Singleton, PSU players headline Sports Card Show on Saturday | News, Sports, Jobs

Penn State running back Nick Singleton, shown here after winning the 2023 Rose Bowl, is scheduled to appear at the East Juniata Sports Card Show on Saturday.

COCOLAMUS — Very few opposing defenses could stop Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton on the gridiron this season.

A crowd of Penn State football fanatics is waiting to take their shot.

It’s almost guaranteed the 1,000-yard Nittany Lion rusher will get boxed in by the throngs of die-hard Nittany Lion fans who are expected to show up for the Sports Card Show at East Juniata High School, located at 32944 Route 35 North, Cocolamus, on Saturday. The show runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Singleton is bringing a few of his teammates – offensive linemen JB Nelson and Drew Shelton, edge rusher Enai White, linebackers DaKaari Nelson and Keon Wylie, safety King Mack and cornerbacks A.J. Harris and Zion Tracy – who are scheduled to appear at the second annual event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Of course, Penn State was selected to the College Football Playoff for the first time this past season, corralling Boise State and advancing to the semifinals.

Singleton finished second on the team in rushing with 1,099 yards in 15 games and scored a team-high 12 touchdowns. As a pass catcher, he had 41 grabs for 375 yards and five TDs.

DaKaari Nelson played in 14 games and had five total tackles, including four solos. White just arrived in Happy Valley from Texas A&M via the transfer portal, while Mack who left less than a year ago for Alabama is back with the Nittany Lions.

Besides the Penn State players, there is a card show being held as sports fans can scour displays and tables for collectibles as they see each vendors’ wares.

School officials hope it turns into a profitable fundraiser. Juniata County School District athletic director Travis Quici said the idea for holding the show came after talking to a promoter, who set up a show at Shikellamy to help as a band fundraiser.

“We did a show two years ago,” Quici recalled. “We didn’t have a great turnout so we are hoping with the addition of the PSU football players, we can increase the number of vendors and the number of sports card collectors.

“We are banking on the fact that the PSU players will help to pull in the casual sports fan and collectors,” Quici added. “The vendors will have a wide variety of sports card and non-sports card collectibles.”

Currently, more than 25 vendors have signed up, with a variety of sports cards from vintage to new releases. There will also be Pokémon cards and autographed memorabilia for sale.

Attendees can get photos and autographs with the players. There is a limit of two signed items per attendee. “We are promoting collecting rather than having bulk items signed to be re-sold,” Quici said. “We will not have an authenticator on site.”

Tickets will be sold at the door. Admission is $5 with proceeds from the show benefiting Juniata County School District athletics. There will be a concession stand as well as raffle prizes.