Bill Wade, Post-Gazette West Allegheny coach Bob Palko will guide the Pennsylvania team tonight. Click photo for larger image. BIG 33 FOOTBALL CLASSIC 7:30 Tonight, Hersheypark Stadium TV: WPXI, WJAC, WTOV, FSN Pittsburgh, PCNC Radio: KQV-AM (1410)

HERSHEY, Pa. -- Team chemistry. Cohesiveness. A desire to prove something. Attitude. Toughness. Bob Palko will tell you those are the things that give Pennsylvania a chance to win the Big 33 all-star football game.

Palko, West Allegheny High School's coach and the head coach of the Pennsylvania All-Stars, has to reach into the bag of cliched intangibles to find reason for optimism. That's because on paper, Pennsylvania doesn't stack up to the Ohio All-Stars.

Even Palko agrees that Pennsylvania is an underdog in today's game (7:30 p.m. kickoff at Hersheypark Stadium). A look at the teams' rosters tells a lot. This is the 48th year of the Big 33 and Pennsylvania's roster has never had this many players who aren't headed to Division I-A colleges. Pennsylvania has 15 players headed to colleges in Division I-AA or lower. In contrast, Ohio has only two.

A year ago, the Pennsylvania team had only six players headed to colleges in I-AA or II.

Also, Ohio has a size advantage on Pennsylvania this season. Ohio has four linemen 6 feet 5 or taller. Pennsylvania has one.

There are reasons Pennsylvania's roster isn't as impressive as years' past. Some players chosen to the Big 33 started college early. For example, Gateway star Justin King enrolled at Penn State in January. Other players, including three Notre Dame recruits, pulled out of the game after enrolling in summer classes at their colleges. All told, Pennsylvania lost more than a half dozen Division I-A players for various reasons.

Ohio lost some top players also, but that state seems to produce more Division I-A players than Pennsylvania. Four Ohio State recruits pulled out of the game, but the Ohio Big 33 team still has eight Buckeyes recruits.

"It would be nice to have some of the kids who aren't here," Palko said. "But that's just the way circumstances are. Different situations occur and you have to adapt and adjust."

Palko seems to like the way his team has progressed during a week of practices.

"I think a lot of these kids have a lot to prove, but I don't think that's what's going to make the difference," Palko said. "I think the team that jelled better and came together better during the week will make the difference. Teams that have players who like each other usually do well in all-star games like this. I think the kids on our team really do like each other. So we'll see."

Some Pennsylvania players who Palko has really liked this week are Upper St. Clair linebacker Sean Lee, Central Catholic tight end John Pelusi, Seton-LaSalle receiver Carmen Connolly and West Allegheny offensive lineman C.J. Davis.

"The Western Pennsylvania kids have represented themselves well," Palko said.

Lee has been particularly impressive, playing linebacker for the first time. Lee was a defensive back at Upper St. Clair, but will play linebacker at Penn State.

"He'll play early in his career at Penn State," Palko said. "He's been doing awesome up here. He reminds me a lot of [Penn State linebacker] Paul Posluszny."

Palko gushes about Pelusi's ability.

"He doesn't miss a pass," Palko said. "He causes mismatches. He's tough. He's smart. I'm telling you, watch him in the future."

North Penn coach Dick Beck, who is coaching Pennsylvania's linemen, has been impressed with Butler center Nate Hartung: "I've seen Penn State practice. If he walked on at Penn State this year, he'd start."

But Hartung is not headed to college. He is a Mormon and will not play football for three seasons as he fulfills his mission work.

Palko has Pennsylvania running a no-huddle offense some. Central Catholic's Shane Murray and Thomas Jefferson's Brad Dawson are Pennsylvania's quarterbacks.

Under Big 33 rules, teams must pass at least 40 percent of plays. Ohio has a talented pass-catch combination in 6-6 quarterback Robby Schoenhoft (Ohio State recruit) and receiver Mario Manningham (Michigan). Manningham was the MVP in Ohio's North-South game.

"We know what Ohio has, but once they kick the ball off, it doesn't matter where you're going to college," Hartung said. "They have players and we do, too. Just because someone is going to Ohio State doesn't make them invulnerable."