The Red Lion Area School District is thrilled to announce that Coach Jesse Shay, Sean Tanner, and Mackenzie Hardy will proudly represent Red Lion at the 2025 Big 33 Football Game on May 25, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. This prestigious event will showcase the top talent in high school football, and Red Lion is excited to be part of this celebrated tradition.
Sean Tanner's selection marks a historic milestone, as he is the first representative from Red Lion in nearly fifty years, as our last representative was Scott Fitzkee from Team Pennsylvania 1975. In addition, Red Lion stands out as the only school in Pennsylvania to have representatives in all three categories for 2025: the Pennsylvania Coaching Staff, the Pennsylvania Football Roster, and the Pennsylvania Cheerleading Squad.
Join us in cheering loudly for these exceptional representatives as they showcase their talent and embody the pride of the Red Lion community.
About the Big 33 Football Classic
Originating in 1957, the Big 33 Football Classic is one of the nation’s finest scholastic All-Star Football Games, currently showcasing Pennsylvania and Maryland’s premier football players. Now into its sixth decade, the Football Classic is often described as “The Super Bowl of High School Football.” It is a game rich in both history and tradition. Many Big 33 Football Classic players and cheerleaders propel to college careers and so many players have successful careers in the NFL. There has never been a Super Bowl played without a former Big 33 player on the roster. We are proud to continue a long tradition of 57 straight Super Bowls with former participants of the Big 33 Football Classic. Some of our most well-known alums include: Matt Millen, Joe Montana, Joe Namath, John Cappelletti, Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, Rocket Ismail, Kerry Collins, Kyle Brady, Orlando Pace, Antonio Freeman, Ed McCaffrey, Marvin Harrison, Curtis Martin, Ricky Watters, Ben Roethlisberger, Robbie Gould, Damar Hamlin and Miles Sanders. More than 140 former Big 33 players have played in a Super Bowl. No other all-star game can make that claim!
The annual Big 33 Football Classic event brings both substantial economic and social impact to our Commonwealth. Each year, Pennsylvania and Maryland square off in “The Super Bowl of High School Football.” In addition to the All-Star game, the Big 33 weekend also consists of a Welcome Picnic, Pep Rally, Recognition Ceremony, Youth Cheer and Football clinics, Military Recognition, Fan Experience and several activities for individuals with special needs and diverse backgrounds.
The Memorial Day weekend Big 33 Football Classic game is televised live in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and viewed on National programming Streams. In addition to the television broadcast and live streams, game attendance for the Football Classic is approximately 10,000 families and spectators traveling to Central PA for weekend festivities. All of this significantly boosts the local economy and support for businesses in surrounding communities.