UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The first high school football game that featured Kenny Woseley and Tyseer Denmark on the same team was certainly memorable. Denmark had just transferred from Philadelphia Catholic League power Roman Catholic to another Philly juggernaut in Imhotep Charter, and all was lined up for a big year for the Panthers after losing the past year’s PIAA final to Pine-Richland.
Then, in one quarter, they proved the hype was real.
It was 24-0 after a quarter, then they added 12 more before the half. 87-0 was the final that afternoon at a showcase game in York, Pa. It sent shockwaves through fans of Pennsylvania football.
Everyone knows Imhotep shows up to win games, but 87-0? That’s unheard of.
Woseley tallied a pick, Denmark scored his first touchdown at Imhotep. Afterwards, the coach of Life Christian Academy, from Virginia, went live on Instagram to explain what had happened against ‘Tep.
The Panthers didn’t drop a game that season. The team went on to win the District 12 championship over Roman Catholic – a homecoming for Denmark – except he couldn’t play. Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association rules sidelined him for the playoffs, so he was forced to sit out of the biggest games of his high school career.
That didn’t seem to take away from the joy of that playoff run, supporting his best friends on the field making plays instead of him. When the clock started to wind down against Peters Township in the PIAA final, he was standing on top of the bleachers with nothing but elation.
The game was held at Chapman Field on the campus of Cumberland Valley high school, and little did Woseley and Denmark know, they’d be making the trip to the field again. That’s because they were both selected for the 2024 Big 33 Football Classic, also held at the famed stadium in Central Pennsylvania. It was one more chance for the two to play football together again, and the opportunity was not taken for granted.
Denmark exploded onto the scene, scoring three touchdowns in the first half off just four receptions through the entire game. He earned MVP honors, and social media was in awe. Penn State fans were beside themselves that this was the incoming receiver for the Nittany Lions. And that excitement has only grown as he builds himself up in Big Ten ball.
Both are ready to prove themselves at the next level going forward in Happy Valley.
Woseley is used to it. No one ever pronounces his name right (Wooz-lee) and no one spells it right, either. The “E” between S and L gets omitted often. Even when introduced on the field back at Big 33, he was Kenny “Woze-lee,” not “Wooz-lee.” He just shook his head and smiled on.
He’s a guy who’s more quiet demeanored. He likes to bowl, play basketball or hop on an XBOX and fire up the NCAA Football video game. He wasn’t in the game last year due to roster limitations on the game, but now he’s a 74-overall. He hardly ever plays as any other team than Penn State.
Denmark prefers to kick back and enjoy watching NFL football. He adopted the Texans as his favorite team around middle school, just because he enjoys the way they play. He fell in love with highlights of Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins. Now, he’s “super hyped” about the team and its upside, and looking forward to seeing former Nittany Lions like Jaylen Reed on the team.
Denmark’s biggest play of the 2024 season came as the clock hit 0:00 in the final regular season game of the year against Maryland. Like Woseley, he was a redshirt and could only appear in four games. He made that worth its while, receiving a pass for 15 yards and a touchdown to make the score 44-7 against the Terrapins. That last score really frustrated Maryland head coach Mike Locksley.
Locksley lectured Franklin on the 50-yard line of Beaver Stadium, leaving Franklin to walk away shouting “If that’s what you think, then fine!”
“My job is to put threes and fours in the game,” said Franklin shortly after in his press conference, talking about Denmark and his group of backups that ended the game. “But when the threes and fours get to go in the game, they get to play football. Those guys deserve to play football.”
Woseley and Denmark are set for big things in their careers at Penn State, there’s just no arguing that. Woseley continues to be referenced as a potential aspect on special teams, and he’s as open to that possibility as anyone.
“Special teams is a third part of the game, it’s just as important as offense and defense,” Woseley said. “Whether it be kickoff, punt return, you got to make sure something happens on special teams because it can make a big change in the game.”
There’s a glaring need for Denmark. The Nittany Lions completed zero passes to a wide receiver in their Orange Bowl – CFP Semifinal – loss to Notre Dame. That needs to change, and Denmark will take charge on that group with Liam Clifford.
Woseley will continue to push forward on the defensive and special teams side, making a name for himself in Beaver Stadium.
They’re willing to do anything they can. They’re primed for big careers at the college level. They want to elevate the level of Penn State football, and this seems like the year to do it.
But in the end, they’re just two kids from Philly, continuing the bond they formed as state champions in senior year.
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