Coaches from Elk Catholic and Gowanda will be on the sidelines for this year’s Big 30 Charities Classic.

ECC head coach Tony Gerg along with assistants Eric J. Weisner, Andy Rettger, Marty Braun and Tom Heary will coach the Pennsylvania team.

Gerg, from Kersey, is married to his wife of 20 years Mary. They have three children – Abbey 19, Anthony 15 and Sophia 12.

Gerg is a partner with his brother, Mike, in Gerg Tool & Die Inc.

He has been a head coach for four years and an assistant for 11. His coaching accomplishments include 2014 AML Coach of the Year and D-9 runner-up in 2016.

He states working with young adults as a coach has been a privilege, and it is an honor to represent his alma mater as a coach in this year’s game.
Weisner, from St. Marys, is married to his wife Jennifer. They have four children – Brianna 17, Jenna 16, Gabrielle 12 and Lanie 6.

He is a mechanical design engineer of 22 years.

Weisner is the defensive coordinator at ECC. He has spent 22 years as an assistant coach.
Rettger, from St. Marys, is married to his wife Jenny. They have two children – Sam age 9 and Ava 4.

He is employed by Manufacturing Solutions Inc. in St. Marys as an automation specialist.

His coaching experience includes 19 years of coaching at ECC in some capacity.

He states he is extremely excited to be coaching in the 2017 Classic as his football career has
come full circle. Exactly 21 years ago, in 1996, he was a player in the Classic.

Braun, from St. Marys, has three children – Jared 17, Dillon 15 and Raechel 9.

He has worked as a mold process engineer for six years.

Braun is the head coach at ECCHS Junior High. He also served as an assistant for four years.
Heary, from St. Marys, is married to his wife Julie. They have two children – Marissa age 19 and Ryan, 17.

He is co-owner of Art Heary & Sons Inc. Furniture and flooring business.
Heary has served six years as a junior high head coach and six years as a JV/varsity assistant coach. He had back to back undefeated seasons in junior high in 2012/2013). He also had 25 straight wins in 2011-2014.

He also coached the ECC baseball team in 2016-2017, and coached the ECCHS girls state champion softball team.
Gowanda head coach Sean Gabel will be joined by assistants Lawrence Wheeler, Bryan Mentley and Charles Ross Jr. on the New York sideline. In addition, Robert Fetterick, head JV football coach at Fredonia Brocton Westfield, will be coaching in the game.

Gabel, of Gowanda, has worked as a teaching assistant for 11 years.

He has eight years head coaching experience and 12 as an assistant coach.

Wheeler, of Versailles, N.Y., is married to his wife Kristen. Their children are Mackenzie 18, Isaiah 16, Meredith 12 and Ezra 9.

Wheeler has been a teacher of Seneca language for six years.

He previously served two years a head coach. He is currently an assistant JV coach and head coach of modified lacrosse.
Mentley, of Gowanda, is married to his wife JoAnn. They have two children – Zachary Carroll,
17, and Makenzie Carroll, 15.

He has worked as a public health sanitarian for 12 years. He has been an assistant football coach for six years. He played in the Big 30 Classic in 1994.

Ross, of Gowanda, N.Y., has one child – Adelaide Smith, 3 months old.

Ross works as a behavior management aide. He has 10 years experience as an assistant coach.

Currently, he is an assistant at Gowanda/Pine Valley High School.
Fetterick, of Gowanda, is married to his wife Abigail.

He is a high school physical education teacher.

Fetterick is the head JV football coach at Fredonia Brocton Westfield. The team had an 8-0 season in 2016-17.

This year’s game will be played at 7 p.m. Aug. 5 in Bradford.