Big 33 Game will feature Canfield’s Jimmy Rousher

June 10, 2012 at 12:08a.m.

As Jimmy Rousher stood on the sidelines watching the spring football game at Miami (Ohio), one thought kept rolling through his mind: “I wish I were on the field.”

On Saturday, for the first time since a season-ending loss to Poland knocked Canfield out of the playoff hunt, Rousher will get that chance. The Cardinals’ tight end is the Mahoning Valley’s only representative in Saturday’s annual Big 33 Game in Hershey, Pa.

“I think this is a good steppingstone for me going into college,” said Rousher, who will begin summer classes at Miami on June 21. “Everyone there is going to be on the same level and I’ll be going up against kids that I’ve never had the chance to go against before.

“So I’ll get a better feel for what it [the Division I college level] is like and I’ll kind of get the rust off before camp.”

Rousher was one of 34 Ohioans selected for the game, which pits some of the Buckeye State’s best against a team of Pennsylvania All-Stars. (Originally, 33 players were selected for each team — thus, the name — but organizers added a kicker to each side a few years ago.)

“I’m very excited to be able to represent Canfield and Miami of Ohio and the state of Ohio,” Rousher said. “I know this is a pretty big game and Ohio has been able to win the last couple, so hopefully we can continue that.”

The Big 33 Classic, often called the “Super Bowl of High School Football,” began in 1957 and has featured future NFL standouts such as Tony Dorsett, Joe Montana, Joe Namath, Dan Marino, Orlando Pace and Ben Roethlisberger, who will serve as this year’s honorary chairman.

“I’m a Steelers fan so I’m really excited to meet him,” Rousher said of Roethlisberger.

Every Super Bowl has featured a player from the Big 33 game. The game has had several formats — Pennsylvania East vs. Pennsylvania West, Pennsylvania vs. Texas and Pennsylvania vs. America, to name a few — but the permanent Ohio-Pennsylvania format began in 1993. The all-time series is tied 12-12 after Ohio’s 50-14 victory last year — its third straight in the series and the largest margin of victory in Big 33 history. Ursuline High graduate Akise Teague earned MVP honors last year after scoring three touchdowns.

Rousher will travel to Hershey today and said he will play both tight end and defensive end on Saturday, since Ohio’s spread offense won’t feature much tight end play. He’ll play with fellow RedHawk recruits Josh Dooley, a linebacker from William Mason, and Jack Snowball, a running back from Wadsworth.

The Ohio roster also includes Buckeye recruits Warren Ball, a running back from Columbus DeSales, Frank Epitropoulos, a receiver from Upper Arlington and Najee Murray, a defensive back from Steubenville.

Pennsylvania’s roster includes McKeesport defensive lineman Terrell Williams, who is headed to Youngstown State.

“It’s gonna be cool meeting a bunch of other talented high school players,” Rousher said. “I can’t wait to play.”