Schuylkill Haven head coach Mike Farr presents the MVP trophies to Pottsville's Parrish McFarland, left, and North Schuylkill's Collin McGee, right, after the 2023 Schuylkill County Football Coaches Association North-South Senior All-Star Game at Schuylkill Haven's Rotary Field (Photo by Leroy Boyer).

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — After 37 meetings, the Schuylkill County Football Coaches’ Association’s senior all-star game is changing formats.

Schuylkill Haven head coach Mike Farr, the president of the SCFCA, unveiled Tuesday that the annual senior showcase will switch from its traditional North-South matchup to a clash of Big Schools vs. Small Schools.

This year’s game is slated for Wednesday, Nov. 27, at 7 p.m. at Schuylkill Haven’s Rotary Field. The game will be broadcast live on WPPA 1360 AM / A-106 FM. Admission charge is $5 per person.

The move was necessitated by Lehighton and Jim Thorpe’s departure to the Colonial League.

“Before Lehighton and Jim Thorpe came in (to the SCFCA), we always had roster issues with the North-South because there were only six North schools and you had some smaller schools in there,” Farr said Tuesday as his Hurricanes prepared for Friday’s District 11 Class AA championship game against Williams Valley.

“I thought, why not, let’s try it. So I went to the coaches, and they said, ‘Sure, let’s do it.’”

Under the prior format, the North held a 20-16-1 all-time lead in the series, which began in 1988. The South won 35-20 last November behind South MVP and Pottsville running back Parrish McFarland, who rushed for 89 yards and three touchdowns. North Schuylkill’s Collin McGee was the North MVP after catching four passes for 130 yards and a score. Shenandoah Valley’s Nick Ryan had two touchdown grabs.

This year, the Big School team will be made up of players from Blue Mountain, North Schuylkill, Panther Valley, Pine Grove, Pottsville and Tamaqua. Players from Mahanoy Area, Marian, Minersville, Nativity, Schuylkill Haven, Shenandoah Valley, Tri-Valley and Williams Valley will represent the Small School squad.

Pottsville’s Mike Brennan and his staff will coach the Big School team. Minersville’s Justin Frantz and his staff will guide the Small School squad.

“The big schools have traditionally more seniors, so it gives them an opportunity to get more guys in,” Farr said. “By going Big School vs. Small School, it gives the opportunity for more guys to play in the game than would traditionally have played. We’re going to try it.”

Big-School Roster

The following players have been selected to the Big School roster:

Blue Mountain — TE/DL Jayden Blankenhorn, WR/DB Cole Swick, TE/DL Bradley Renninger, WR/DB Gaige Guers, H/LB Hunter Blankenhorn, RB/LB Tyler Stahley, RB/LB Lukas Kauffman, OL/DL Cole Wargo, WR/DB Wyatt Barnes, H/LB Lane Noecker, K/P Aidan Grace, WR/DB Ty Blankenhorn, WR/DB Owen Ritter**

North Schuylkill — K/P Gavin Mentzer, C Julian Lapointe, G/DT Sander Stokes, DE Brayden Lauta, TE Kevin Jones, WR/RB/DB Michael Mogish, RB/LB Kolton Joyce

Panther Valley — RB/DB Brennan Kunkel, WR/DB Frank Shubeck, OL/DL Michael Williams, OL/LB Clinton Dyer, OL/DE Zack Seifert

Pine Grove — WR/DB Brody Ibarra, FB/TE/LB Brayden Lyons, RB/DL Alex Pillsbury, TE/WR/DB Robbie Schaeffer, OG/DL Peyton Kintzel**

Pottsville — WR/DB Tsirell Curry, G/DE Luke Schane, LB Brayden Evans, OL/DT Jacob Filiac, LB Averey Maroukis, RB Evan Galavage, LB Gage Hammer, DB Landon Templeton, TE/DL Tahlil Flucker-White, OL/DL Ryan Galen**

Tamaqua — QB/LB Luke Kane, WR/DB Victor Schlosser, TE/DE Declan Coleman, TE/DE Jacob Hehn, RB/DL Bradley Whalen, FB/LB Tyler Koch

** Will not play due to injury

Small-School Roster

Mahanoy Area — OL/DL Kaiden Komosinsky, OL/DL Kyle Pollack, QB/DB Levi Terry, WR/DB Michael Oblas, WR/OLB Aidan Bowman, FB/LB Brian Gallagher

Marian — TE/DE Michael Gelatko, OL/DL Aidan Milkovits, RB/LB Charlie Hower, RB/DE Chase Hower, WR/CB Michael Johnson

Minersville — OL/DL Aiden Boom, OL/LB Owen Fortna, OL/LB A.J. Halford, WR/DB Logan Hutsko, WR/DB Jake Kavanaugh, WR/DB Kaseem Lofton, RB/LB Logan Rizzardi, RB/LB Easton Schultz

Nativity — WR/DB Noah Dolbin, RB/DB Sam Walborn, QB/DB Ben Kreitzer, OL/DL Mark Kimmel, OL/LB Andrew Verchick, OL/DL Barry Jenkins, RB/DB Nick Wagner, TE/LB Gavin Frie, RB/LB Drew Seaman, OL/DL Jasir Jones

Schuylkill Haven — WR/DB Leyden Hertz, TE/LB Adam Malinoski, OL/DL Nate Chamberlain, OL/DL Brian Moran, QB/DB Brayden Fasnacht, K/P Hunter Correll, WR/LB Carter Krause

Shenandoah Valley — QB/DB Tristian Karosas, LB Gordon Slater, OL/DL Ivan Ramirez, RB/LB Jeremy Thomas**, C/DE Brayden Lutz**

Tri-Valley — OL/LB Ryan Colahan, OG/DE Kayden Lucas, QB/DB Blake Schwartz, C/DT Hogan Troutman

Williams Valley — WR/DB Kian Krzyzanowski, TE/DE Brayden Crisswell, OG/DT Jesse Koons, FB/LB Skylor Green

** Will not play