Aiden Mack anxious to test himself against the best in Big 33 game
Aiden Mack had modest ambitions as a young football player. He didn’t dream of making it to the NFL or even earning a Division I scholarship. He just wanted to be a Wyomissing Spartan.
“I justed wanted to be out there and be a good guy (for Wyomissing),” he said. “I wanted to be a Brandon Westwood, a Jordan Carabello, making big plays out there. I always looked up to the players. It was never about the accolades, it was just being one of them.”
It’s safe to say Mack has exceeded his expectations. In August he accepted a scholarship to play tight end at the University of Richmond.
Tuesday morning he was one of 38 players named to Pennsylvania’s prestigious Big 33 team.
“I was thrilled to hear it,” said Mack. “I was smiling ear to ear after ‘Amo’ (teammate Amory Thompson) told me.”
Click here to find the Pennsylvania Big 33 roster
Mack had no idea he had been selected. He was not notified about it before Tuesday’s announcement, which was live-streamed from Harrisburg. Thompson was watching the press conference on his phone.
“He started punching my leg,” Mack said of Thompson. “He said, ‘You got in the Big 33.’ “
The 65th annual Big 33 game will be played May 30 at Bishop McDevitt’s Rocco Ortenzio Stadium, against a team of Maryland All-Stars.
Mack is the second Wyomissing player selected for the prestigious game. Dave Cardy, who went on to play at Temple, played in the 1983 game.
“It’s a great honor to be selected to the game, and I think I’m going to do a lot better than what people saw this season because I’ve been working (hard) all offseason,” said Mack.
Mack was a two-way starter who helped the Spartans reach back-to-back PIAA Class 3A championship games and win three consecutive district titles. He was selected for the Pennsylvania Football Writers Class 3A All-State team and was an All-Berks pick at both tight end and defensive end.
Mack averaged 24.8 yards on his team-leading 10 receptions but is known more for his blocking ability; that’s what helped him draw attention from college coaches. He was a key in a Wyomissing offense that averaged 310 rushing yards per game.
“I’m not too worried about the spotlight,” he told MikeDragoSports.com before last season. “At the end of the day, if you need the edge blocked, I block the edge and that’s all that matters. I don’t need someone to pat me on the back. A pat on the back won’t win a state championship.”
Mack is one of eight players from District 3 schools selected for the game, including wide receiver Anthony Ivey of Manheim Township, offensive lineman Ryan Brubacker of Cocalico, defensive back Mehki Flowers of C.D. East, placekicker Nathan Kirkwood of Greencastle-Antrim and tight end Trenton Dunnick of Central York.
Mack and Dunnick are the only players listed at tight end.
There were seven Penn State recruits selected, including offensive lineman Drew Shelton of Downingtown West, defensive end Keon Wylie of Imhotep Charter, Ivey and Flowers.
Gov. Mifflin’s Nick Singleton, who received several national Player of the Year awards, was not eligible for the team. He enrolled at Penn State in January. More and more top national recruits have trended toward that in recent years.
Other potential picks were not allowed to play in the game by their colleges. Mack said Richmond has given him the OK to participate.
Mack is anxious to get onto the practice field to test himself against the best players in the state.
“I’m excited to see where I weigh out against the top talent in Pennsylvania and Maryland,” he said. “It’s going to be great. Going into camp (at Richmond) I’m obviously going to struggle a lot, as all freshman do, but it’s going to be good to have that little prior knowledge of how I weigh out against the top talent.”
Mack has been working hard in the offseason and said he has added about 15 pounds since the end of last season, when he played at about 205 pounds.
Gov. Mifflin’s Cam’Ron Stewart was selected MVP in last year’s game, a 20-0 victory over Maryland. He had a successful freshman season at Rutgers as a defensive lineman.
Stewart is believed to be the first Berks player to earn that honor since Reading High wide receiver Tony Hardy in 1992.
Past Big 33 selections from Berks include Chad Henne, Kerry Collins and John and Pete Gilmore of Wilson, Jan Johnson of Gov. Mifflin, Sam and James Bryant of Reading High and Brandon George and Cooper Lutz of Berks Catholic.
The two East/West games will be played Sunday, May 29. The Big School Game will kick off at noon; the Small School Game will start at 5. Last year the PSFCA split the East/West into two games, and paired it with the Big 33 Game.
The East/West rosters have not been announced.
“It’s been a home run for us to move the Big 33 Game and the East/West games to Memorial Day weekend,” said PSFCA Executive Director Garry Cathell said. “We’re trying to make it a high school football weekend.”
John Franco of Tyrone High School the Pennsylvania head coach; he has won 261 games and 11 district championships at three schools. Dave Hahn of Manheim Central is an assistant coach.
Pennsylvania also beat Maryland in 2019; the game was not played in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Keystoners have won five of the last six meetings.
The game was moved from Central Dauphin’s Landis Field, where it was played the last several years.