It was a bit frenzied and led to a little less sleep than he would have preferred, but Dan Kessler would do it again if asked. In fact, he'd jump at the chance.

Kessler, a McKeesport High School graduate, participated in the Big 33 Football Classic all-star game this past weekend, playing offensive tackle and some nose guard for a Pennsylvania team that defeated Ohio, 31-16, at Hersheypark Stadium.

But Kessler was chosen only last Tuesday evening, just four days before the game as a replacement after a Pennsylvania player sustained an injury in practice that afternoon.

When a spot suddenly opened up on the offensive line depth chart, Pennsylvania offensive coordinator Art Walker -- North Allegheny High School's head coach -- called McKeesport coach George Smith to see if Kessler would mind making the drive to Hershey.

"Coach Smith called me and said, 'Hey, you've got an opportunity to play in the Big 33 game. Would you want to do it?'" Kessler said. "I was like, 'Yeah, absolutely, I'll do it. That's a huge deal playing in the Big 33.'"

Smith gave Walker's number to Kessler, which led to another call.

"He said he wanted me to go up there to play but he wanted me to get there soon because I had to pick up things real quick," Kessler said. "He said, 'The thing is, can you make it here for tomorrow?' It was 7 p.m. when he called me, but I was like, 'Yeah, I can make it tomorrow.' I knew my dad [Dan, who also played for Smith at McKeesport in the 1980's] would be all for it because he knows how big of a deal the Big 33 is. My dad told me to start packing stuff, and we ended up leaving in two hours. We got there at 2 a.m. that night, and I was at practice at 8 the next morning."

Being selected to the team and able to practice with the other all-stars was honor enough to Kessler, an all-Great Southern Conference selection who will play at Fordham next season.

Considering the circumstances, he didn't expect to see too much action in the game Saturday. Not only was he tabbed as a backup who only practiced half a week, Kessler also would be playing a different position [tackle] than he had on offense in high school [guard] -- not to mention the fact that Big 33 rules call for passing plays, and he was almost exclusively a run-blocker at McKeesport.

But Kessler got into the game, playing a handful of series at right tackle and also played on defense at nose guard.

"I was impressed," Smith said. "He was going against guys that are going to Ohio State and Michigan. He made some misses, but he more than held his own. They ran some plays to his side, and he pushed the defender out of the way."

Kessler, who is 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, leaves for Fordham, a Division I-AA school that competes in the Patriot League, next weekend.

Andrew Taglianetti, a Central Catholic graduate and South Fayette resident who was to move into his dorm at Pitt this weekend, also was selected for the Pennsylvania squad.

A special player -- you aren't named the Post-Gazette's WPIAL Class AAAA Player of the Year any other way -- Taglianetti excelled on special teams in his career at Central Cathiolic.

"I have yet to see a kid dominate three sides of the football in high school as much as he did," Central Catholic coach Terry Totten said. "Offensively, it's his catching and running, and defensively, of course, tackling and covering and intercepting. He wasn't just a great guy on special teams because he returned kickoffs -- though he did a lot of that -- he made tackles, held on extra points, blocked extra points ... he was just all over the place."

Name the special teams unit -- kickoff return, kickoff coverage, punt return, punt return coverage, field goal blocking -- Taglianetti was on it for Central Catholic. And he found ways to standout among the standouts on the special teams for Pennsylvania in the Big 33 Classic.

Taglianetti blocked a first-quarter Ohio field goal attempt Saturday.

"I take a lot of pride in special teams," Taglianetti said. "I think it's a huge asset that can change the game. It's something I can consistently do well in. The coaches put me in the position to make plays, use my speed and athleticism. I just do whatever I can to come through for the team."

Though he is projected to have a bright future as a defensive back for Pitt, special teams figures to be the manner in which he makes the most immediate impact.