Nativity coach Pat Mason talks to his team following a win over Mahanoy Area. (Photo by Mike Carnahan)

Mason named to Big 33 coaching staff;
O’Gurek to be assistant coach for Small-School East

Nativity’s Pat Mason and Marian’s Billy O’Gurek were honored by their peers Sunday by being named to coach in Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association all-star games in May.

Mason was named as an assistant coach for the PSFCA Big 33 Football Classic, one of the most prestigious high school all-star games in the country. This year’s Big 33 Game will be held Sunday, May 24, at Cumberland Valley’s Chapman Field in Mechanicsburg.

Mason recently completed his ninth season at Nativity and 22nd overall after 13 seasons at Minersville (2003-15). He has a career record of 108-128, guiding the Green Wave to the District 11 Class A playoffs in eight of his nine seasons atop Lawton’s Hill.

Don Holl of Gateway will be Pennsylvania’s head coach for the PSFCA Big 33 Football Classic. The remainder of the coaching staff will include Mason, Upper Dublin’s Bret Stover, Lackawanna Trail’s Steve Jervis, Annville-Cleona’s Matt Gingrich, Philipsburg-Osceola’s Jeff Vroman, Thomas Jefferson’s Bill Cherpak and Brashear’s Andrew Moore.

It’s the third time Mason has been selected to coach in a PSFCA all-star game. He was an East assistant coach in the 2021 small-school game and the East head coach in 2023.

“It’s an honor to be selected and to coach in one of the best all-star games in the country,” Mason said Sunday night. “I’m really excited for the opportunity to coach the best players in the state of Pennsylvania.”

O’Gurek was named as assistant coach for the PSFCA Small School East team. In two years at the helm, O’Gurek has guided the Colts to an 11-9 record and a pair of District 11 Class A runner-up finishes.

O’Gurek is part of a District 11-dominated East staff. Northern Lehigh’s Joe Tout is the head coach, while Northwestern Lehigh’s Josh Snyder and Saucon Valley’s Anthony Brinkley are assistant coaches. Shane Grodack of Western Wayne rounds out the staff, which still needs one more assistant coach.

“I’m excited to participate in the all-star game and spend some time with the great players and coaches from around the state,” O’Gurek said. “Also proud to represent Marian High School and Schuylkill County in the game.

“We have great players and coaches in our area and to be chosen as an assistant coach for the small-school team is a great honor.”

The rosters for all three all-star games will be released at a later date. Here’s the complete list of the coaching staffs for the three PSFCA games:

PSFCA All-Star Coaching Staffs

(Districts in parentheses)

Big 33 Game — Don Holl, Gateway (7); Bret Stover, Upper Dublin (1); Steve Jervis, Lackawanna Trail (2); Matt Gingrich, Annville-Cleona (3); Pat Mason, Nativity (11); Jeff Vroman, Philipsburg-Osceola (6), Bill Cherpak, Thomas Jefferson (7); Andrew Moore, Brashear (8)

PSFCA Big School East — Doug Dahms, Wilson West Lawn (3); Dan Chang, Plymouth-Whitemarsh (1); Rich Mannello, Dallas (2); Bob Wolfrum, Wyomissing (3); Marc Persing, Shamokin Area (4); Rick Prete, Roman Catholic (12)

PSFCA Big School West — Gerard Yonchiuk, Central York (3); Dave Heckard, Mechanicsburg (3); Matt Heiser, Gettysburg (3); Shane Breon, Mifflin County (6); Mike Junko, Upper St. Clair (7); Aaron Slucum, Erie McDowell (10)

PSFCA Small School East — Joe Tout, Northern Lehigh (11); Billy O’Gurek, Marian (11); Josh Snyder, Northwestern Lehigh (11); Anthony Brinkley, Saucon Valley (11); Shane Grodack, Western Wayne (2); One spot not filled

PSFCA Small School West — Chris Dworek, St. Mary’s (9); Tim Bigelow, Camp Hill (3); Joe Sinkovich, Big Spring (3); Ryan Donaldson, Meyersdale (5); Tanner Garry, Fort Cherry (7); Bill Morrison, Brookville (9)