All football coaches carry a serious passion for the sport, but perhaps none more than Berwick head coach George Curry. His love of the game is clearly why he is the winningest coach in Pennsylvania triple 'a' history. His more than 40 years experience has brought him back to where it all began on the sidelines of Berwick's Crispin Field. With so many memories of players who have listened to his lessons, it's hard not to appreciate what this man has done for this town and the game of football.
"There's so many guys who've played for me and I've got their sons. It's great and that's what makes it nice. It's just like my son, my grandson, it's a great experience but when he's here he's like anyone else. If he gets out of line I just boot him right in the hind end!" said George Curry.
On this day, it was an introduction to a new season of Berwick football. Not much has changed about George's way of coaching, but there is a noticeable difference in the man with the visor.
COURTNEY: "You've obviously dropped some weight." GEORGE: (flexing muscles) "80 pounds! I went from a 44 to a 36 waist! Can you believe that?"
Coach Curry's slim waistline isn't the only difference this season. The team has spent a full year together learning the playbook and working on team chemistry, confident in what they have to show on the field this year."
"After one whole year experience and one whole off-season, I think we've gotten a lot better, a lot smarter so that's going to be a big help and we're really happy that he's back," said CJ Curry.
Curry's grandson, CJ, has had a first hand experience with the Berwick tradition. Few, if any, current players can say they've been a part of the Curry era like he has.
"Ever since I was a little kid, I was over there on the practice field watching two-a-days thinking 'Man I want to be there, I can't wait to be there' so it's just amazing to think right now I'm sitting here and this is my last year, my last go at it ever since I was a tiny kid, 5 or 6 years old being here. I just want to live up to it, seize the day every single day and work as hard as I can to make it memorable for me because I love high school football. I've been waiting for this all my life so I want to make this year something to remember."
Many of the players who have set foot on this field will tell you it's an honor to have worn the blue and white and learned from such a storied coach. It's easy to see why those players and this town consider this field home.
"Berwick football is a family. I've always said this. The players, the coaches, all these coaches played for me, my coaches , the fans, it's like one big family."
A very large family that looks forward to getting together every Friday night.