Susquehanna Valley Native To Lead Team PA In Big 33 Football Classic

Written by: Big 33 Staff on May 21, 2025.

Being the head coach for Team Pennsylvania in the Big 33 Football Classic is a dream come true for Matt Ortega.

“It’s been a big honor because I’ve been going to these games since I was little. The first game I went to, I was probably 5 or 6 years old,” Ortega said.

Ortega has been a high school football coach in Pennsylvania for nearly three decades.

He’s currently the head coach at Coatesville High School, but before that, the Central Dauphin grad spent time in the Susquehanna Valley at McCaskey, Harrisburg and York High.

“They were awesome. My years at McCaskey, that’s when we had McCaskey rolling. Going to York, playing that York-Lancaster rivalry was awesome and then there was nothing like coaching the Harrisburg — Bishop McDevitt game,” Ortega said.

Ortega and the Pennsylvania State Football Coaches Association went through a thorough process selecting this year’s roster, which features several local players, including Manheim Township’s Donovan Rodriguez.

“It’s an honor and a blessing to play in the Big 33, I have always dreamed of this, and now I get to play in it. There have been a lot of NFL players that played in Big 33, hopefully I can be one of them,” Rodriguez said.

Team Maryland has also assembled a talented roster this year, and it will be a challenge for Team PA to win their sixth straight game in the series on Sunday night.

“Especially after last year, I can tell by the roster they had and the commitments they had. They’re definitely trying to come ready this year,” Ortega said.

Watch Coach Ortega’s full interview with WGAL 8.