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 # 3
Salamanca coach Chad Bartoszek was named the Buffalo Region's Coach of the Week for Week 3 after leading his squad to a 41-12 win over Allegany-Limestone.
Salamanca is now 3-0 on the season — the first time the team has won its three opening games in over two decades. Also, the win over A-L was played in front of a large home crowd in the community's new Veteran's Park, complete with turf, new lights and a video scoreboard.
Freshman QB Maddox Isaac started once again for Salamanca, lighting things up by going 7 for 10 with 201 passing yards and three touchdown passes. Isaac found Lucus Brown (4 receptions, 130 yards, 2 TDs) early and often, while the rushing attack was paced by Jesse Stahlman (150 yards, 1 TD) and Joshua Aumun (80 yards, 2 TDs). Cole Hedlund hauled in Isaac's other TD toss.
Several names made their presence felt on 'D,' including Kody Shinners (5.5 tackles), Jesse Stahlman and Tre Turner (4.5 tackles each), Jaxon Tarr (4 tackles, 1 sack) and Harley Hoag (2 tackles, 1 INT).
Bartoszek played for Salamanca, graduating in 1999. He helped Salamanca win the Section VI Class C title his senior year. He then played four seasons at UB, starting his last three years there during the Bulls' first four years as an FBS program.
During his junior year in college, Bartoszek started his teaching career. He later moved to Ellicottville, where he coached the combined Franklinville/Ellicottville team. Bartoszek won the 2015 Section VI Class D championship with the Titans, making three other title game appearances.
Bartoszek left Ellicottville to come home to Salamanca in 2019 and was named the athletic director. Since rejoining the program, Bartoszek has compiled an 11-8 record, including wins in five of the program's last six games played. He has been married to his wife, Denise, for 11 years and the couple has two sons, Brandon (9) and Tyler (7).
The Salamanca football staff and players actively participate in community events in an effort to support projects and fundraisers. The most common form example of this happens when the community comes together for a charitable walk, an honorary 5K, or the Falling Leaves Festival Parade.
Bartoszek's team has a professional connection to USA Football and the resources it provides for blocking, tackling, acclimatization and practice planning. He is a USA Football Master Trainer who has been a part of the organization for over five years. Salamanca also has another employee of USA Football on staff who is proficient in all of its programming. The team's staff consistently teaches the safe and effective techniques provided by USA Football.
Salamanca was one of 4 local football programs to participate in the RISE & Buffalo Bills Leadership program last spring that focused on topics such as diversity, privilege inclusion, and community engagement.
Bartoszek and Salamanca have a direct connection and relationship with their district's youth programs. The varsity staff regularly joins practices at the youth level, as well as works to certify all of Salamanca's youth coaches through USA Football. Salamanca also participated in the Buffalo Bills pilot Middle School Flag Football program this past summer. As recently as last week, Bartoszek's squad hosted six teams for 'youth football night' at the Salamanca's win over A-L and introduced the players and coaches onto the field to help form the team's tunnel for the introductions of the players.
Rochester Region Coach of the Week # 3
Wayne's Dave Marean was named the Rochester Region's Coach of the Week in Week 3 after leading the Eagles to a 37-24 win over Dansville-Wayland-Cohocton. The Eagles improved to 3-0 with the victory.
The Eagles were able to get off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2011.
D-W-C led 7-0 but Wayne tied the score before the end of the first quarter when Dylan Vance ran for a 4-yard TD.
On the ensuing kickoff, Wayne tried an onside kick, but D-W-C picked up the squibbed kick and returned it for a TD and a 14-7 lead.
Wayne scored twice in the second quarter to take a 21-14 lead at the half. Eagles QB Nathan Blankenberg tossed a pair of TD passes to WR Devon Forrest, the second with just :50 left in the half.
The Eagles kicked off the second half on the right note when Vance ran 28 yards for a TD to keep Wayne on top for the remainder of the game.
In the fourth quarter, D-W-C made one final push as it pulled to within a possession with 2:50 left. But Wayne answered again, as Blankenberg ran 18 yards for a TD to take a 37-17 lead with less than two minutes to play.
Vance led the Eagles with the ground game as he rushed 31 times for 167 yards and 2 TDs. Blankenberg finished with 150 passing yards, 38 rushing yards and three total TDs.
Forrest caught three passes for 46 yards and two scores. He also recorded eight tackles, including three sacks and batted down two passes from the DE position.
Marean has coached at Wayne since the program's inception in 1996, initially serving as an assistant coach under John DonVito. Marean was named the head coach in 2004, winning 71 games in that span.
He has led the Eagles to three league championships. Wayne has advanced to the Section V Class B championship game twice in his tenure.
In addition to being the varsity football head coach, Marean is also a Physical Education teacher at Wayne High School and oversees the Social Emotional Learning Program (S.E.L.). He has run three youth football camps stretching from Rochester to Lyons, NY.
Marean has his varsity players involved with them as well, as they go down to the youth
program to speak to the coaches and players. He's also put together a guideline to coaching youth football packet to help youth coaches with their organizations.
Marean is also the modified A boys basketball coach at Hilton.
He also organizes high school and middle school skills camps during the winter, and in the fall runs the NYS Elite Athletics High School Football Showcase, where he connects local players and coaches to college coaches and college programs. This year, Marean also put together a NYS Elite 7 on 7 tournament of champions where there were 24 teams and over 400 athletes competing in one place from across NYS.
Marean started Wayne's Teacher Appreciation program where seniors during their last home game at 'senior night' recognize a teacher. He started this over 15 years ago and now every athletics program in the Wayne Central School District does this.
He also started the 'Border Bowl,' where not only do they pass a trophy back and forth between teams, but they also raise money for a local charity. Over the years, they have raised over $15,000 dollars. In the pre-COVID world, Marean has also helped with visiting Senior living facilities during the holiday season.
Marean also started Program 58, in honor of a past Wayne player who passed away. He's involved with teaching healthy classes from middle school to high school as well, spreading awareness to the community on substance abuse.
Marean organized not only the offseason strength and conditioning program, but also implemented the Summer boot camp for modified, all the way to varsity. Wayne and its staff adheres to all the NYS Guidelines to heat index and educates the players by bringing in a trainer to speak to them about the importance of hydrating your bodies.
Academically, Wayne has been strong under Marean, as the Eagles have had a team GPA of 90 or above in 16 of his 17 seasons coming into 2021.
