By William Bowman
SELINSGROVE -- Ryan Keiser has earned a lot of accolades throughout his football career in Selinsgrove, ranging from HAC honors to first-team all-state.
Nothing compares to the senior's latest accolade, however.
Keiser, who helped lead the Seals to their first-ever PIAA football title last month, was selected to play in the 53rd annual Big 33 Game next summer, one of just seven players not from a Class AAAA school to make the Pennsylvania roster.
Selinsgrove's all-time record holder in receiving yards and touchdowns, Keiser will join 33 of the best scholastic players in Pennsylvania when they take on Ohio's best in the annual all-star game on June 19 in Hershey.
For Keiser, the honor is certainly well-deserved, but still was a little bit of a surprise.
"I never really thought about it," Keiser, who will be preferred walk-on at Penn State in the fall. "It's an awesome thing when you think about all the NFL guys who have played in this game. It's a great honor when consider the players are picked from entire state in all classifications."
Keiser will become Selinsgrove's eighth Big 33 player and the first since Matt Brouse in 2001. He will join former Seals Brouse, Trevor Britton (1993), Gary Nolder (1978), Todd Aungst (1978), Marlin Van Horn (1976), Greg Aungst (1969) and Dick Barlett (1963) to represent the Keystone State in one of the nation's best and most prestigious high school all-star games.
There has never been a Super Bowl played without at least one Big 33 alum and some of the greatest names in football history are tied to the game: Joe Namath, Tony Dorsett, Joe Montana and Archie Griffin all played in the distant past current college stars like Jonathan Baldwin (Pittsburgh), Terrelle Pryor (Ohio State) and Jared Odrick (Penn State) have all played in the last four years.
Keiser is the first local player selected since Southern Columbia's Henry Hynoski, now the starting fullback at Pitt, played in 2007.
"It's going to be a great experience to get to practice and play against players at that level before I get to college," said Keiser. "It will give me a good idea of what I need to work on before I even get to Penn State. It will give a lot of confidence."
While Keiser is not a scholarship player heading into the fall, he will be joined on the Pennsylvania roster by three future Penn State teammates: North Allegheny offensive lineman Tom Ricketts, Canon-McMillan linebacker Mike Hull and State College running back-receiver Alex Kenney.
"I am sure I will meet them all and we will form an early bond," said Keiser, who was told of the honor Sunday morning by coach Dave Hess. "I am really looking forward to meeting them all."
North Penn's Dick Penn will be Pennsylvania's head coach. His assistants are Souderton's Ed Gallagher, Abington Heights' Joe Repshis, Rochester's Gene Matsook, Gateway's Terry Smith and Chartiers Valley's Chris Saluga.
