Big 33 Football Classic down to 13 WPIAL players for May all-star game

By: Chris Harlan
Sunday, April 4, 2021 | 11:18 PM

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The Big 33 Football Classic is down to 13 WPIAL athletes for this year’s game after a sixth player withdrew.

WPIAL leading rusher and Beaver Falls senior Josh Hough was replaced on the all-star game roster this week. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound running back is a Syracuse recruit and withdrew from the game because of his college commitment, according to Big 33 organizers.

Hough led the WPIAL with 2,051 rushing yards last fall and won a WPIAL title.

State College running back Dresyn Green replaced Hough on Pennsylvania’s roster. Green (5-9, 190) is a Colgate defensive back recruit.

The game is 1 p.m. May 31 at Central Dauphin’s Landis Field near Harrisburg. Pennsylvania will face an all-star team from Maryland, the Keystone State’s opponent since 2013.

The event was canceled last year because of the pandemic.

This year’s 38-player Pennsylvania roster was announced Feb. 18. Among those committed to play are Pine-Richland teammates Luke Miller, Harrison Hayes and Eli Jochem; Central Catholic’s Bralen Henderson, Eddy Tillman and Grant Cullen; Central Valley’s Stephon Hall and Myles Walker; North Allegheny’s Khalil Dinkins; Montour’s Cam McLaurin; Union’s Aaron Gunn; Connellsville’s Ky’Ron Craggette; and Thomas Jefferson’s Preston Zandier.

The latest roster update moved Dinkins from linebacker to wide receiver.

In all, six WPIAL players initially chosen for the game have withdrawn.

Replaced earlier were Pine-Richland quarterback Cole Spencer, Elizabeth Forward defensive end Chase Whatton, Canon-McMillon lineman Connor McMahon and Peters Township teammates Corban Hondru, a linebacker, and Donovan McMillon, a safety.

Pennsylvania roster

Offense

Pos., Player, High school, College

QB, Joey McCracken, Warwick, Maine

QB, Evan Clark, Manheim Township, Penn State

RB, Dresyn Green, State College, Colgate

RB, Eddy Tillman, Pittsburgh Central Catholic, undecided

RB, Ky’Ron Craggette, Connellsville, Notre Dame College

TE, Cade Rooney, St. Joseph’s Prep, Bucknell

TE, Matt Bowes, LaSalle College, Bloomsburg

WR, Malik Cooper, St. Joseph’s Prep, Temple

WR, Khalil Dinkins, North Allegheny, Penn State

WR, Eli Jochem, Pine-Richland, Indiana

WR, Judah Tomb, Central York, St. Francis

WR, Caleb Schmitz, Warwick, Cincinnati

OL, Nolan Rucci, Warwick, Wisconsin

OL, Aaron Gunn, Union, Louisville

OL, Josh Gaffney, Central York, Albany

OL, Harrison Hayes, Pine-Richland, Liberty

OL, Cam McLaurin, Montour, Duquesne

OL, Mike Gecik, Delaware Valley, Albany

OL, Grant Cullen, Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Washington & Jefferson

LS, Brock Welsh, Middletown, St. Francis

Defense

Pos., Player, High school, College

DT, Aonghas Evanick, Souderton, Wilkes

DT, Sam Deron, Honesdale, undecided

DT, Amara Yobouet, Philadelphia Northeast, Albany

DE, Cam’Ron Stewart, Governor Mifflin, Rutgers

DE, Julian Bakos, Bishop McDevitt, Washington & Jefferson

DE, Bralen Henderson, Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Ohio

LB, Balansama Kamara, Philadelphia Central, Temple

LB, Christian Shelton, Bethlehem Catholic, East Stroudsburg

LB, Luke Miller, Pine-Richland, Kent State

DB, Javon McIntyre, Imhotep Charter, Pitt

DB, Julian Talley, St. Joseph’s Prep, Penn

DB, Stephon Hall, Central Valley, Pitt

DB, Abdul Stewart, Coatesville, Maine

DB, Shafeek Smith, Imhotep Charter, Towson

ATH, Myles Walker, Central Valley, Akron

ATH, Preston Zandier, Thomas Jefferson, Youngstown State

K, Mitchel Groh, Dallastown, Penn State

K, Samuel Hershey, JP McCaskey, undecided

Head coach

Jack Young, Athens

Assistant coaches

Mike Collodi, Elizabeth Forward

Jon DeFoe, Bermudian Springs

Martin Tobias, Penns Valley

Brandon Phillian, Wilmington

Calvin Everett, Harrisburg

John Donnelly, Central Bucks East

• • • • •

Players who withdrew

QB, Cole Spencer, Pine-Richland, Penn (wrestling)

RB, Josh Hough, Beaver Falls, Syracuse

OL, Connor McMahon, Canon-McMillan, Navy

DT, Taleeq Robbins, Imhotep Charter, Mississippi

DE, Chase Whatton, Elizabeth Forward, Bowling Green

LB, Corban Hondru, Peters Township, Miami (Ohio)

DB, Donovan McMillon, Peters Township, Florida

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Beaver Falls, Central Catholic, Central Valley, Connellsville, Montour, North Allegheny, Pine-Richland, Thomas Jefferson, Union