For many of its participants, the Big 30 Charities Classic represents the last time they will ever suit up in full pads for a football game in their lives.
That won’t be the case for Otto-Eldred’s Seth Drummond. The now-former Terror running back and linebacker will be continuing his playing career at Division II Gannon University this fall.
But after departing Bradford High’s Parkway Field on Saturday night after helping the Pennsylvania all-stars defeat their New York counterparts 48-30, Drummond noted just how much the contest meant to him and his family.
“It’s been a dream since I’ve been little to be playing in this game,” he said. “So winning the game… it means everything.”
Drummond recalls attending the Big 30 Classic when he was younger as one of the first football games he ever went to.
A Drummond playing in the Big 30 game isn’t exactly a new phenomenon; both Seth’s father and grandfather competed in the event in their younger days. On Saturday, this third-generation player did himself proud, racking up 99 yards on 19 carries and finding the end zone twice to help Pennsylvania to its second consecutive Big 30 victory and improve its overall record in the event to 20-22-2.
After trailing at the half 22-20, Drummond gave PA its first lead of the contest early in the third quarter when he galloped into the end zone for a 12-yard score to make it 27-22.
From that moment on, Pennsylvania was in complete control, and Drummond’s dominance on the ground was a major factor. Despite the New York defense having a pretty good idea of what they would be seeing, they had their hands full trying to bring down the 5’8, 200-plus pound Drummond.
Another touchdown late in the quarter — this one coming from five yards out — made the score 41-30 and put PA ahead for good.
Like the rest of his teammates, there was a bit of an adjustment period for Drummond when it came to learning how to play with young men who were once his opponents. But team Pennsylvania showed on the field that they were willing and able to work together to come away with the victory.
“It’s a little weird,” Drummond said about playing with a new set of teammates. “After the first time you do it in practice it’s a little weird. But then the camaraderie came together and by [Saturday] we’d figured it all out and it was just like playing back home again.”
The performance was an exclamation point on what was a fantastic high school career. Drummond graduates as Otto-Eldred’s all-time leading rusher. He also was twice named a Big 30 All-Star and was selected to the AML (Allegheny Mountain League) All-Star Team three times.
After the final whistle sounded, Drummond embraced his friends and family, as well as his former Otto-Eldred teammates Grant West, Nate Shroyer, and Damen Palmer, who all took the field on Saturday. Also in attendance was Otto-Eldred head coach Nick LaBella, who got to see his former star running back suit up one last time.
It’s not the end of the road for Drummond when it comes to football. But on a night surrounded by many players who had reached the end of their time on the field, he made sure to make the most of every moment.
“You never know what’ll happen at the next level,” he said, “so I definitely played it as if it was my last game.”
