Bragging Rights

The game will feature the top graduated seniors from southwestern New York taking on the best that northwestern Pennsylvania has to offer.

Southwestern will send four players to the game in Jameson Walsh, Bo Wendel, Will Pavlock and Peter Conley.

Walsh led the Trojans with 136 carries for 816 yards and 11 touchdowns. On defense, he was in on 35 tackles, including 11 sacks and 12 tackles for a loss. Wendel was second on the Trojans with 64 tackles, including nine for a loss. Pavlock was in on 16 tackles, including one for a loss. Conley was in on 29 tackles, including seven for a loss, and two sacks.

Salamanca is also sending four players to the game in Arlen Newark, Carmine Hoag, Joshua Auman and Keegan Hardy.

Southwestern’s Jameson Walsh
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Newark caught 25 passes for 435 yards and five touchdowns, while rushing 16 times for 153 yards last fall. He also had 28 tackles and two interceptions on defense. Hoag caught 14 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown, while adding 42 tackles defensively. Auman ran 104 times for 431 yards and four touchdowns for the Warriors. He also had 33 tackles on defense. Hardy anchored the Warriors’ offensive line during their run to Section VI and Far West Regional Class C championships. He also had 23 tackles on defense.

Beau Bielecki, Hunter Smith, Noah Shenk and Owen Chudy will represent Franklinville/Ellicottville. Bielecki was in on 26 tackles. Smith led the Titans with 99 carries for 1,021 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was also in on 31 tackles, including two for a loss, and intercepted a pass. Shenk caught six passes for 110 yards. He was also in on 24 tackles and intercepted a pass. Chudy led the Titans with 36 tackles, including three for a loss, and a sack.

Gowanda/Pine Valley’s Jon Sheldon will be his team’s lone representative after catching 28 passes for 402 yards and five touchdowns, while adding 23 tackles and three interceptions on defense.

Randolph’s Jacob Dexter, a key member of the Cardinals offensive line as they rushed for 2,380 yards and 31 touchdowns as a team, will be his team’s lone representative.

Other local players participating are Frewsburg’s Caleb Stahlman and Harrison Eckert, and Cattaraugus-Little Valley’s Perry Snyder.

Warren’s Matt Sowa
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They will be joined on the New York team by: Bolivar-Richburg’s Caden Allen and Zachary Mitchell; Pioneer’s Gabe Kempf, Dalton Giboo, Lane Dzienkonski, Nate Bull, Gavin Haley, Luke Matheis, Nate Butts, James Steppe and Jake Kopinski; Allegany-Limestone’s Michael Frederick, Sam Eaton, Devon Bish and Kevin Edwards-Hardy; Olean’s Ryan Isenberg; Hinsdale’s Henry Schwartz and Cody Barton; Cuba-Rushford’s Ethan Coleman; Portville’s Kaedon Holcomb, Hayden Emley, Lucious Young, Nik Manroe and Dayton Shaw; and Wellsville’s Brody Heaney.

Seven Eisenhower players — Derek Childs, Shawn Pascuzzi, Kris Bunk, Camron Jakubczak, Tucker Lindell, Colin Sobkowski and J.J. Darr — will lead the local contingent on the Pennsylvania team.

Childs started multiple positions over his three years as a letterman for the Knights.

Pascuzzi led the Knights to a 26-8 record over his three seasons as the starting quarterback. He accounted for over 3,700 yards of offense for his career, passing for 2,305 yards and 28 touchdowns. He was a threat running the ball as well, rushing for 1,407 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Bunk had 41 receptions for 750 yards, averaging over 18 yards per reception over his career, while scoring 12 touchdowns from his tight end position. Defensively, he had 15.5 tackles for loss and eight quarterback sacks as a defensive end. He also completed his only pass attempt on a successful 2-point conversion.

Eisenhower’s Camron Jakubczak and Tucker Lindell combining for a tackle.
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While playing fullback for the Knights, Lindell rushed for 1,734 yards on 261 carries, good for 6.6 yards per carry. He scored 22 touchdowns and set a new school record with a 99-yard touchdown run. As a linebacker he had 95 solo tackles,155 assists and set a new school record with 49.5 tackles for loss.

The 6-foot, 225-pound Darr was a two-year starter where he earned all-region honors as well as receiving the “Sixth Man” award from the Eisenhower coaches following his sophomore season. A versatile lineman, he started at all three line positions at different times. During his career, Darr played for a team that amassed more than 7,200 yards of offense, scored 99 touchdowns and went 19-4 over his two seasons as a starter.

Warren’s Matt Sowa and John Corbett will be joined by Sheffield’s Dylan Hardwick on the Pennsylvania team.

Sowa, a wide receiver and outside linebacker who led Warren with 6.3 tackles per game in 2023, plans to work toward a nursing career in college. Warren’s leading receiver in catches and yards, Sowa finished with 25 receptions for 430 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 17.2 yards per catch. He also returned kicks and punts and had 854 all-purpose yards for the season.

Hardwick was primarily a wide receiver and defensive back for the Wolverines. In his senior season, he caught 22 passes for 330 yards; rushed for 52 yards; collected 40 tackles, including two for loss; forced two fumbles and recovered a pair; and broke up four passes.

Franklinville/Ellicottville’s Hunter Smith will represent New York in the Big 30 All-Star Charities Classic on Aug. 3 in Bradford.
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They will be joined on the Pennsylvania team by: Tristan Dilley, Matthew Davis, Mason Sheeley and Lucas Bauer of St. Marys; Peyton Stiles, Kole Kisko, Austin Freer, Levi Wilfong, Miksa Young and Braylon Button of Port Allegany; Arick Himes, Adam Ward, Jake Franz, Matt Perry and Ian DeGolier of Bradford; Maddox Baughman, Lathan Reed and Jesop Farabaugh of Cameron County; Dane Anderson of Kane; Eric Hoffman, Jackson Kilpeck, Cameron Larkin, Alex Merritt and Brady Heindl of Ridgway-Johnsonburg; Viggo Brown and James Liller of Coudersport; Noah Cherry, Thomas Gilmore and Alex Gahr of Elk County Catholic; Ryan Mason and Logan Hurlburt of Smethport; and Braxton Caldwell, Abram Austin and Tyler McElhattan of Otto-Eldred.

Teams will practice on weeknights for two weeks from Monday, July 22 through Friday, Aug. 2, except Thursday, Aug. 1 when a banquet will be held in the dining hall at the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford. Final practices Friday, Aug. 2 are at Southwestern and Cameron County before the game on Saturday, Aug. 3.

Founded in 1974, the game has been played each summer with the exception of 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Last summer, after taking a series lead for the first time in 2022, Pennsylvania added to its lead — now 24-22-3 — with a come-from-behind 34-27 victory. The game has raised more than $2.1 million for Big 30 area charities to support individuals and families in need.

This year’s game — the 50th in the 51st year — will kick off at 7 p.m.