By J.P. BUTLER

Special to the Era

PORTVILLE — Pat Wight had always wanted to coach Carson Kwiatkowski.

In March 2022, Wight was an assistant and Kwiatkowski a late-season JV call-up on the Allegany-Limestone team that reached the New York State Class B Final Four. Following that campaign, the two went their separate ways — Wight became the head coach at his alma mater, Cuba-Rushford, while Kwiatkowski embarked upon a fantastic A-L varsity career.

Three years later, however, Wight will finally get his chance.

The third-year C-R coach has been tabbed to lead the New York team at this year’s Big 30 Boys Basketball Senior Classic. Among those on his roster: Kwiatkowski, who recently guided the Gators to the Section 6 Class B title game.

“I’m most excited to coach Carson,” noted Wight, who called it “an honor to even be thought of for the NY head coaching position. “Him and I are very close and we often share texts (where he says), ‘hey, Coach, would love to have you on the bench’ and I often respond with, ‘would love to have you at Cuba-Rushford.’

“He was the one player when I left Allegany-Limestone that I knew I would miss having the opportunity to coach as I coached both his brothers and have become very close with his parents (Dave and Jeni).”

But Wight’s reunion with Kwiatkowski is just one of several interesting storylines heading into this year’s Classic, the ninth iteration slated for next Sunday (4 o’clock) at Portville Central School.

WIGHT INITIALLY agreed to the gig with the idea that his father, longtime C-R coach Gary Wight, would be his assistant. With the elder Wight’s health leaving him unable to help, Pat said he’d do it as long as he could coach with his old running mate, current A-L boss Glenn Anderson.

And the latter agreed. Then, too, this year will feature a rare instance of co-head coaches, with Otto-Eldred’s Derrick Francis and Elk County Catholic’s Aaron Straub teaming up to lead the Pennsylvania all-stars. The pairing binds a coach who’s already enjoyed a legendary run with one who’s just begun one: Straub has gone an otherworldly 988-248 in 43 years on the ECC sideline, capturing 32 20-plus win seasons, 26 District 9 titles and a PIAA state championship in 2006. Francis, meanwhile, since 2022-23, has guided the Terrors to a D-9 Class A title (this year, over Straub’s Dutch), three-consecutive PIAA playoff appearances and two impressive runs to the state

Stebbins Memorial Tip-Off Tournament championship game against Eisenhower.

Era photo by Wade Aiken semifinals.

Oh, and Straub doubles as one of three 2025 inductees into the Big 30 Basketball Hall of Fame, who will be honored between Classic games.

For even the legendary ECC coach, it’s a privilege to be part of these festivities.

“It’s always a privilege to be asked to coach an all-star game,” he said, before noting: “There’s not a whole lot of coaching that goes on in all-star games. I think you just let the players play and let them enjoy their opportunity to play another game with some very talented people on both sides.”

Of his HOF nod, he added: “To have the honor of being inducted into the Hall of Fame is certainly humbling. The Big 30 name is synonymous with excellence. I’m really humbled to have the opportunity to be inducted.”

BOTH SETS of coaches will boast star-studded lineups on Sunday.

New York’s 12-player roster includes four former Big 30 all-stars who only got better as seniors: Pioneer’s Sam Platt, Salamanca’s Avery Brown, A-L’s Kwiatkowski and Bolivar-Richburg’s Landon Barkley, the latter two of whom led their teams to sectional championship games this season. It also features Fillmore veteran Jordan Bialek, who helped Fillmore to its first sectional title since 2010.

Highlighting Pennsy’s side is the O-E trio of Ray’Shene Thomas, Manning Splain and Landon Francis, the core of those tremendous Terror teams, Cameron County’s Ryan Shaffer (a 2024 Big 30 all-star) and Straub’s talented ECC duo of Lance O’Neill and Wil Wortman.

Aside from winning, these coaches simply want their teams to have fun.

“The rest of the roster (aside from Kwiatkowski) is awesome as well and I’m looking forward to watching them play,” Wight said. “This is a fun game and the kids should be let loose to play free and fast. Let’s see some things from these guys that maybe they didn’t get to show in the regular season.”

Added Straub: “We’re pretty guardheavy, so it will be, I’m sure, an up-anddown game that will include a lot of high energy, and I know we have some really good shooters and ball-handlers.

“It’s a guard’s game anyway, and I’m sure that our team will have a very good time running the floor and playing for each other. One of the things you worry about in an all-star game is too much individualistic play, but I think this team will share the ball really well and it’ll be a fun game.”

BOTH WIGHT and Straub are coaching Sunday for the opportunity to lead a talented group of players. But they’re also doing it for the man next to him on that sideline.

“Derrick’s done a great job at O-E,” Straub said. “He has certainly brought his team to a high level. It’s been a process to watch him build that with a core group of seniors that he had this year. He’s certainly developed and worked very hard to put his team in a really good position, so it’ll be enjoyable to be on the bench with him.”

Said Wight of Anderson: “It’s a coaching relationship I will cherish forever, but also a friendship I’m glad I got the chance to have when he asked me to join his staff 10 years ago. He’s a hell of a coach and an even better person and I can’t wait to coach with him again.”

He added with a laugh: “We often joke about him coming to help at Cuba-Rushford or to be the modified or JV coach. I guess I should say he jokes, but I’m always serious.”