WAHS player selected for 2024 Big 33 Football Classic
Williamsport Area High School senior Connor Poole has been selected to play in the Big 33 Football Classic as a kicker. Poole was named to the Pennsylvania roster earlier this winter to participate in the game against Maryland at 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 24, at Cumberland Valley’s Chapman Field. The event is one of the nation’s finest scholastic All-Star Football Games that currently showcases Pennsylvania and Maryland’s premier football players.
“I am honored and grateful to be selected among the best football players in Pennsylvania and have my talent recognized at the state level,” Poole said. “I would like to thank Coach (Mike) Pearson for nominating me for the Big 33 football team. I’m looking forward to competing with the best football players in PA and kicking in such a prestigious game.”
The 6-foot-3, 180-pound senior is the eighth Williamsport player to be named to the Big 33 team since 1957, and the first one since Jerah Reeves in 2016, according to available Big 33 rosters. Poole will be the second Williamsport athlete to play as kicker behind former WAHS kicker Matt Mapes in 1995.
Other Millionaires selected to the Big 33 game were Joe Harris in 1957, Lee Fisher in 1958, Gary Brown in 1987, Rick Phoenix in 1988, Matt Neenan in 1990 and Dwayne Blackman in 2002.
Poole, who will play football at Lehigh University next fall, concluded his final football season last fall as the Millionaires’ punter and kicker with four of the 10 longest field goals in Pennsylvania, including three from over 40 yards and one for a new school record of 50 yards.
He’s been named by Kohl’s as a 2023 All-American Honorable Mention, an All-Eastern PA Football 6A Team Punter and Kicker, and named First Team Division I All-Star for the Wyoming Valley Conference as both a punter and kicker.
Also excelling on the soccer field, he was named the 2023 Sun-Gazette Player of the Year in Boys Soccer and First Team PHAC All-Star as a midfielder.
WASD Athletic Director Sean McCann credits Poole’s hard work to develop into one of the top kickers in the state, as well as the country. “The Williamsport football team, school and community are very proud of Connor for his selection to the Big 33 All-Star game,” said Athletic Director Sean McCann. “This is an outstanding accomplishment for him to be recognized with selection to this team, being one of the top 33 football players in Pennsylvania. Throughout his high school career, he was a game changer with our team, helping the Millionaires win games with his kick-offs, punting and field goals. We are excited to watch Connor play at the next level in his future at Lehigh University.”