The Buffalo Bills and ADPRO Sports are proud to once again partner to recognize some of the best coaches that Western New York has to offer through the 2021 High School Football Coach of the Week Program.
The Bills and ADPRO Sports will be awarding varsity head coaches with the Coach of the Week Award to highlight not only their team's achievements on the field, but also some of the work they are doing off the field in their communities. We will announce winners from the Buffalo and Rochester Regions over the course of 11 weeks, with both regions Coach of the Year being named at halftime of the Bills vs Falcons game on Jan. 2, 2022 at Highmark Stadium.
Each Coach of the Week winner will receive an $1,000 grant from the Buffalo Bills and ADPRO Sports. The respective Coach of the Year winners will also receive an additional $1,000 for their programs.
Winners will be selected by a panel of local high school football experts based on nominations which include information on the coach's commitment to their community and school, team academic performance, team off-the-field community service, coach/team support of youth football in their community, and health and safety protocols for their players.
Buffalo Region Coach of the Week #6
Albion head coach David Skrip was named the Week 6 Buffalo Bills and ADPRO Sports Buffalo Region Coach of the Week after downing Burgard and Cheektowaga in a four-day span to get to 5-0.
The Purple Eagles defeated the Bulldogs, 28-8, on Oct. 5, before taking a 16-14 victory over Cheektowaga in a comeback effort Oct. 9.
Game Highlights
- In the Burgard tilt, QB Amari Jones was the star of the night, as he passed for 197 yards, totaled three touchdowns (2 passing, 1 rushing) and hauled in an interception on defense. His brother, Javon, was the leading receiver with eight receptions and 86 yards, as well as adding an INT defensively.
- Tyler Gibson and Nick Harling also contributed as both were on the receiving end of TD tosses from Amari.
- The Purple Eagles' top tackler in the Burgard game was Jacob Hughson with five stops,
- In the Cheektowaga game, it seemed bleak for the Purple Eagles early, as they trailed 14-0 at halftime.
- But Albion got on the board in the third quarter when Amari connected with Javon for a 70-yard TD. Amari then tossed a 2-point PAT to Jahmeek Riley and Albion trailed 14-8.
- Albion kept battling and scored again with just four minutes left in the game. Amari tossed a short pass to Riley, who broke loose for a 60-yard TD pass. Amari then tossed a pass to Riley for the game-winning 2-point PAT.
Top Performers
- Following up the win over the Bulldogs, Amari totaled 225 yards (182 passing, 43 rushing) to down Cheektowaga. Riley led the receiving corps with five catches, 105 yards and a TD, while Javon was strong again with three catches for 81 yards and a score. The other Jones brother was a force on defense too, as Javon recorded eight tackles and two INTs in the win.
- The Purple Eagles had stellar performances on 'D' in the Cheektowaga game from Bryce Froman (13 tackles), Riley and Ellwood Hafner (9 tackles each), Jabari Johnson (8 tackles),
- Brendan Lebaron (8 tackles, 1 sack), Hughson (6 tackles) JR Morales (5 tackles) and Alex Hafner (5 tackles, 2 sack)
Coach's Profile
- Skrip played for Albion from 2004-07, graduating in the spring of 2008. He played for an all-time Albion legend in Dick Diminuco, who earned more than 200 wins for the Purple Eagles. In fact, Skrip was a team captain for Diminuco when he got his 200th win for the school.
- Skrip was one of Albion's all-time great linemen and was named an All-New York State and an All-Western New York player in both his junior and senior seasons.
- He was selected to play in the New York vs New Jersey Governor's Bowl in the summer of 2008, which featured the top 50 players in all of NYS.
- After high school, Skrip got a full scholarship to play football for UB. In 2011, he decided that he wanted to be a teacher, so he transferred to SUNY Brockport to finish his degree. He then earned his Master's Degree from Roberts Wesleyan in Rochester.
- Skrip was hired back in his hometown in 2017, where he served as the defensive coordinator and the offensive line coach for the varsity. He was then named Albion's head coach last spring.
Rochester Region Coach of the Week #6
Oakfield-Alabama/Elba coach Tyler Winter was named the Rochester Week 6 Buffalo Bills and ADPRO Sports Rochester Region Coach of the Week, as his team remained undefeated at 6-0 with a 24-7 win over Avon. Heading into the Oct. 8 matchup, Avon also sat 5-0 in the standings.
O-A/E is now the only remaining undefeated team in Section V Class D, alongside eight other unbeaten teams in Section V.
Game Highlights
- O-A/E started the game with a seven-minute drive to take a 7-0 lead. RB Gaige Armbrewster capped things with a 9-yard TD run.
- Avon then lost the ball on a fumble, setting O-A/E up with a possession near midfield. QB Bodie Hyde would go on to toss a 16-yard TD pass to Noah Currier for a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.
- Avon responded by pulling within a score at 14-7. But it didn't take long for O-A/E to respond, as Currier returned the ensuing kickoff 82 yards for a TD and a 21-7 lead.
- The teams' defenses took over and slammed the door on any scoring until late in the game when O-A/E senior Max DeMare kicked a 25-yard FG in the waning moments.
Coach's Profile
- After going from an assistant coach to taking on the head gig with this combined program in spring 2020, Winter has started his varsity head coaching career with an 11-2 record. His team became the No. 1 ranked Class D squad in Section V in the fall II season, as Winter groomed Class D Player of the Year Ty Mott and beat eventual Class D champion Avon during the regular season.
- Also something to consider, O-A/E football spent 2017-19 playing 8-man football due to a low number turnout with players. Since Winter joined the program three years ago, the numbers and interest in the football program have grown so quickly that the decision was made last year to return to 11-man football.
- When asked about Winter potentially being selected for this honor, Elba athletic director Mark Beehler shared this message on his head coach over the summer:
- "I would love to see him get this award at some point this season. There are few people more deserving than he is and I give him my highest recommendation to receive this award."
- Winter has been a physical education teacher and coach at Elba Central School since 2018. In that time, he has coached varsity football, varsity track and field, and modified boys basketball. Winter has been asked to be a coach or leader in a variety of extracurricular activities since being hired at Elba, which are opportunities he has made sure to take part in.
- Winter played high school football at Holley, graduating in 2011. He was a member of the Genesee County champion squads in 2009 and 2010.
- Winter attended SUNY Brockport and earned his degree in phys. ed. He immediately started coaching with the Holley program once he received his undergraduate degree.
- In 2014, he received his first full-time coaching opportunity at Warsaw. In 2015, he moved to York and became the head coach there in 2016. He stayed at York for three seasons.
- In 2018, Winter landed his first full-time teaching opportunity at Elba and joined the coaching staff from there.
In the Community
- Not only does Winter coach, he remains an active spectator and supporter of all the other sports teams for Elba and Oakfield-Alabama. He has ensured he is dedicating time to the kids, the school and communities since starting with the combined program.
- Winter has been adamant about reinvigorating the district's fitness center, which Elba athletic director Mark Beehler said has become a welcoming location for current students, alumni and community members to use to better their health and wellness.
- Winter also is the head of the Student-Athletic Association at Elba, a student-led organization that raises funds for all athletic programs at Elba.
Academic Achievements
- Although the squad just fell short of being a full scholar-athlete team in the fall II sports season, 11 O-A/E members earned individual scholar-athlete honors during the 2020-21 school year.
Health & Safety
- Despite only taking on the O-A/E head role two springs ago, Winter has averaged between 20-30 players per day, five days a week, to commit to the weight room with strength and conditioning training. This is an even more difficult task to accomplish when you have student-athletes coming from two separate schools. He has a weight lifting leaderboard that has his athletes lifting heavier weight than teams of the past 20 years.
- While in-season, Winter teaches the most updated and safe practices of tackling, implements a concussion management system and gives his players heat and hydration breaks regularly. As Beehler described, the health of his athletes is his top priority.
Youth Football Connection
- As head coach, Winter immediately reached out and made contact with Elba's youth football organization to provide leadership, support and insight. He recognizes that the future of the football program starts at the youth level and goes above and beyond to make his face seen and his voice heard at their practices and games.
