Frank Payne, Iroquois High School head football coach has been named the Buffalo Bills High School Football Coach of the Week after the ninth weekend of the 2008 high school football season. On Saturday, November 1st the Iroquois Chiefs defeated the Grand Island Vikings 26-23, in the Section VI Class A football semifinals. Behind a solid offensive line performance, Brandon Murie led the Chiefs with 205 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns, 48 yards receiving and a touchdown and he returned the opening kickoff of the second half 90 yards for another score. Billy Desiderio had five tackles and a sack to help lead the Chiefs defense.
Coach Payne is in his ninth season as the head coach at Iroquois High School and has an overall record of 62-24. Under Coach Payne, Iroquois has won division championships in 2006 and 2008, sectional championships in 2004 and 2006, and the state regional championship in 2004. Payne gives much credit for the Iroquois program's success to his coaching staff consisting of Pat Aroune, Dave Mazur, Dave Stepin and Dan Souder.
This is the 12th consecutive year of the Buffalo Bills Coach of the Week program. Each week during the 11-week high school football season, a committee appointed by the Buffalo Bills selects a head football coach as Coach of the Week. The honorees will receive a certificate signed by the Buffalo Bills Head Coach Dick Jauron, Buffalo Bills Chief Operating Officer Russ Brandon and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, plus a Buffalo Bills Coach of the Week cap and $1,000 donation to the school's football program from the Buffalo Bills Youth Foundation. Recognition of the winning coach will be shown on the Buffalo Bills official website (www.buffalobills.com). At the end of the season, one of the weekly award winners will be named Coach of the Year and will receive an additional $1,000 donation to the school's football program.
2008 Bills HS Coach of the Week Winners:
Week 9-Frank Payne (Iroquois "Chiefs")
Week 8-Eric Jantzi (North Tonawanda "Lumberjacks")
Week 7-Jim Maurino (West Seneca East "Trojans")
Week 6-Lance Cayea (Alden "Bulldogs")
Week 5-Bruce Lakso (Lackawanna "Steelers")
Week 4-Al Monaco (Bishop Timon St. Jude "Tigers")
Week 3-Curt Fischer (Maple Grove "Red Dragons")
Week 2-Rich Gray (Frontier "Falcons")
Week 1-Kraig Kurzanski (Williamsville South "Billies")
