JACKSON TWP — Don Holl loves to coach, even during the offseason.

Seneca Valley’s varsity football coach was notified in November that he was chosen to be an assistant coach for Pennsylvania’s team in this summer’s Big 33 Football Classic, to be held June 16 at Hersheypark Stadium.

The Big 33 game has been played every year since 1958 and has seen its format changed over the years. It currently matches all-star high school players from Pennsylvania against those from Ohio.

Ohio has won the last three meetings.

“It’s a game everybody in Pennsylvania knows about,” said Holl, who will coach the quarterbacks and wide receivers. “It’s a prestigious game to play in and for me is an opportunity to coach with some of the best coaches and coach some of the best players in the state.

“It’s a phenomonal chance to showcase the talent in Pennsylvania and Ohio,” he added. “It is a neat event and nice to be part of it.”

Mike Brennan, head coach of District 11’s Blue Mountain High School, will be the head coach for Pennsylvania this year and contacted Holl.

“You have to be nominated and I’m not sure who nominated me,” said Holl. “Counting Coach Brennan, I will be one of six coaches on the staff.”

Holl attended a meeting in State College last weekend at which the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association chose Pennsylvania’s roster.

The squad’s coaches also met and talked strategy.

“Coach Brennan said he wants me to be heavily involved in the offense,” said Holl. “We’re planning on running a decent amount of spread and should be in the (shotgun) 75 to 80 percent of the time. But we will also have the ability to change the tempo.”

Pennsylvania’s players include WPIAL star running backs Rushel Shell (Hopewell), Greg Garmon (McDowell) and Julian Durden (Montour).

“I can’t speak to how this year’s players stack up to those from the past, but you would be hard pressed to come up with a better group of kids,” said Holl. “There’s some great talent.”

At some point over the next few months, the chosen players will convene at either a western or eastern meeting point of the state to receive the team’s playbook, though the squad will not hold an official practice until early June.

Holl previously took part in the East/West All-Star Game in Altoona in 2007 while head coach at Cathedral Prep.

“The West had lost a few years in a row,” he said. “I coached the quarterbacks and running backs and we won. It was neat to break the East team’s winning streak.

This summer’s trip to Hershey will not be exclusively about football.

“It will be a vacation for the Holl family, we’ll spend a day at Hersheypark,” Holl said. “That will be nice.”