The Super Bowl is turning 50 soon, and so is the Big 33-Super Bowl streak.

When the Broncos and the Panthers take the field in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb. 7, all 50 Super Bowls will have had at least one player who performed in the Big 33 game.

The Big 33 football game is an all-star event for recently graduated seniors held each year in Hershey since 1957.

Broncos kicker Brandon McManus from North Penn, outside Philadelphia, played in the 2009 game for Pennsylvania before going on to Temple.

For the Panthers, Ted Ginn Jr. played for the Ohio team in the 2004 game. Ginn is a graduate of Glenville near Cleveland.

Ginn perhaps was as well known for track as football in high school, winning the national championship in the 110 hurdles.

Local examples of those who have kept the streak alive include the late Mitch Frerotte of Kittanning, who played in three of Buffalo’s four Super Bowls, and Freeport’s Eric Ravotti, a member of the Steelers’ Super Bowl XXX team.

Pyzewski returns

It was good seeing New Kensington’s Tom Pyzewski back on the basketball floor officiating a recent Burrell-Valley junior varsity game.

On Feb. 5, Pyzewski was working the Neshannock-Laurel girls basketball game when he suffered a heart attack. Fortunately, there was a doctor and three nurses in the stands who administered CPR until an ambulance reached the gym.

It was later discovered he had clogged arteries, but he has made a recovery.

Pyzewski told me after the game that he is eating healthier foods and is glad to be back in the black and white stripes.

Pyzewski was in on some WPIAL history on Feb. 28, 1979, when St. Joseph and Union played in what for many years was the highest-scoring WPIAL playoff game.

Union beat the Spartans, 99-89, at Butler. The 188 combined points was the most in a WPIAL playoff game until Feb. 25, 2014, when Monessen defeated Vincentian, 110-99.

Pyzewski had 12 points and 14 rebounds in that 1979 game. St. Joseph was down by 28 in the first half and rallied to within seven points of the Scotties.

Another footnote to the record-setting contests: Joe Nee coached the Spartans that night and his son, Joe Jr., played in it.

During the 2014 Vincentian-Monessen game, Nee’s grandson, Jamison, played in that one for Vincentian.

Jamison has since transferred to Highlands, where he is the Golden Rams’ second-leading scorer.

Van Dine recalled

Former KDKA-TV reporter Wayne Van Dine died over the weekend at age 77.

Van Dine is best known for his “Take It to Wayne” segments, during which he would pursue action solving problems of local residents.

He was particularly known for his titanic battles with PennDOT over unsafe highway conditions.

But how many of our readers know Van Dine was an outstanding golfer at Kittanning?

As a junior in 1955, Van Dine finished fourth in WPIAL individual play.

In 1956, he began his senior season shooting a 71 against Arnold.

Kittanning went on to win the Section 2 title on the final day of the regular season against Vandergrift when Van Dine shot a 79.

The Wildcats lost in the first round of the playoffs against eventual WPIAL champion Greensburg.

Later that week in the WPIAL individuals, Van Dine finished second with a 152, two strokes behind champion Wally Samuels of Mt. Lebanon.

Golf was a PIAA spring sport until it moved to the fall in 1968.

George Guido is a Valley News Dispatch scholastic sports correspondent. His column appears Wednesdays.

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