The McDonald's All-Star Football Classic is set to kickoff again this Thursday night at Nazareth's Andrew Leh Stadium.

For the 43rd season, the annual charity event brings together players and coaches from across the Lehigh Valley to play one final high school contest for a good cause.

It also brings players together to compete for one last victory.

That's the case for everyone involved in Thursday's encounter, as the charity contest is built upon the foundation for a good cause, but still delivers the competitive punch that football fans are accustomed to.

"I definitely want to go out there and win," said Freedom's Josh Young, who will move on to play football at Franklin and Marshall. "I'm about as competitive as you can get. It feels great to be playing football again and I'm really looking forward to the one-on-one matchups on Thursday."

Young, who will primarily lineup at wide receiver in the contest, is all about winning the individual battles in a game that forces each team to throw the ball at least 20 times and keeps defenses in a 4-4 scheme with no blitzing.

After wrestling this past winter, Young hasn't been involved in any football related activity since last season, as he's focused on his grades over the course of the spring.

Now that focus is shifted to winning his last football game for the Red squad, made up of Northampton County, Pius X, Palisades and Phillipsburg players.

Alongside the inevitable goal of coming away triumphant, the experience of meeting new friends has also been rewarding for Young.

"You come to realize that all kids are really the same," he said. "We're all here for the right reasons and we just want to have fun in this game and play for a good cause."

Whitehall wide receiver Nick Sommer enters the fray in the same mindset for the Gold squad, which is built with players from Lehigh, Carbon and Monroe Counties.

Sommer has enjoyed his tenure of all-star practices and looks at this game as a final tuneup before he ships off to Kutztown in early August to start football camp.

"A lot of these guys are playing football in college, so it's a good opportunity to gauge your skill level," said Sommer, who will solely play wideout in the all-star contest. "The coaches have been great and working with a guy like Jimmy Terwillinger [Pleasant Valley] has been a great experience."

The experience is something that all players will take away from Thursday's game, as well as memories of being able to suit up one last time as these seniors walk away from high school.

"I haven't really thought about it being my last game," said Young. "Football is my favorite thing to do, so for me, it's all been about just playing. "I'm sure when it's over, I'll think about it being my last high school memory, but for now, I'm just focused on football."