8 The Daily Collegian Arrington deals with pressures like a pro HERSHEY Just seconds after the final whistle blew at the conclu sion of the Big 33 Football Classic, dozens of fans swarmed around LaVar Arrington as if he were a black hole producing an extraordi nary amount gravitational pull. Soon after the autograph hounds started pushing commemorative Big 33 football cards in his face, sportswriters began thrusting microphones towards him while barking questions at him. Are you happy with the game’s outcome ? “We got the ‘W,’ ” Arrington said, staying focused on the plastic foot ball he was signing for a little girl. “That’s all that counts. That’s all that matters.” As time passed, more children surrounded the 6-foot-4, 228-pound running back. His massive shoul ders and powerful arms gave him a commanding presence that made him stand out even amongst the other football players. Arrington, who is generally con sidered to be the best prospect in the country, was obviously disap pointed with the way the game went. The 1997 Big 33 Football Classic was supposed to be his game his moment to shine. The kind of night young athlete’s dream about. However, Arrington’s night turned out to be less then ideal. “It was just a nightmare game for me,” he said with a calm, but clearly irritated voice. Instead of being the focal point of Pennsylva nia’s offense, Arrington was little more than an afterthought. He made the best of the four handoffs he was given, gaining 20 yards and scoring a touchdown, but those are not the numbers you would expect from such a highly decorated high school player. “I didn’t know what to expect coming into tonight,” Arrington said as he gave one of his wrist bands to a boy wearing a Penn State cap. “I came out here expect ing a little more action, I know that.” With every declaration of his bit terness, the writers in the area got more and more excited. How often do you get to hear someone associ ated with the Penn State football program speak so honestly and so bluntly? Seizing the moment, the writers around him kept firing questions at a machine gun pace. Were you disappointed you didn’t get more chances ? “Wouldn’t you be?” he ques tioned as he looked up from the kids who surrounded him for the first time. “I am disappointed, but hey, I’m not going to complain.” Yet, it was obvious that is all he wanted to do. Pennsylvania’s coach, Jack McCurry, was Arrington’s coach at North Hills High School. He knew the talent he had at his finger tips, but he used Arrington sparingly, citing that Ohio covered him too well something Ohio reveled in. Though they were disappointed they had lost, the pride the Ohio players gained from containing the man who is supposedly the best high school football player in the nation almost made up for losing the game. “I don’t think he’s worth all the hype,” said Ohio receiver Chris Chambers. “All the newspapers and all the writers everyone said he was the man. I think he’s a good player, but he’s not all that.” While it is true Arrington did not live up to the hype, it is safe to say he was not given many opportuni ties to show his abilities. In the closing moments of the game, as Pennsylvania was driving down field for what would prove to be the winning touchdown, Arring ton was given a chance to be the hero. Arrington made a clutch catch near the end zone, but was ruled down on the 1-yard line, despite the fact that he knocked over the pylon. It set up Dan Ellis’ game winning touchdown, but simply defeating Ohio wasn’t enough for Please see ARRINGTON, Page 12. Pa. pulls off comeback at Big 33 The Pennsylvania team, which started seven Penn State recruits, edged Ohio for an unusually close 21- 20 victory in the Big 33 Football Classic. By NICK ZULOVICH Collegian Sports Writer HERSHEY With six minutes left in Saturday’s Big 33 Football Classic and Ohio ahead of Pennsyl vania, 20-14, some fans started heading for the exits, leaving a game that was not explosive by all star game standards. But then Ohio’s Jason Flora missed the extra point attempt after a Sean Penny 20-yard touch down run, and that crease of hope was all the Pennsylvania squad needed. Those fans who tried to beat the traffic early out of Hersheypark Stadium missed Pennsylvania engi neering a classic, game-winning drive with just 1:24 left. After a Dan Ellis completion to Penn State recruit LaV'ar Arrington that got Pennsylvania to the 1-yard line, Ellis scored his second touch down of the game on a quarterback sneak, giving Pennsylvania the win in dramatic fashion, 21-20. “We knew we could score. We were moving the ball in the second half,” Ellis, a Virginia recruit, said. “They were playing off on the slot man and we ran that a couple times. We couldn’t have drawn up that drive any better.” That final drive for Pennsylvania began on its own 20-yard line after Ohio had missed a 47-yard field goal. With only one timeout left, Pennsylvania coach Jack McCurry said the game plan was to throw deep out patterns in order to work the sidelines. McCurry’s club executed the plan to perfection Ellis found tight end and Penn State recruit John Gilmore on a 33-yard recep- Pennsylvania quarterback Mike McMahon gets a throw off under pressure during the Big 33 Football Classic. Pennsylvania beat Ohio, 21-20, Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium. Ohio-bound Comb stands out By NICK ZULOVICH Collegian Sports Writer HERSHEY In a game designed to showcase the individual talents of some of the best high school recruits in the nation, Derek Combs showed why he was in the Big 33 Football Classic. Combs lined up in the slot on the final play of first half of Saturday night’s game. After being bumped at the line of scrimmage by a Pennsylvania line backer, Combs ended up one-on-one with cornerback Travis Blomgren. Blomgren and Combs were step for step with each other down the middle of the field when Ohio quarterback Andy Keating lofted the ball 30 yards down field. Blomgren got his hand on the ball first, trying to slap it away from Combs. But Blomgren fell to the turf instead of the football, and Combs ended up with the pigskin racing to paydirt. “We knew they were going deep. We just had a bad defensive breakdown,” Blomgren said. Blomgren got his revenge in the fourth quarter when he made a touchdown-sav ing tackle against Combs after he had blown past most of the Pennsylvania defense for a 44-yard gain. Combs, the Ohio High School Player of the Year who will attend Ohio State this fall, finished his day at the Big 33 Foot ball Classic as the MVP for the Ohio squad. Combs finished with 140 yards of total offense, 77 rushing and 63 receiv ing. The first Ohio touchdown was also courtesy of Combs on a 10-yard run up the middle. He was hardly touched by a Pennsylvania defender, which both frus trated and impressed Pennsylvania coach Jack McCurry. “He’s an outstanding back that has the LaVar Arrington dives into the endzone during the second quarter to score Pennsylvania's first points of the game and tie the score at tion and followed that up with a 13- yard strike to Ben Erdeljac, dri ving Pennsylvania to the Ohio 34- yard line. Two plays later Ellis tried to find Arrington on a post pattern over in Big 3 ability to find a crease hat is off to him,” McCurry said. “We wanted to try to funnel everything into the middle and try to get as . many people as we could to ■ the ball.” Ohio coach Vern Long knew the capabilities of hi; 6-foot-2, 188-pound tailbr and said he put Combs in si ations where he could shine “He’s a great player, a great young man and is going to have a great col lege career,” Long said. “He’s talented, he can run and make things happen.” Combs hopes he can have the sair with the Buck the coming ye; He said tl week of prac tice for the Big 33 Foot ball Classic will only help when he gets to trainin( “It’s gettin{ ning the ball ir ing and catchii said. Though not the outconu gave some a< the Ohio squi for next year. “It was c petitive. I giv< lot of credit Pennsylvania said. “Next year, Ohio will have to represent a little better.” the middle, but Ohio was called for pass interference, moving the ball to the Ohio 13 with only 10 seconds remaining in the game. Ellis called Arrington’s number again and Arrington thought he had scored the game-winner on his 12- yard reception in the right flat. Just before being pushed out of bounds by Ohio’s Mike Clinkscale and Joe Cooper, Arrington appeared to touch the pylon as he dove for the right-front corner of the end zone, but the referees said his knee was down. “I got in the end zone,” he said emphatically after the game. “They didn’t want to give me that, but I got in.” Up until the final drive of the game, Pennsylvania struggled offensively. McCurry’s squad went three-and-out in three of its five possessions of the first half. The only offense Pennsylvania could muster was a 42-yard reception by Rutgers recruit Delrico Fletcher. Arrington scored on the ensuing play on dive over the left tackle. Meanwhile, the Ohio offense had its way for most of the first half. On its first possession of the game, Short drove down to Hershey to watch some of his future team mates play in the high school all-star game. k He didn’t leave disappoint- P ed. “All the Penn State guys % looked real good,” Short • said. “Hopefully they’ll look that good when they get to State College.” Eight Lion recruits played Sat •day, seven of whom were fea nnsylvania’s starting lineup, USA Today Pennsylvania Play- Lrrington. widely considered the crown ir’s recruiting class, but his role g limited opportunities, Arring ed to gain 30 all-purpose yards jylvania’s first touchdown of the game. While Arrington’s performance fell short of seven. The Pennsylvania squad beat Ohio, 21-20, in the Big 33 Football Classic Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium. Ohio MVP Derek Combs capped a 53-yard drive with a 10-yard touch down run, giving Ohio a 7-0 lead. Ohio went into the intermission with a 14-7 lead when Combs scored again on the last play of the first half, hauling in a 56-yard pass play from quarterback Andy Keat ing. “Our quarterback suggested that play, and he certainly knew what he was doing,” Ohio coach Vern Long said. With 193 yards of total offense in the first half, Long said his was dis appointed his club didn’t put more than 14 points on the board in the first 24 minutes. The lone Ohio turnover of the ball game was one reason Ohio did not scord more often in the first half. Ohio drove down to the Penn sylvania 27-yard line, but Travis Blomgren intercepted Greg Zol man’s pass in the end zone, spoiling Ohio’s scoring opportunity. “I just watched the quarter back’s eyes and broke on the ball,” Blomgren said about the play. “The quarterback looked right at the receiver.” Blomgren was one of the stars on ture Nittany Lions et on and off field »REW DEBES lian Sports Writer .SHEY Bran i Short ran onto Hersheypark Sta dium field and grabbed Penn t sylvania’s LaVar Arring ton after he made the 12- yard reception that set the stage ■ the climatic of Saturday’s itball Classic. for the Nittany the Penn State him a congratu helmet. Monday, July 28, 1997 defense for Pennsylvania. He fin ished with four tackles and broke up three passes. Penn State recruit Joe McKinney had a game-high eight tackles, but was not completely satisfied with his performance at middle line backer. “I could have done better,” McK inney said. “It would have been nice to know a couple guys out of the game.” Toledo recruit Jim Barker and Cooper each had four tackles apiece for Ohio. Chad Huelsman had two tackles for a loss plus a quarterback sack. The coaches, players and most of the 15,295 fans in attendance thought the Big 33 Football Classic would be a high-scoring affair. But the spectators who remained instead saw a storybook ending. “I definitely thought it would be a high-scoring game,” Pennsylva nia offensive lineman Josh Mitchell said. “But it came down to being just a regular high school, hard core, gridiron game. I think it’s because everybody worked so hard all week, the things weren’t given up like they usually are.” the hype, fellow recruits John Gilmore and Travis Blomgren shined. Gilmore had a game-high 71 receiving yards, including a clutch catch for 33 yards during Pennsylvania’s final drive. “Gilmore had a great game,” Arrington said “I’m real proud of him.” Even though his play was exceptional, Gilmore understands he has some more work to do before he will be able to give similar perfor mances in Beaver Stadium. “If they want to redshirt me, that’s fine,” Gilmore said. “It will just give me another year to develop.” On the defensive side of the ball ( Blomgren played well, grabbing the Only interception of the game. While he did get burned by MVP Derek Combs for a 56-yard touchdown recep tion at the end of the first half, his performance as a whole was solid. Blomgren saw the game as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. “I’m real excited about going to Penn State,” he said. “This will help my confidence a lot when I get there.” Not only did the game showcase the talent of the new recruits, but it gave the players a chance to get acquainted. The week before the Big 33 Football Classic provided a lot of time for the players to hangout and get to know each other. “We’ve become real good friends and gotten to know each other better,” said Joe McKinney, a Lion linebacker recruit. “It’s just brought us a little bit closer.” All the players agreed that Big 33 week pro vided a great bonding experience for the incoming recruits. The only ones who are more excited about this recruiting class than Penn State fans are the players themselves. “They are great guys and great athletes,” Blomgren said. “This is a great group of guys going to Penn State this year. The next couple of years could be interesting.”
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers