Pennsylvania’s football team has been victorious over Maryland in the Big 33 Football Classic since 2018. However, their unbroken record was on the verge of collapse on Sunday may 28, 2023. Pennsylvania’s Victory in Big 33 Football Classic 2023.
In the heart-stopping final moments of the fourth quarter, with Pennsylvania trailing 27-24, Colin O’Sullivan, Upper Dublin’s quarterback, delivered a decisive 31-yard throw. Dallastown’s Kenny Johnson made an impressive dive to catch the ball in the end zone, turning the tide and granting Pennsylvania a thrilling 31-24 victory over Maryland.
In recognition of his stellar performance, Kenny Johnson was honored as the Game’s Most Valuable Player for Team Pennsylvania.
As for Jones, he had a hand in disrupting an early pass, but for the most part, he observed as Maryland’s other quarterbacks focused their attention elsewhere on the field throughout the evening. Their strategy appeared almost deliberate.
“I was staying ready in case anything happened,” Jones said after Pennsylvania secured its fourth straight win in the series, holding off Maryland 31-27 at Bishop McDevitt’s Rocco Ortenzio Stadium. “Still doing my technique and my footwork to make sure if the ball did come I was there to break it up or intercept it.”
The Strategy Behind Pennsylvania’s Impressive Win in the 2023 Big 33 Football Classic
Pennsylvania’s Victory in Big 33 Football Classic 2023. Jones didn’t get a ton of chances to show his skills in the secondary, but as the clock wound down, his teammates stepped up. Maryland was aggressively moving down the field in the final minute, hunting for the score that would take them to victory.
With 46 seconds left on the clock, they found themselves with a first down on Pennsylvania’s 42-yard line, inches away from clinching the game with the final play.
However, Rhamir Stewart from Imhotep Charter had other plans. With time running out, he skillfully deflected a pass aimed inside the 10-yard line. This key play ensured Pennsylvania’s thrilling victory, marking their seventh win in the past eight years.
“They really started moving it, but I knew our guys were going to step up,” said Exeter’s Anthony Caccese, the other Berks County player selected for the game — he and Jones joined one more fellow Lancaster-Lebanon League rep, LB Rocco Daugherty of Manheim Central, on the roster. “We’ve got some dawgs on the D-line, and our secondary stepped up big there at the end.”
Pennsylvania managed to secure three sacks during the final drive, successfully slowing down Maryland’s last-minute attempt to surge ahead.
“We just knew we had to stay together,” said Jones who played almost every defensive series at corner, “stay locked in and trust each other that when the game was on the line we had each other’s back and knew we were gonna get the win.”
Pennsylvania’s formidable defense has been a key factor in their recent dominance of the Big 33 Classics. In their last three victories against their arch-rival, Maryland, they’ve conceded just a single touchdown.
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