Pennsylvania outlasts Maryland, 31-27, in a BIG 33 Classic

Written by: Joseph Santoliquito on Monday, May 29th, 2023. Follow Joseph Santoliquito on Twitter.

HARRISBURG, PA — No one wearing Pennsylvania white really wanted to leave the field at Bishop McDevitt’s Rocco Ortenzio Stadium Sunday night. They milled around for as long they could, inhaling their dramatic 31-27 victory over Maryland in the 66th Annual Big 33 game.

Dallastown and Pitt-bound receiver Kenny Johnson was MVP for Pennsylvania, snaring 9 passes for 161 yards, including the game-winning score with just over a minute to play, while Maryland MVP was Bryce Cox out of Mount St. Joseph’s, who scored two touchdowns.

“This was unforgettable, and this got super serious,” Johnson said. “When (Maryland) scored there at the end, my guys looked at me and told me to make a play, and I made a play there in the end. Those guys were great at Maryland, and I had super tight coverage on me, but I had to win my route and make a play. I got the MVP, but my team won it. I get to end my high school career with a bang.”

Just when it seemed Pennsylvania had stopped a Maryland go-ahead drive with 5:02 to play on fourth-and-three, Pennsylvania was called for using an illegal defense, which gave Maryland new life. Quarterback Sean Johnson, out of Charles H. Flowers, wasn’t about to waste it. His 19-yard run brought Maryland to the Pennsylvania 12, and his 10-yard run gave Maryland its first and only lead of the game, 27-24, with 2:29 to play.

But Pennsylvania wasn’t through, either.

And Team Pennsylvania received a little help of its own.

On fourth-and-seven at the Pennsylvania 35, with 1:46 to play, a pass from Upper Dublin’s Colin Sullivan was picked off and returned for a Maryland touchdown. But trailing the play was a yellow flag where the ball was intercepted. A Maryland defender was called for holding—giving Pennsylvania a new set of downs.

O’Sullivan then engineered a quick attack, which resulted in Johnson stretching out for a 31-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone for the winning 31-27 score.

“I never had a quarterback like (O’Sullivan),” Johnson said. “He put it where it supposed to be and I made the play.”

O’Sullivan is bound for Rutgers. This past season, his Upper Dublin team lost to eventual state runner-up Imhotep Charter in the state Class 5A playoffs. This game left an indelible mark on him.

“I wish I had Kenny all four years I was in high school,” said O’Sullivan, who completed 9 of 17 for 153 yards and the game-winning touchdown. “Our defense was unbelievable and when they gave up that late touchdown, I told the defense as they came off the field that I got them. I started my freshman year and I thought I would have four years, and now it will be crazy taking this uniform off the last time. I won’t be sad it’s over; it just went fast.

“And with that touchdown pass to be my last high school throw, it’s not a bad way to go out. I’m excited for the future.”

With 5:45 left in the third quarter, Maryland made things interesting, pulling to within 17-14, when Cox scored on a 2-yard run, which was made possible by a 69-yard interception return by Bel Air’s Nate Furrow for Maryland.

Pennsylvania, however, answered right back on the ensuing drive, when McKeesport’s Jahmil Perryman bore into the end from a yard out, giving Pennsylvania a comfortable 24-14 lead.

Perryman’s second score drew an immediate response from Maryland. Liberty’s Towson-bound quarterback Jack Pellicciotti threw a rainbow that landed in the arms of Archbishop Spalding’s Max Moss for a 58-yard reception. Milford Mill Academy’s Sean Williams Jr. did the rest, banging the Pennsylvania defense for 20 yards and a 4-yard score with 2:44 left in the third quarter. Maryland could not convert the extra point, leaving Maryland down, 24-20, entering the fourth quarter.

Pennsylvania went into halftime with a 17-7 halftime lead, courtesy of a 52-yard Perryman run, Hollidaysburg’s Ben Sosnowski’s 43-yard field goal, and Westinghouse’s Sincere Smith’s zig-zagging 66-yard punt return.

Maryland’s lone first half score came on Cox’s 15-yard run with :03 left in the first quarter. Maryland appeared to be slicing more into the deficit at the end of the half, but Moss was stopped at the one on the last play of the second quarter.

It was a half spiked by big plays.

On Pennsylvania’s first play of its second series, Armstrong’s Caden Olsen hit Johnson with a 30-yard bomb to the Maryland 28. From there, Sosnowski easily hit the 43-yard field (with no pressure on the kicker, as per Big 33 rules).

Pellicciotti hit Milford Mill Academy’s Corey Jones with a 35-yard reception, which set up Maryland’s lone score of the first half.

Near the end of the half, Pellicciotti threatened Pennsylvania again, hitting Mount St. Joseph’s Trey Goodridge with a 35-yard reception, moved along by a 15-yard Pennsylvania roughing-the-passer call.

That fire was put out on the following play when Aliquippa’s Donovan Walker made a great read making a leaping interception in the end zone.

Other than the score, the teams played a balanced first half. Pennsylvania ran off 24 plays for 166 yards of total offense, to Maryland’s 30 plays for 169 yards of total offense.

Finally, Rahmir Stewart, Imhotep Charter’s standout defensive back, will be undergoing a quick turnaround like many of the players who were reluctant to leave the field Sunday night. Their next reality begins soon. Stewart will be leaving go play for Nebraska on June 15.

“It’s why it was great to be a part of this,” he said. “It was an amazing experience, and a great way to wrap my career up. I loved it. It turned into a real game. It got competitive. It’s what I love. It’s not an Imhotep win, but it’s a PA way. It’s a good way to go out.”

Scoring Summary

Maryland 7 0 13 7-27

Pennsylvania 10 7 7 7-31

Complete Stats: https://big33.org/the-game/scores/2020s/2023-boxscore/

1st Quarter

PA – Jahmil Perryman (McKeesport) 52 run (Ben Sosnowski (Hollidaysburg) kick), 10:37

PA – Sosnowski 43 FG, 5:51

MD – Bryce Cox (Mt. St. Joseph) 15 run (Alan Zhao (Marriotts Ridge) kick), :03

2nd Quarter  

PA – Sincere Smith (Westinghouse) 66 punt return (Sosnowski kick), 2:29

3rd Quarter

MD – Cox 2 run (Zhao kick), 5:45

PA – Perryman 1 run (Sosnowski kick), 4:17

MD – Sean Williams Jr. (Milford Mill Academy) 4 run (kick failed), 2:44

4th Quarter

MD – Sean Johnson (Charles H. Flowers) 10 run (Zhao kick), 2:29

PA – Kenny Johnson (Dallastown) 31 pass from Colin O’Sullivan (Upper Dublin) (Sosnowski kick), 1:15

Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been covering high school football since 1992 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on Twitter @JSantoliquito. Follow EasternPAFootball.com on Twitter @EPAFootball.

Follow EasternPAFootball.com on Twitter @EPAFootball

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One Response to “Pennsylvania outlasts Maryland, 31-27, in a BIG 33 Classic”

1. Philz Landscaping & Contracting LLC says:
   July 6th, 2023 at 8:43 pm

   I was captivated by the excitement surrounding the Big 33 game between Pennsylvania and Maryland. It was inspiring to see Kenny Johnson’s MVP performance and the resilience of the Pennsylvania team, as they staged a remarkable comeback to secure the victory. The article effectively conveys the passion and intensity exhibited by the players, leaving me with a sense of the thrilling atmosphere of the game.