McKenna, Grinols highlight latest Big 30 ‘Classic’ additions

The 10th group — again containing eight players — has been named to the 47th annual Big 30 All-Star Charities Classic. This year’s game is set for the night of Aug. 1 at Bradford’s Parkway Field.

The all-star football game, founded by Don Raabe, matches graduated senior stars from each side of the Big 30 border with New York leading the series, 22-21-3, though Pennsylvania hasn’t lost since the 2015 renewal.

Proceeds benefit area charities and, over the first 46 years, the game has donated more than $1.7 million to local causes.

Added today to the New York squad are Allegany-Limestone’s John Giardini, Franklinville’s Jordan Grinols, a student at Ellicottville, Salamanca’s Jarrett McKenna and Cuba-Rushford’s Julius Korytkowski.

Pennsylvania’s additions are Elk County Catholic’s John Wittman and Leo Gregory, Otto-Eldred’s David Wheaton and St. Marys’ Forest Cressley.

Today’s eight selections make 64 players named to the Classic, 32 to each roster that eventually will number 40-plus come game day.

GIARDINI was a 6-foot-1, 210-pound two-way lineman who was A-L’s Lineman of the Year and the recipient of football’s Sportsmanship Award.

A high honor roll student, he will attend Finger Lakes Community College and major in fisheries biology.

His most memorable moment playing football was “when my JV coach designed a running play for me and I scored a touchdown.”

Grinols was a 5-11, 195-pound fullback/cornerback who was a two-time Section 6 Class D All-Star for the Titans who went 8-0 and made the sectional finals where they fell to Clymer-Sherman-Panama last fall.

Grinols will attend Jamestown Community College and major in criminal justice.

He wants to play in the Charities Classic because “I have attended the Big 30 Game for years and my brother and father both played in it.”

His most memorable football moment was when “our first-team running back got injured and came out of the game, and I replaced him and scored three rushing touchdowns.”

McKenna was a 5-10, 150-pound wide receiver /cornerback who was a two-time Section 6 Class D All-Star. He also claimed the Warriors’ Whistleman Award and won a Character Athlete of the Game citation. A football team captain, he also held that position in basketball.

McKenna has yet to choose a college. His favorite football memory was “beating Maple Grove when they were No. 4 in the state my junior year.”

Read more additions from the Olean Times Herald, here.