YORK COUNTY, Pa. — A super-sized football practice held in York County gave a unique chance for high school football players from around the area and beyond to show if they have what it takes for the collegiate level.
The York Football Mega Practice was held on Wednesday evening at York Suburban High School involving more than 200 participating athletes and dozens of college football programs. The event acted as a meeting ground between the area's best football players and top college programs.
"I have always thought that central Pennsylvania, is under-recruited at times," said York High Football Head Coach Russell Stoner, who put together the event for the first time last year. "This gives kids an opportunity from the FCS level the whole way down to Division III, it's great football."
As a head coach, Stoner has always had the goal of helping kids achieve their football dreams. His event is a reflection of just that.
"I love to see people win," said Stoner. "Kids that work hard and do things the right way, I'm going to always try to promote that piece."
Those kids understand the one-of-a-kind opportunity Stoner is trying to give them through the practice. In addition to getting the chance to showcase their talents to colleges, they also get to do so against a level of competition they don't get every day.
"It's the coolest experience ever because I get to see the skill level from different places," said Krzshion Calixte, a junior linebacker at York High. "I am used to the skill level here, [and this practice] reminds [me] there is someone better. The only thing that's on my mind is I just got to compete and be better than the next guy, the person in front of me, the person behind me."
"It's a quick way to get so much better," said Jack Mahoney, a junior tight end at Dallastown Area High School. "Just the adversity and the amount of players coming to this it's just awesome, there's nothing like it."
A level of competition that highlights the best of the best for football from the area.
"To see all the schools you know being represented here come together, it's really awesome," said Dan Beard, special teams and linebackers coach at Millersville University. "It's great for us as college coaches [because] you have one date, almost 200 kids that you can be able to be evaluated and see and get opportunities to go play some places."
Places that players will end up that all started with a chance at one Football Mega Practice.
“We've all won games, we've all lost games, but really, in the game of life, we want all the kids to have a chance to win," said Stoner.
A chance created by an event that has required an all-hands-on-deck approach to turn Stoner's idea into a reality. Help he understands he could not do without to make the mega practice a reality in just its second year.
"Without [the support], we couldn't do what we're doing," said Stoner. "We have a whole army [and] we are trying to build it as an event and a mainstay. Stay tuned, because there's more to come."