He was a leader among leaders.

Playing on a field with all-stars from Pennsylvania and Ohio at the Big 33 Football Classic Saturday in Hershey, Central Catholic graduate Quentin Williams was selected one of the captains for a Pennsylvania team that earned a 31-16 victory at Hersheypark Stadium.

"That didn't surprise me at all," Central Catholic coach Terry Totten said, "because that kid has got the best motor I've ever seen."

You'd have to have quite a motor to be as accomplished an athlete as Williams. He is 6-foot-3, 230 pounds and one of the WPIAL's best football and baseball players, and will try to compete in both at the Big Ten level at Northwestern.

A tight end/defensive end for the WPIAL Class AAAA champion Vikings, Williams was a Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 selection after leading the team in catches and receiving yards.

But everyone at the Big 33 was the star at his respective high school. Only the select few are picked as captains for the Pennsylvania team -- an honor Williams' coaches say was the result of the work ethic he showed in practice.

"It was pretty cool," Williams said. "I was definitely honored to be a captain with so many great players there. I hope I was able to handle the expectations that came with that."

The offensive coordinator for the Pennsylvania team, North Allegheny coach Art Walker, let it be known Williams certainly did act as a model captain.

Other than his regular work as a tight end, blocking and running good routes, Williams was able to step into the kickoff coverage team after an injury depleted the unit. Despite not practicing at that spot all week, Williams made the tackle his first time on the unit.

"He's just an all-around great player," Walker said. "He's so talented, but what makes him stand out is his quiet leadership and work ethic."

Equally talented is Cam Saddler, Gateway graduate and Pitt recruit. Saddler, another PG Fabulous 22 pick, had two touchdown receptions from Central Catholic quarterback Tino Sunseri for the Pennsylvania team Saturday.

Saddler, whose Gateway teammate Leon Green also was on the Pennsylvania team, was one of the most dynamic players in recent WPIAL history. But he admitted to being taken aback by the talent on display at the Big 33.

"When I first got the Big 33 invite, I'm not going to lie, I was kind of nervous," he said. "I was like, 'Man, I've got to go up against the best payers in the state.' But once we got into it, you realize everybody puts on their pads the same way."

Saddler wasn't the only area receiver who will attend Pitt and was on the field in Hershey. Norwin's Mike Shanahan was also on the Pennsylvania roster.

"The whole week in general was a great thing," Saddler said. "I'll never forget that I made a lot of great friendships up there for life."

While Sadler was a shoo-in pick for the Big 33 roster and Williams was making his mark in practice early in the week, McKeesport High School's Dan Kessler didn't even get the chance to arrive in Hershey until last Tuesday.

When a spot suddenly opened up on his offensive line due to injury, Walker called up McKeesport coach George Smith to see if Kessler would mind coming 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.

"[Walker] said, 'The thing is, can you make it here for tomorrow?'" Kessler said. "It was 7 p.m. when they 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 1980s] 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."

Considering the late arrival and the fact he was changing positions (guard to tackle) and roles (primarily a run-blocker to pass protection), Kessler didn't expect to see much action in the game. But he played a handful of series at right tackle and also 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."

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

Big 33 teammate and Central Catholic graduate Andrew Taglianetti was to move into his dorm at Pitt this weekend. Certainly a standout on offense and defense throughout his high school career, perhaps the most special part of the Post-Gazette's WPIAL Class AAAA player of the year is special teams.

"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.

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 amongst standouts on special teams for the Pennsylvania team at the Big 33.

Taglianetti blocked a first-quarter Ohio field goal attempt.

"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."