 9,685,744 2.0
Ohio 362 11,485,910 3.1
Pennsylvania 281 12,448,279 4.4


The last number is factor based on % of population that were recruited for DI football. GA is right in there with Florida, at half the population.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

While we're on the subject of Big 33, Lehigh had one player called into the game - LB Sam Loughrey - that had a nice article about him. xthumbsupx

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09176/979591-365.stm


When Wisconsin recruit A.J. Fenton of Erie McDowell was injured during a practice about a week prior to the Big 33 Classic high school football all-star game, the Pennsylvania team needed a replacement.

Central Catholic graduate and Shaler resident Sam Loughrey was happy to oblige.

Loughrey, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound linebacker who will play at Lehigh University, was called on to fill in and take part in the prestigious game, which has more than half a century of tradition.

[Franks Tanks]

The debate over HS talent will go on forever. Personally I hate prep football ...outside of who is going to the colleges I follow.


Would not agree at all with your comments. FL, TX, and Cali will produce the the largest numbers, but you are also looking at population ...raw numbers. Heck Ohio and PA combined have only about 1/4 of the number of HS football players as FL or CA ...their populations are moving to Florida and California ...in fact, that is why I have a huge hatred for Florida football teams ...they win with Ohio and PA talent. Take look at the bloodline of most top Florida HS players (2 generations max) and you will see what I mean. One only needs to look at the head-coaches in the last several BCS title games ...Les Miles, Bob Stoops, Jim Tressel, and Urban Meyer all hail from Ohio. Tressel is the only one not coach Ohio prep ball, but he played it. Gee has there been a BCS championship without one of these guys on the sidelines? All of these guys recruit heavily in their home state.


NEO and WPA is once again a premier region for prep ball, and really second-to-none. Eastern PA has diminished heavily, in favor of VA & MD which have really vaulted in prestige. Also, you could not even dream of placing the Carolinas above a state like Georgia. Recruit per recruit, outside of Florida, no state produces the number of DI recruits that GA has (and continues to do) ...in terms of population of HS players. Look at the figures below:

Florida 981 18,328,340 1.9
Texas 974 24,326,974 2.5
California 826 36,756,666 4.4
Georgia 481 9,685,744 2.0
Ohio 362 11,485,910 3.1
Pennsylvania 281 12,448,279 4.4


The last number is factor based on % of population that were recruited for DI football. GA is right in there with Florida, at half the population.

I understand what you're saying but just by sheer volume of recruits Texas, CA, and Florida rule. It isnt just population either as NY state also has a huge pop, but they produce a fraction on the players as the others. One thing you are correct about is that may of these Florida kids now are Ohio and PA transplants. There are always stories up here about kids in Florida going to such and such school and a line saying that the kids parents are from PA originally. A lot of the PA potential talent, especially eastern pa, has gone to Florida. I would say that the suburban philly region has been producing a lot of talent recently, but other areas of Eastern PA, especially NEPA has suffered a decline.

[I-AA Fan]

I understand what you're saying but just by sheer volume of recruits Texas, CA, and Florida rule. It isnt just population either as NY state also has a huge pop, but they produce a fraction on the players as the others. One thing you are correct about is that may of these Florida kids now are Ohio and PA transplants. There are always stories up here about kids in Florida going to such and such school and a line saying that the kids parents are from PA originally. A lot of the PA potential talent, especially eastern pa, has gone to Florida. I would say that the suburban philly region has been producing a lot of talent recently, but other areas of Eastern PA, especially NEPA has suffered a decline.

Very good point & a great topic. I still think it is primarily population though. Not shear numbers, but the type of population. NY is not new money, it is old money. This is why they rank #8 in DI recruits. The populations of people moving to CA, FL, GA, and TX is the largest in the nation ..and leaving the Midwest. The money is new & more plentiful in these states. People moving to NY (and staying) are poor immigrants, or "wannabe media/social stars" ....neither of which know what football is, nor care. At least American football. New $$ means new schools, new facilities.

Also, NY lacks power football universities, so football families moved away years before the Midwest began to migrate. Did you ever call any business in Miami? You would think you called Brooklyn, or Jersey. NY football moved south for 'any' opportunity, while Ohio and PA families moved away for 'more' opportunity.

NY has 3 IA football schools ...Texas has 8, Ohio has 7.
However, NY has 1 BCS school, Texas has 6, Ohio has 2. HUGE difference. Ohio only has 1 scholarship I-AA/FCS school.