Head Coach Ernie Yates is currently in his 18th season at
the helm of guiding and directing the Berwick Wrestling Program.
Throughout that time span there have been many magical
moments.
January 12, 2006 goes down in history as one of the big
ones.
Berwick traveled to take on the Black Knights of Lake Lehman
on January 12. There was one goal on the night's action, the only goal
that any wrestler and any wrestling program commits to each and every time one
takes to the mat. The goal is to win.
Berwick needed a win to bounce back from a tough trip at the
Virginia Battlefield Duals.
Berwick needed a win to stay undefeated in district
competition.
Berwick needed a win to secure the #200 career victory for
Head Coach Ernie Yates.
Berwick got the win.
The Dawgs captured a key district victory over Lake Lehman
by the score of 37-24. The win also raised the victory bar once again
for Head Coach Ernie Yates, who was already the most winning coach in the
history of Berwick Wrestling, to the magical #200 in career wins.
Win
#200 also places Coach Yates into the record books as one of the most
successful coaches to lead and direct any athletic program in the history of
Berwick Area High School.
Coach Yates must really like the second week of January.
It was almost 3 years to the exact date, January 11, 2003,
that Coach Yates slated Win #150 at the NHSCA Duals (formerly Easton Duals)
at Quakertown High School.
That's 50 wins in almost exactly 3 years, 1/11/03 to
1/12/06.
Impressive.
Despite the recent winning surge for the Dawgs, team wins
have played minimal importance to Coach Yates. Instead, the main goal
has been to expose the Berwick Wrestling Program and its Dawgs to the best
competition that can be scheduled. Over the last three years Berwick
has competed against Blair Academy, Upper Perkiomen (3 times), Connellsville
(twice), and a host of the other state and nationally ranked teams from
Virginia and New Jersey. In order to enhance the schedule to compete
against such elite teams, Berwick opted to drop many sure-fire wins against
weaker opponents.
It is a very simple philosophy.
If you want to set the goal to be the best, you have to
compete against the best.
The goal to be the best is a constant goal. One that
never fades.
The Dawgs may have lost by score against these top ranked
teams.
But Berwick didn't lose.
It gained.
Berwick gained by getting the Dawgs some of the best regular
season competition that can be found. Berwick gained by being
"metered-tested," allowing itself to see what it needs to do as a
program to raise the victory bar each and every year.
And the philosophy of Coach Yates has paid off with huge
dividends.
The last 3 years have witnessed Berwick not only getting 50
team wins, but also saw the Dawgs win 3 District Championship Team Titles,
get 4 wrestlers on the podium at the state championship tournament as State
Place Winners, notch 10 NE AAA Regional Place Winners, place 9 District
Champions at the top step of the podium, and record 6 100-Career Match
Winners into the history books of Berwick Wrestling.
The philosophy to strive to be your best, to work harder
than anyone else, to allow your inner-drive to be consumed by your desire
and dedication to be the best in all goals that you pursue, has spread like
wildfire among all those who wear a Dawg singlet.
Berwick is working harder and striving in the quest of
excellence more now than ever before. There will be ups and downs
along the way, but the goal will always be "to constantly strive to be
your best." To be your best in the sport of wrestling. To
be your best in all facets of your life.
For the leaps and bounds that the Berwick Wrestling Program
has taken in a forward direction over the last many years, WIN #200 is a
special moment in the career of Head Coach Ernie Yates.
It is a special moment in the history of Berwick Wrestling.
It is a special moment in the program's ongoing quest of
excellence for the future.
It becomes another accomplishment to be celebrated for the
day.
It becomes a memory tomorrow.
Because tomorrow will be when Head Coach Ernie Yates focuses
his efforts and his Dawgs for their next competition.
The quest of excellence merely continues for Head Coach
Ernie Yates.
The journey of Berwick Wrestling's quest for excellence
continues.
Congratulations Coach Yates!!
Honors Of Head Coach Ernie Yates
-
Career Win #200" On January 12, 2006
-
Career Record To Date: 200 - 103 - 1
-
2005 District 2 Head Coach Of The Year
-
2005 Reading Eagle All-Anthracite Head Coach Of Year
-
2005 District 2 Class AAA Tournament Champions
-
2003 District 2 Head Coach Of The Year
-
2003 Press-Enterprise Head Coach Of The Year
-
2003 District 2 Class AAA Dual Meet Champions
-
2003 District 2 Class AAA Tournament Champions
-
2001 District 2 Head Coach Of The Year
-
1999 District 2 Head Coach Of The Year
-
1996 District 2 Head Coach Of The Year
-
Coached 27 District Champions
-
Coached 2 NE Class AAA Regional Champions
-
Coached 5 PIAA Class AAA State Place-Winners
-
Coached 8 100-Match Winners
Go Dawgs!!
