Talent gap is evident as Pa. squad dominates
Maryland team rallies late but cannot overcome 26-0 deficit in all-star game
HERSHEY, PA. — The Maryland coaching staff knew it didn’t have the same star power as Pennsylvania for the Big 33 Classic, but it didn’t see any reason to think it couldn’t hang with the Keystone State’s finest in the annual all-star game.
And through the early part of Saturday night’s matchup at Hersheypark Stadium, the defense was stout and Maryland trailed by only a touchdown after the opening quarter.
But Pennsylvania’s stable of playmakers started finding cracks in the Maryland defense, and soon those cracks turned into gashes as Pennsylvania pulled away for a 26-14 victory.
“Getting on the field was actually a great experience,” Oakland Mills wide receiver Tre Hopkins (Albany) said. “Tonight I got a good feel for what competition’s really like.”
Penn State-bound Woodland Hills running back Miles Sanders, who’s rated as a five-star recruit and the No. 1 running back in the nation by 247sports.com, dazzled the fans in his home state with seven carries for 73 yards and two touchdowns and added a 21-yard touchdown catch on his way to earning Most Valuable Player honors.
Meanwhile, a Pennsylvania defense that included McKeesport’s Khaleke Hudson (Michigan) and Central Catholic’s Damar Hamlin (Pittsburgh) in the secondary made life miserable for Maryland’s quarterbacks, Northwest’s Mark Pierce and Sherwood’s Shawn Bliss (West Virginia Wesleyan). The Maryland signal-callers were a combined 8-for-20 for 240 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Since Maryland returned to the Big 33 Classic in 2013, it has lost three of four, with the lone victory in 2014. Pennsylvania improved to 10-2 in the series.
Pennsylvania’s team had 14 players who signed with Power Five programs, including seven future Pittsburgh players. Dunbar’s Dae’lun Darien and Bullis’ Cameron Brown, who will both attend Penn State, were the lone Power Five signees on Maryland’s roster. Brown, who had 21 receiving yards, earned Most Valuable Player honors for Maryland.
The talent gap showed. Pennsylvania raced out to a 26-0 lead after three quarters behind Sanders and its defense, but Maryland finally broke through. With 5:53 left in the game, Bliss hit Darien for a 33-yard diving touchdown catch to cut the lead to 26-7.
With 1:43 remaining, Northwest defensive back Martin Foray Jr. (Saint Francis) jumped a route and ran back the interception 62 yards to bring Maryland within two touchdowns.
“It was nice to get on the scoreboard,” Eastern Tech linebacker Brandon Hlavach (Shepherd) said. “I think that if we would have started out the way we finished, it would have been a different game.”
The Pennsylvania defense held Maryland to 41 rushing yards and didn’t let the offense establish any rhythm.
Old Mill running back Pete Boone had a team-high 24 rushing yards, and Owings Mills running back Michael Johnson (West Virginia State) had a team-high 54 yards receiving. Darien had 40 yards.
Pennsylvania was efficient on offense. Syracuse-bound running back Jo-El Shaw, who shared a backfield at Woodland Hills with Shaw, finished with 14 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown. Parkland’s Devante Cross (Virginia) and Upper Dublin’s Ryan Stover (Towson) were a combined 9-for-15 passing for 128 yards. Clairton wide receiver Aaron Mathews (Pittsburgh) had 89 receiving yards.
While the result wasn’t what the Maryland players wanted, it provided a glimpse for some of them of who they’ll be lining up against in college.
“This game actually boosted my confidence because I was doing pretty good on my route-running ... against good defenders,” Hopkins said. “This game just kind of gave me a stick of where I am.”
Said Hlavach: “It was a great honor to play in this game to close out my final high school football game and get to move on to college and play at the next level.”