10 area football players in games

They will play in the North-South All-Star Classic and the PNC Big 33 Football Classic, both in June.

By JOHN KOVACH

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

Ten area high school senior football players who excelled during their final seasons in 2008 will have the honor of playing in two famous annual all-star games next month.

Six of the group will play for the North team in the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association North-South All-Star Classic, which will be held June 14 at Ohio Stadium on the Ohio State University campus in Columbus at 4 p.m.

The other four players will represent Ohio against Pennsylvania in the PNC Big 33 Football Classic at HersheyPark Stadium in Hershey, Pa., on June 20 at 7 p.m.

The area delegation for the North-South game consists of Dan Baco and Dale Peterman, both from undefeated (15-0) Division V state-champion Ursuline, Sylvestry Gibbs of Austintown Fitch, Pat McFall of Boardman, Tyler Scott of Howland and Nathan Elliott of LaBrae.

The Big 33 Football Classic has tapped Darrell Mason of Ursuline, Fitzgerald Toussaint and Isaiah Bell, both of Liberty; and Corey Linsley of Boardman.

Baco (6-2, 265) is an offensive lineman headed for Walsh University, while Peterman (5-11, 175), a defensive back, is going to Syracuse.

Gibbs (6-1, 185), also a defensive back, will attend Youngstown State while McFall (6-3, 240), a defensive end, is undecided.

Scott (6-3, 215), a linebacker, will go to Northwestern while Elliott (6-1, 218), a defensive lineman, will join Baco at Walsh.

Incidentally, Baco and Elliott will be among 17 area football players playing for Walsh this year.

Mason (6-1, 225), a linebacker, will attend Fort Scott Junior College, while Toussaint (5-10, 195), a running back, and Bell (6-2, 215), a defensive back, both are headed for Michigan.

Toussaint plans to major in sports medicine, Bell in accounting.

Linsley (6-4, 280), an offensive lineman, will go to Ohio State.

The Ohio coach will be Mike Fell of Ada High.

The North-South Game has been conducted by the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association since 1946.

It is the longest-running high school all-star game in the nation, although the name and site of the annual contests have changed through the years.

It also has highlighted players that have gone on to win Heisman trophies and to have Hall of Fame professional careers.

“This is the premier All-Star football game in the nation and we are most proud that the proceeds go to a scholarship fund the helps student-athletes from all sports attend college,” said Jack Rose, president of the OHSFCA.

Four of the game’s alumni have gone on to win a combined five Heisman trophies, including Vic Janowicz, Roger Staubach, Archie Griffin and Desmond Howard. Griffin, of course, is the only two-time winner of the prestigious award.

Meanwhile, the Big 33 Game originated in 1957 and is entering its 52nd year, and now is known as the PNC Big 33 Football Classic.

The game showcases Ohio and Pennsylvania stars, and often is described as “The Super Bowl of High School Football.”

The reason: There never has been a Super Bowl without a Big 33 Alumni.

Some of its most well-known alumni include Tony Dorsett, Matt Millen, Joe Montana, Joe Namath, John Cappelletti, Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, Rocket Ismail, Kerry Collins and more recently Kyle Brady, Orlando Pace, Ricky Watters, Antonio Freeman, Ed McCaffrey, Marvin Harrison, Sean Gilbert, Curtis Martin and 2006 Super Bowl Champion, Ben Roethlisberger.

More information on both the North-South and Big 33 games may be obtained at www.ohsfca.org and www.big33.org.

kovach@vindy.com