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Colleagues fondly remember Coach Jack Henzes

Newswatch 16's Andy Palumbo was in Dunmore as friends remembered the man who brought so much glory to Bucktown.

DUNMORE, Pa. — Our area lost a legend late Monday night. Former Dunmore High School football coach Jack Henzes died.

Immortalized in stone, just feet away from the site of some of his greatest achievements, people in Dunmore are remembering coach Jack Henzes.

"I believe he put up a standard of excellence that all of our athletic departments strive for. It is a sad day for our community, and he is going to be sorely missed," said Mark Finan, the athletic director at Dunmore High School.

Newswatch 16 spoke with Finan near the school's trophy cases, the one filled with championship trophies earned during the Henzes era.

Outside on the field house are the numbers, the years, the wins, the unforgettable seasons at the top.

Coach Henzes will be remembered for his more than 400 wins on football fields, but that only tells part of the Jack Henzes tale.

Frank Padula knows the rest of the story. He was an assistant coach under Jack Henzes during the 1970s. The Henzes legacy is more than wins.

"He encouraged kids to do the right thing, and he educated kids that way," Padula said.

Finan echoes that feeling. Coach Henzes turned out good student-athletes and quality young people.

"The impact he had on the kids is where his legacy is going to be. There are so many lives he touched," Finan said.

Padula believes Henzes leaves a lasting mark on the borough.

"He was a hell of a guy. He was just a great asset to our community and, above all, a super person," Padula added.

Between Wyoming Area High School and Dunmore High, Henzes patrolled the sidelines for more than 50 years, racking up 444 wins.

Jack Henzes was 87 years old.

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