The Big 33 game will kick off Saturday awash in history — it's the 50th anniversary — and pomp.
And completely without a local rooting interest.
The annual all-star game between just-graduated high-school stars from Pennsylvania and Ohio will be devoid of Lancaster-Lebanon League players for the first time in recent memory.
Pat Bostick, the Manheim Township quarterback and Pittsburgh signee? No. He's in Pittsburgh, already enrolled in college.
Ty Bynum, the explosive Conestoga Valley receiver? Nope.
Ditto the Lancaster Catholic trio of tight end Matt Balasavage, a Temple signee, lineman Tom Nardo, who has an offer from Iowa, and quarterback Nick Downey, bound for William & Mary.
Strange. But not suspicious, according to Manheim Central coach Mike Williams, a veteran of the Big 33 selection process.
"Lancaster County football is good, and we certainly could have had a couple kids on the team,'' Williams said Thursday.
"I'm not sure why we didn't, but I don't see any reason to believe it's anything other than a quirk. It comes down to a close vote.''
Williams believes the selection process is better, and certainly less political, than it used to be. It involves a lot more film study and a less concern about gaudy college choices that look better in the program than on the field.
"Sometimes a kid will be going to Michigan or Notre Dame or Penn State, but physically, he's a project,'' Williams said. "He may not be ready to play [in June].''
None of that applies to the local candidates, though. Williams said they just fell a little short.
"Nothing is foolproof,'' he said. "But, honestly, the [coaches] I know take it seriously.''
Mike Melnyk, Bostick's high-school coach, said he was surprised and disappointed Bostick didn't make it, but stopped well short of questioning the process.
"It is a big deal, and Pat was very disappointed not to be picked,'' Melnyk said. "But, he's been blessed with a lot of All-American teams and all-star things. He's moved on.''
The two QBs on the Pennsylvania roster are Dan Persa of Bethleham Liberty (who signed with Northwestern) and Chris Whitley of St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia (Villanova).
Balasavage, Bynum, Nardo, Downey, Manheim Township defensive back Jay Ridinger (Franklin & Marshall) and Manheim Central lineman Marcus Zimmerman (Bloomsburg) are all playing in the Pennsylvania State Football Coaches' Association East-West All-Star Game in Altoona June 23.
Zimmerman is an example of the kind of kid who gets overlooked by all-star games and, more importantly, by D-I colleges, because of physical "limitations."
Zimmerman was a superb high-school player and a heavyweight state finalist in wrestling. But he's only 5-foot-11.
"There's no doubt, putting Division I players in the game helps attract fans,'' Williams said. "That's not as much of a factor as it used to be, but it's still part of it.''
Pennsylvania ended a three-game losing streak to Ohio with a 61-42 win in last year's Big 33. Among the Pennsylvania standouts in that game were Jared Odrick of Lebanon, who is expected to play a lot on the defensive line for Penn State this fall.
This year's Pennsylvania team is being coached by Tom Loughran of South Park High School.
Pennsylvania and Ohio are tied in the current Big 33 series, which began in 1993, at seven wins each.
Prior to that Pennsylvania went 6-2 with Maryland from 1986-92, 3-2 with Ohio from 1976-72, 1-3 vs. Texas from 1964-67, and 2-0-1 vs. the U.S. All-Stars from 1958-60.
In the gaps between those series, the game had an intra-Pennsylvania format.
This year's game kicks off at 7 p.m. Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium.
Mike Gross is a Sunday News sports writer. E-mail him at mgross@lnpnews.com.
