Maryland runs down Pennsylvania in Big 33 Classic
2025 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
Maryland snapped its five-game losing streak to Pennsylvania in a big way Sunday, scoring the first three touchdown en route to a 42-21 victory in the 68th annual Big 33 Classic at Chapman Field in Mechanicsburg.
Tijuan Reed of Forest Park rushed 113 yards and Maryland’s senior stars controlled the game by rushing for 316 yards on 35 attempts.
The win was the first for Maryland since 2018, when it scratched out a 9-6 victory.
Pennsylvania had won nine of the previous 11 games.
For the first time in nearly 30 years Berks County was without a representative in back-to-back seasons. The last Berks players to take part in the game were Cam Jones of Wilson and Anthony Caccese of Exeter, both in 2023.
Defensive back Donovan Rodriguez of Manheim Township was the lone player selected from the 37-team Lancaster-Lebanon League.
Maryland led 21-0 after Davon Smith Jr.’s 30-yard TD run midway through the second quarter. Pennsylvania answered quickly with a 14-yard scoring pass from Danville’s Madden Patrick to Pope John Paul II’s Braden Reed.
Tijuan Reed broke off an 88-yard scoring run 1:35 before halftime to send Maryland into intermission with a 28-7 lead.
Evan Blouir’s 3-yard TD run extended that lead to 35-7 midway through the third quarter.
Pennsylvania closed the gap to 35-21 early in the final quarter, getting TD passed from Patrick and Pittsburgh Central Catholic’s Jy’Aire Walls, but got no closer.
Patrick completed 12-of-18 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Ziyyon Bredell of Abraham Lincoln led the Keystoners with 102 receiving yards on four catches, including a 78-yard catch in the final quarter.
Pennsylvania was able to muster just 30 rushing yards and turned the ball over twice; Maryland had no turnovers.
Maryland finished with 447 total yards, but also 135 yards in penalties.
The only player on the Pennsylvania Big 33 squad with a Berks connection was Mykell Ford, a 275-pound defensive tackle from Roman Catholic; he began his high school career at Gov. Mifflin.
Recent Berks participants in the game have included Richmond recruit Aiden Mack of Wyomissing in 2022, Pittsburgh recruit Brandon George of Berks Catholic in 2019, and Syracuse recruit Cooper Lutz of Berks Catholic in 2018.
Gov. Mifflin’s Cam’Ron Stewart, a Rutgers recruit, was Pennsylvania’s MVP in the 2021 game after a terrific performance from his spot at defensive end.
Matt Ortega of Coatesville was Pennsylvania’s head coach. Former Wilson assistant coach Chad Brubaker was an assistant coach.
At least one Big 33 alum has participated in every Super Bowl. Herb Adderley, who played in the Big 33 in 1957, was the first. He played at Northeast in Philadelphia and appeared in the first Super Bowl, in 1967, with the Green Bay Packers. (The initial game was officially called the AFL-NFL World Championship.)
The Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl roster included a pair of Big 33 alum: A.J. Woods, who played at Northwest High in Germantown, Md., and Jahan Dotson, who played at Nazareth.
