Upper Dublin’s Ryan Stover and Upper Merion’s Isaiah Graham-Mobley participated in the prestigious Big 33 game on Saturday, June 18.
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Ryan Stover and Isaiah Graham-Mobley found themselves in elite company when they competed in the prestigious Big 33 All-Star game at Hersheypark Stadium on June 18. Both Suburban One League standouts proved they belonged.
Graham-Mobley saw action at safety and outside linebacker for a Pennsylvania defense that allowed Maryland just 21 net yards on 24 carries and took a 26-0 lead into the fourth quarter of Pennsylvania’s 26-14 win.
“The week was phenomenal,” the recent Upper Merion graduate said. “Just meeting guys from all the different programs and them all bringing to the table what they’ve learned and learning from them and them learning from me.
“It was a really cool atmosphere. All the coaches were really welcoming, all the new techniques and what not, and I just soaked everything in so that was pretty cool.”
Stover alternated with Parkland quarterback Devante Cross every two series, finishing the game 4-for-7 for 52 yards. He also had 24 yards on four carries.
“At the start, it was nerveracking because I didn’t know how I would rank against them,” the Upper Dublin quarterback said. “Once I got in there and kind of got it going, it was pretty easy. I was pretty hyped.
“I threw an interception – I wasn’t happy about that. Besides that, I read the defenses and made a couple of throws.”
Playing with and against players with similar aspirations also was a highlight.
“Just spending time with the kids that I had never met before and making memories that I won’t forget – I liked being around the guys,” Stover said. “I loved playing with my high school team. I know all the kids, but some of the kids didn’t have the same aspirations I had to play football at the next level. To play with guys that had that mindset and that goal was just a preview of college competition.”
No one gave a more dazzling preview of things to come than Woodland Hills star Miles Sanders, a Penn State recruit and one of the nation’s top prospects, who scored three touchdowns and was the Pennsylvania MVP.
“He’s the best football player I’ve ever played with or against or seen play live in my life that’s my age,” Stover said. “He is all the hype and then some.
“Some of the stuff he does – his little jump cuts and his in and out moves and his stop and go speed is just unmatched. He just looked like he was by far just better than everybody on the field on game night.”
“The game was really exciting,” Graham-Mobley said. “Everyone was so pumped up. Our crowd was really into it.
“We shut them out in the first three quarters of the game. We just put on a show. Playing with all those guys – Miles Sanders, (Pitt recruit) Damar Hamlin – it was a great feeling overall.”
While the game was an undeniable highlight, it wasn’t the only memorable part of the week. All the players – who stayed in the home of host families for the week – were assigned a ‘buddy’ with special needs on Wednesday.
“Our buddies are definitely a part that stuck out to me the most because we just had a huge impact on their lives, and it was pretty cool being an idol for someone for the first time in my life,” said Graham-Mobley, who will be starting classes at Temple University on Monday. “They would come and eat lunch with us.
“We would interact with them, and they would stick with us throughout the week. We had a pep rally with them. At the game, they were wearing our jerseys, and when we were announced, we ran to them. They were really excited. It was awesome to see the smiles on their faces.”
For Stover, who is bound for Towson University, playing with and against the best in the Big 33 game capped a memorable senior year that included leading the Flying Cardinals to their program’s first ever District One AAAA title, an experience that just barely trumped competing in the senior all-star game.
“Once the playoffs hit for high school – that was more exciting because of the goal in mind to win the district title,” Stover said. “This is definitely right up there though.”
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