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Big Blue’s Gilbert in prep football showcase

Defensive tackle will take part in Big 33 Football Classic; former HHS assistants coaching game.

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By Jay Morrison, Staff Writer 12:19 AM Saturday, June 19, 2010

A pair of Hamilton residents will be participating in the 53rd annual Big 33 Football Classic tonight, June 19, in Hershey, Pa.

Recently graduated Hamilton High School defensive tackle Darius Gilbert and former HHS assistant coach and current Mount Healthy head coach Arvie Crouch will represent the Ohio all-stars in the annual battle against the best players from Pennsylvania.

“It’s been an amazing experience,” Crouch said. “The big thing is the game, of course, but they use that as a vessel to get the kids into a different realm. Everything they do is geared toward putting them in situations where they can do good for somebody else.”

The players and coaches arrive in Hershey a week before the game, and in the days leading up to kickoff they visit hospitals and run youth clinics. Each player also is assigned a buddy, a special needs student who shadows the player for most of the week.

“That’s been the best part, hanging out with our buddies,” Gilbert said. “We’ve been tossing the football around, and we visited Hershey Park and just spent a lot of time talking and hanging out.”

Tonight’s game kicks off at 7 p.m. and will be televised by the NFL Network. And there’s a good chance at least one of the players on the field tonight will end up playing in the Super Bowl one day.

A Big 33 alum has played in all 44 Super Bowls, and at least five Big 33 alums have gone on to be inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame — Dan Marino (1979), Jim Kelly (1978), Joe Montana (1974), Tony Dorsett (1973) and Joe Namath (1961).

“The whole theme of the Big 33 is to promote the big-time athletes in Ohio and Pennsylvania and also keep them humble,” Crouch said. “Darius told me he is loving this experience, and he’s been doing really well. It looks like he’s going to be a starter.”

Another Hamilton connection on the Ohio squad is Roy Thobe. The former HHS assistant coach and current Fairborn head coach will be on the Ohio coaching staff tonight.

Contact this reporter at (

513

)

820-2193

jmorrison

coxohio.com.

Darius Gilbert

HHS graduate

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