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Lou Cynkar

Lou Cynkar

Lou started his gridiron career in 1962 in ninth grade at Beaver Falls Junior High. It would be the first time Lou ever played football. It was also the first year Ken Woodeshick would coach the Freshmen football team. Lou started at QB and lead his team to a one loss season. Lou’s first year of varsity football at Beaver Falls High under Coach Bruno he would only play in 2 games. His first pass ever would be against Ellwood City, and it was a Touchdown to Van Golmont.

In Lou’s Junior year, legendary coach Larry Bruno, who coached quarterback Joe Namath, gave Lou the #19 jersey that Joe wore. Lou has said that it inspired and help to empower him to gain his success on the gridiron. Lou split time in his junior year but was able to throw 10 touchdown passes and for over 1000 yards.

In Lou’s Senior season in 1965 he would wear the #19 jersey and take the Tigers to a WPIAL runner up finish. The Tigers would score the second most points in school history, as only the 1960 team with Joe Namath had scored more. At the end of that season, he would have thrown for over 3000 yards and 30 touchdown passes in his career. Breaking all Beaver Falls school records at that time.

While at Beaver Falls Lou was one of two freshmen to make the Varsity baseball team for Leland Schachern. As a Senior season, Lou finished the season with school record .620 batting average. He also had a 3 and 1 pitching record including 1 and 2 hitters and a win against Montour in the state district playoffs.

Lou would sign a full grant in aid scholarship with the University of Cincinnati to play football and baseball.

Following college, Lou joined the coaching ranks becoming a coach at Aiken High School Cincinnati. He helped guide the team to its first undefeated season.

In 1971, Lou becomes the Offensive Coordinator at Roger Bacon High School, Cincinnati, Ohio. The Spartans would go undefeated and win the Greater Cincinnati Catholic League.

In 1973, Lou is given his first head coaching job in Covington Kentucky. Holmes High School was 0-19 the two previous seasons when he took the job. In his first season they had the first winning season in 5 years and Lou was chosen Northern Kentucky Coach of the Year. In his four years they won two league championships and he was coach of the year in the conference twice and elected president of the Northern KY Football Coaches Association. He was chosen coach of the year twice in his conference for winning two league championships and elected president of the Coaches Association.

In 1977, Lou was named head coach of the Forest Park High School later re-named Winton Woods High School. From 1977 until 1998, Lou would coach 3 different sports: wrestling for 6 years, track & field for 10 years and football for 22 years. During his 22 years, he would have, 2 state individual runner ups in wrestling and he would produce 14 individual Ohio State Champions in track.

In football, 152 of his players would go on to play in college with 102 of them earning four-year scholarships to division 1 and 1AA schools.

In the 6 years of wrestling, he was chosen the conference coach of the year for winning two conference championships.

In the 10 years of coaching track, he was awarded the conference coach of the year 4 times for 4 league titles. Cincinnati Area Coach of the year 4 times winning the Greater Cincinnati Area Championship, 4-time Southwest of Ohio District Coach of the year for winning 4 district Championships, 3-time Southwest Ohio Regional Coach of the year for winning 3 regional Championships. The Ohio High School coach of the year twine for winning two back-to-back Ohio State Championships. The National High School track coach of the year from the NFICA for winning back-to-back state titles, first time in 38 years for a Cincinnati school. He is in the Southwest Ohio Track Hall of Fame.

In the 22 years of coaching football in Ohio, Lou would be chosen the Hamilton County League Coach of the Year 9 times for winning 9 league championships, 4-time greater Cincinnati Coach of the year for winning 4 City Championships, 3-time Southwest Ohio Coach of the year, the Ohio High School Football Coach of the Year for taking his Chargers to the only undefeated season in the schools 50 year history. They would be league champions, city champions, district champions, regional champions, and State champions. He would receive the National High School Coaching Award for Scholastic Coach Magazine that same year. He would also serve as president of the Southwest Ohio Football Coaches. He received the Man of the Year Award by the Southwest Ohio Coaches and Ohio Coaches Association

When Lou retired in 1998 the city of Forest Park Named September 3, 1999, Lou Cynkar Day. Lou is a member of the Forest Park Hall of Fame, the southwest Ohio Track Coaches Hall of Fame, the Winton Woods High School Hall of Fame, the Ohio High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame, and is presently nominated for the Ohio High School Track Coaches Hall of Fame.

Lou’s football record at Forest Park Winton Woods was 158 wins and 63 losses and 4 ties. This is the exact same winning percentage as Coach Bruno had at Beaver Falls High School.

Larry Bruno Foundation

Hall of Achievement & Museum

1112 7th Avenue
Beaver Falls, PA 15010

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