High school student selected to play in 2025 Big 33 Football Classic
Parker Johnson
Williamsport Area High School senior Parker Johnson has been selected to play as a kicker in the Big 33 Football Classic, one of the nation’s premier scholastic All-Star games. Johnson earned a spot on the Pennsylvania roster and will compete against Maryland on Sunday, May 25, at Cumberland Valley High School’s Chapman Field.
“I feel very honored to be selected to play on such a prestigious team,” Johnson said. “I’m very thankful for this opportunity. I appreciate my team and coaches for all the support and the nomination. I must give a huge thanks to my entire family and especially my older brother, Jett, who has supported me and has been my biggest fan. He has helped me train and helped with my exposure to play at the next level.”
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound senior is the 10th Williamsport player to be named to the Big 33 team since 1957, according to available records. He is also the third Williamsport athlete to play as a kicker, following Connor Poole in 2024.
Other Millionaires selected for the Big 33 game include Joe Harris (1957), Lee Fisher (1958), Gary Brown (1987), Rick Phoenix (1988), Matt Neenan (1990), Matt Mapes (1995), Dwayne Blackman (2002) and Jerah Reeves (2016).
Johnson, who will continue his football career at East Stroudsburg University this fall, made a significant impact in his first and only high school season as Williamsport’s punter and kicker. He converted 28 of 31 extra points and 11 of 13 field goals, with a season-long of 41 yards.
His journey to the Big 33 roster began after the season when he learned about a specialist tryout from Coach Mike Pearson. The tryout took place on December 22 at Spooky Nook Sports Dome in Lancaster, and Johnson immediately began preparing, both mentally and physically.
“I hadn’t stopped training since the start of the season, but once I knew about the tryout, I ramped up my preparation,” he said. “I also reached out to Connor Poole, who was in the same position as me. He’s been a great mentor, and his advice to me is to always be honest and straightforward.”
Williamsport Athletic Director Sean McCann praised Johnson’s rapid development and selection. “Parker started kicking for the team this season for the first time and really made a huge difference for our team,” McCann said. “His kick-offs, punts and field goals were difference-makers in several of our games. He has accomplished so much in such short time with his kicking this past season. He was able to compete with kickers from around the state for his spot on the Big 33 team, several of them on the all-state teams, and he rated the highest, earning him the selection to the team. We look forward to watching him play at the next level in his future at East Stroudsburg University.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting my teammates that were also selected, along with my coaching staff,” Johnson said. “I haven’t stopped training, and I’m excited to get out there and put my hard work to the test.”