Alumni: Ross Added to Don Raabe Roster

BRADFORD - The area's most decorated football player last fall, a vital cog in Smethport's success and two players each from Randolph and Sheffield are this week's additions to the 29th renewal of the Don Raabe Big 30 Charities Classic.

Salamanca's Dustin Ross who, among his myriad of honors, was winner of the Gary Sage Award as Big 30 Player of the Year, is joined by RandolphÞs Nick Emley and Al Rowley as additions to New York's roster.

Meanwhile, Smethport's Matt Leet joins the Pennsylvania squad along with Sheffield's Vince Werner and Rusty Barr.

The latest renewal of the former Big 30 All-Star Game is set for the night of Aug. 3 at Bradford's Interstate Parkway Field.

New York leads the series, which has benefited area charities by nearly $1 million, 15-11-2.

Today's additions bring to 54 the number of players named to this year's game, 27 to each roster and when a series of 11 practices begins on July 18, rosters will number some 40 each.

ROSS, a 5-10, 195-pound running back/linebacker, had one of the most remarkable seasons for awards of any player in Big 30 football history.

Besides Big 30 Player of the Year, he was also the Buffalo News Player of the Year, the Section 6 Division VII Offensive MVP, the Section 6 Class C South Offensive Player of the Year, the Section 5-6 Regional Player of the Year, the WKBW Class C Offensive Player of the Year, All-State Class C on defense, a Connolly Cup (WNY Player of the Year) finalist and Salamanca's MVP.

A two-time Big 30 All-Star on offense and twice a Division VII All-Star, in three varsity seasons Ross led the Warriors to a 32-3 record.

Salamanca never lost a regular-season game over that span, its defeats coming in the New York State Class C finals (1999), the NYS C semifinals (2001) and the Section 6 C finals (2000).

In addition, Ross is an all-star basketball player and was voted MVP of Salamanca's Tip-Off Tournament this season.

Also a member of the Western New York Academic team, he will attend either the University of Rochester or Ithaca College, but has yet to choose a major.

Ross sees the Raabe Classic as, "one more chance to play high school football and showcase my abilities against great competition."

His sports thrill was, "making a bobbling catch to give us the lead against LeRoy for the Far West Regional Championship."

Read the full article here, http://www.oleantimesherald.com/archives/ross-leet-werner-added-to-don-raabe-rosters/article_7c38d89e-5a31-572f-a6a2-f6c925ab079c.html.