Support for High School Football Coach Matt Heiser dominated the public comment field of Tuesday’s Gettysburg Area School Board meeting.
Heiser took charge of the Warriors’ staff in 2012. Commenters stated Heiser’s position was reopened this year. As of Thursday, the job was not posted on the district website.
The majority of the comments, which at times became emotional, were from Heiser’s players.
“He has seen me at my lowest, picked me up off my feet, and put me on a pedestal that no other man can dream of,” student Parker Hankey said.
Connor Hazel, a senior kicker on the football team, said Heiser invests in his students’ lives.
“He cares about us as people first and is constantly showing how he cares about our futures, our character, and our success beyond the field,” Hazel said.
Similarly, player Dylan Cunningham commended Heiser for teaching him to stick to his commitments.
Player Jack Biggins touted the value of having a coach who is also a teacher.
“Having a coach in the building creates a well-rounded program and supports athletes on and off the field,” he said.
Justine Sieg, business education teacher, reminded the board that the Pennsylvania Department of Education states a board member’s job is to set policy, make decisions, set taxes, appoint the superintendent, evaluate results, and communicate.
“Each of these duties are to be done with the students, staff, and community as the top priority,” Sieg said.
She noted Heiser’s post-season evaluation, which was mandated by the board, was positive, and he received zero parent complaints.
Assistant Coach Wade Leedy reminded the board of the negative effect of a previous board’s decision to fire Coach Sam Leedy in 2009.
“His replacement failed miserably and set the program back four years,” Wade Leedy said.
Wade Leedy commended Heiser for changing the program’s culture, as illustrated by the student support during the meeting.
As usual, Board President Kenny Hassinger reminded the public that the board does not comment on personnel matters. The board entered into an executive session after the meeting for a personnel matter that Hassinger said “has nothing to do with football.”
More Football Talk
The board voted unanimously to accept Fairfield Area High School football players into the district’s program.
In December, the Fairfield board voted 7-2 to develop a cooperative football agreement with Gettysburg Area School District for three years. Fairfield Athletic Director Keith Bruck said in November that he and High School Principal Brian McDowell do not believe the district has enough students to support football. Enrollment has decreased annually for 20 years, Bruck said.
Business Manager Belinda Wallen proposed purchasing a new scoreboard for Warrior Stadium from Daktronics, a Pennsylvania-based company. The scoreboard would be completely digital and give the district several opportunities to sell sponsorships. Community organizations could also use the scoreboard to host movie nights at Warrior Stadium.
The board would cost $185,057-$245,000, depending on the features the board chooses. Wallen predicted fundraising could offset the cost.
The scoreboard discussion was an informational item on the evening’s agenda and no decision was made.
Alex J. Hayes has spent almost two decades in the Adams County news business. He is passionate about sharing stories focused on the people in our communities and following local governments in an age when few journalists report on their meetings. Alex is also a freelance writer for several other publications in South Central Pennsylvania. Alex encourages readers to contact him at ahayes83@gmail.com.