After months of anticipation and two weeks of practice, the big day is finally here.
Kickoff of the 44th annual Big 30 Charities Classic football game will take place tonight at Bradford High’s Parkway Field, and representatives from both Pennsylvania and New York are more than ready to finally get down to brass tax on the field.
Pennsylvania head coach Tony Gerg of Elk Catholic noted how eager both players and coaches are ready to finally hit the field at Thursday night’s banquet held at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.
“Obviously you’re gonna have some butterflies, but they’re all ready to go,” Gerg said. “As coaches, we’re probably more nervous than they are as players. I think most of these kids are ready or have been ready.”
Gowanda’s Sean Gabel had similar thoughts regarding the commitment his New York side has shown to coming out and performing tonight.
“You put all this time in, all this work in and you want to see what happens on game day,” he said. “It’s a special occasion for a nice cause. You hope everything goes well and that the boys have fun.”
A process that has been months in the making — consisting of roster announcements, media events and long drives to practices — will culminate in a game that has become a tentpole event in both the western New York and northern Pennsylvania communities.
But just because the game is played for charity, don’t think that the level competition will be diminished in any way.
At Thursday’s banquet, honorary Pennsylvania captain John Marasco talked about how he still remembers his own Big 30 game all these years later.
“You’d think that down the road you might not remember who won the game,” he said, “but you definitely do.”
His fellow co-captain Chris DeCerbo talked about how this unique event places former rivals side-by-side on the same field where they once did battle.
“I can remember when I went to Big 30 practices, our first practice I lined up next to the quarterback from Salamanca,” DeCerbo recalled. “I thought, ‘Wow, I was trying to take this guy’s head off for four years and now I’m gonna be blocking for him.’ It was absolutely phenomenal.”
Pennsylvania will be looking for a repeat of last year’s result, which ended in a 38-20 victory for the Keystone state. However, New York still holds the advantage in the all-time series with a record of 22-19-2.
The captains for the 2017 edition — Brent Nourse of Pioneer (N.Y.) and Derek Rieder of Cameron County (PA) — exchanged some well-meaning barbs on Thursday night. Both young men were clearly looking forward to attain border bragging rights.
The Big 30 game also brings with it a multitude of bittersweet emotions for both players and coaches, especially those most familiar with each other.
Coach Gabel noted that it will be his second ‘farewell’ to the Gowanda quartet of Kameron Alexander, Ethan Francis, Marcus Jones and Charlie Valone who will take the field tonight.
“I went through that once,” Gabel said with a smile. “I never thought I’d have to do it again.”
Gerg will also have four of his own players suiting up one more time tonight: Jared Braun, Mitchell Cashmer, Nate DaCanal, and Ryan Heary.
“That was half the draw to this, just to get one more opportunity to watch my kids go out there,” Gerg said.
For Gerg, his players, and for everyone else involved in the Big 30 Classic, tonight’s contest marks the end of an era that has defined their lives.
“You coach them for three, four years and to see them off, I can’t think of a better way,” he said. “I wish they could all be here; they’re all like my kids. They’re always going to have a special place in my heart.”
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
