Stanley J. Kaniecki

(Class of 1964)

  Stan Kaniecki starred on the basketball court and had an impressive resume as a coach at Wheeling Central Catholic High School. He was a junior backup player on the 1963 Maroon Knights that rolled up a 23-0 record,turning in the school’s first and only perfect record in boys’ basketball. The following season he was one of the standouts on a 20-3 record team that earned a second straight West Virginia Catholic Tournament championship. In the title game against Weirton Madonna, Kaniecki’s free throw in the final seconds provided the margin of victory for the Maroon Knights. Following that season, Kaniecki earned first team all-City and all-WV Catholic laurels. He was one of the captains on both those honor squads.

  Kaniecki went on to play four years of basketball at Bethany College where he continued to enjoy success. He started for three years and was the leading rebounder on the 1968 Bison squad while earning team MVP honors and he was a first-team selection on the all-Presidents Athletic Conference squad.

  He then returned to Wheeling Central Catholic as a teacher and also launched his coaching career. In the 1968-69 season, Stan coached the freshman basketball team to 14-2 record. The following year he moved up to tutor the junior varsity squad and then took over the boys’ varsity team, a position he held from 1971 through the 1976 season. In 1974, he guided the Maroon Knights to an Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Class AA championship. The following year, Kaniecki coached CCHS to its first West Virginia Region One championship and the school’s initial appearance in the WV Class AAA tournament as a member of the State Secondary School Activities Commission.

  In the late 1970’s, Kaniecki began a three-year stint as coach of the girls’ basketball team. He returned to coaching in mid-1980’s, directing the boys’ hoopsters at St. Michael’s Grade school. His teams captured two Parochial League championships in three seasons.  For over 20 years Kaniecki continued to serve the athletic program at his high school Alma Mater as the clock operator at both the boys and girls’ basketball games. He also operates the clock at Wheeling Jesuit University home games.