Four Miami Valley players tabbed for Big 33
One benefit of moving the Ohio North-South Classic from June to April is the fact that some of Ohio’s top football players will be able to play in both that game as well as the Big 33 Football Classic.
In fact, 24 of the 33 players selected for the 2010 Ohio squad for the Big 33 game – set for June 19 in Hershey, Pa. – will first play in the North-South game on April 23 at Ohio Stadium.
Ohio Big 33 coach Tom Pavlansky, the head coach at Cortland Lakeview, assembled his Ohio squad for an organizational meeting on Friday at Ohio Stadium.
“It is an incredibly exciting feeling,” Pavlansky said. “It is a humbling honor and we hope to represent Ohio well. It’s the best of the best. We’re anxious to get going.”
By moving the North-South game, Ohio will be able to field a representative squad for the Big 33. Ohio sent most of its top available players last year and won that game 38-31. But the Buckeye state squad lost to Pennsylvania the three years prior.
“I’ll tell you after the game on June 19 if it all worked out or not,” Pavlansky said. “I know in the past our Ohio teams have had a plan when they’ve gotten over to win the game and be successful in the game. We’re not going to be any different. We’re excited here to be a part of the game. There is a lot of good football players from Ohio.
“These guys are incredibly talented. We don’t want them to think too much. We just want them to go play. We’ll put together a good plan and see where it takes us.”
The Ohio team looks like it will match up well against Pennsylvania. There are 22 signees for BCS schools on the Ohio squad compared to 19 for the Pennsylvania team.
Five future Ohio State players are on the Ohio squad, including Solon DE Darryl Baldwin, Youngstown Boardman DE J.T. Moore, Columbus Marion-Franklin QB-DB Verlon Reed, Cleveland Glenville DB Christian Bryant and East Cleveland Shaw WR Tyrone Williams.
Moore talked about the chance to represent Ohio.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “I am just happy that I get to be a part of this team. It’s neat to get a chance to bond with these players. It will be intense and fun to go against that Pennsylvania team.”
Reed was recruited to OSU as an athlete prospect, although he figures to concentrate on offense in this game.
“I will be playing more quarterback in this game,” he said. “It is a very humbling experience. This is a game where I think I can show what I can do. It should bring out the best in me to play against great competition. You thrive in that situation.
“We are going over there to have fun, but at the same time it is very competitive. We want to bring that win back to Ohio and that’s what we plan on doing.”
Reed said he likes the mission of the game to raise money for charity and also work with developmentally disabled students in the Hershey area.
“You get to meet someone with special needs and make a connection with them,” he said.
Baldwin added, “It’s great. There is great tradition with this game. We want to represent Ohio well. There is no blitzing. It’s just one-on-one against the guy across from you. That makes it a lot of fun.”
Some of the key names on the Pennsylvania team include QB Anthony Gonzalez (Pittsburgh), LB Michael Hull (Penn State), CB Alex Kenney (Penn State) and OL Sal Conaboy (Maryland). The Pennsylvania team is coached by Dick Beck of North Penn.
Ohio Big 33 Roster
Head Coach: Tom Pavlansky (Cortland Lakeview)
Assistant Coaches: Larry Cox (Lakota West), Arvie Crouch (Mount Healthy), Doug Davault (Orrville), Travis Moyer (Wynford), Roy Thobe (Fairborn)
Player, School, College, Height, Weight, Position
Latwan Anderson, Cleveland Glenville, West Virginia, 5-11, 185, CB
Pete Bachman, Cincinnati Elder, Indiana, 6-5, 245, DT
Darryl Baldwin, Solon, Ohio State, 6-5, 255, DE
Jibreel Black, Wyoming, Michigan, 6-2, 260, DT
Devin Brown, Cincinnati Mt. Healthy, Undecided, 5-10, 170, WR
Dominique Brown, Cincinnati Winton Woods, Louisville, 6-2, 190, Athlete
Christian Bryant, Cleveland Glenville, Ohio State, 5-10, 175, CB
Brendan Carozzoni, Cleveland St. Ignatius, Pittsburgh, 6-4, 215, TE
Nathan Carpenter, Lancaster, Ohio U., 5-10, 190, S
Mike Dorsey, Warren Harding, West Virginia, 6-2, 200, S
Elias Te, Cortland Lakeview, Undecided, 5-8, 174, RB
Jayrone Elliott, Cleveland Glenville, Toledo, 6-2, 205, DE
Tyson Gulley, Akron Garfield, Syracuse, 5-9, 170, RB
Chase Hammond, Youngstown Boardman, Wisconsin, 6-4, 200, WR
Chase Hoobler, Orrville, Indiana, 6-2, 220, LB
Erick Howard, North Canton Hoover, Akron, 5-10, 209, RB
Andy Jomantas, Dayton Chaminade-Julienne, NC State, 6-8, 255, OL
Greg Mancz, Cincinnati Anderson, Toledo, 6-4, 270, OL
J.T. Moore, Youngstown Boardman, Ohio State, 6-3, 230, DE
Mark Myers, Cleveland St. Ignatius, Pittsburgh, 6-4, 195, QB
Jeff Myers, Massillon, Toledo, 6-3, 290, OL
Brandon Neal, West Chester Lakota West, Ball State, 5-9, 170, CB
Verlon Reed, Columbus Marion-Franklin, Ohio State, 6-0, 172, QB
Matt Rothermam, North Olmstead, Pittsburgh, 6-6, 305, OL
Kevin Schloemer, West Chester Lakota West, Cincinnati, 6-6, 270, OL
Clint Shepherd, Eaton, Cincinnati, 6-3, 273, OL
Lee Skinner, Fairborn, Undecided, 6-1, 205, LB
Jewone Snow, Canton Mckinley, West Virginia, 6-4, 234, LB
Casey Spear, Mayfield, Vanderbilt, 5-10, 165, K
Terry Talbott, Huber Heights Wayne, Michigan, 6-2, 280, DT
Jeff Tanner, Cincinnati Moeller, Miami (Ohio), 6-3, 265, OL
Jack Tomlinson, Westerville South, Ball State, 6-6, 223, WR
Tyrone Williams, East Cleveland Shaw, Ohio State, 6-5, 215, WR
| 
