Francis "Whitey" Koontz
In the winter of 1936, under the urging of Athletic Director Edward Sheely, Francis "Whitey" Koontz founded the sport of wrestling at Bedford High School.
Whitey was a 1927 graduate of Bedford where he was a star running back on the football team for four years. Whitey was also a star sprinter on the track team.
After graduating from Bedford, Koontz attended Gettysburg College. As an undergraduate he played fullback on the football team and was a starter on the college's first wrestling team.
During his college junior grid season, he and his teammates of McCloy and Anglemoyer were tabbed, "the Blond Backfield" and they went on a scoring rampage that resulted in a 6-3 season.
Koontz accounted for many of the 152 points scored that year. He graduated from Gettysburg in 1931.
Koontz returned to Bedford as a teacher and he started the first wrestling team in 1936. Bedford was the first wrestling team in the county. Red Horner started a program at Boswell about the same time, and he and Koontz worked together to get their programs started.
Bedford wrestled only Boswell its first year and lost twice, 18-16 and 20-13. The young Bisons dropped five more matches the following season, but went 3-3 in the 1938-39 season, including wins over Boswell, Lock Haven, and Tyrone.
The Bedford wrestling program prospered in the years that followed. The Bisons went undefeated in 1944 and won the District V title in 1944 and 45. John Heacock was Bedford's first state wrestling champion in 1945 and only the second state champ Bedford had in any sport. John "Boots" Clark had won the 100 and 220 yards dash in track in 1930.
Whitey coached for 21 years and had a career record of 103-62-1. His last four teams had a combined record of 34-3-1. He coached three undefeated teams: 1944, 1955, and 1956. He had 62 individual District V champions, including Don "PeeWee" Jones who was the first four-time champ from Bedford and District V. He also coached four state runners-up: John Heacock twice, in 1944 and 1946, Bob Hershberger in 1947, and Alan Hershberger in 1949.
Whitey retired from coaching wrestling after the 1957 season. ln recognition of his record and achievements as a coach, Koontz was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame in 1974. He also was inducted into the Gettysburg Hall of Athletic Honor in 1983.
In his room were his wrestling awards, but the largest trophy in the room was a golf trophy he won on the golf course. Koontz was an avid golfer for over 50 years, including being the golf pro at the Bedford Springs in the 1940s.
Koontz married Jane Atkins in 1939 and they had one daughter, Linda, three grandchildren, and four great grandsons. He retired from teaching in 1972 and passed away on August 27, 1994.
Francis "Whitey" Koontz will always be remembered as the "Father of Bedford Wrestling?
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In the winter of 1936, under the urging of Athletic Director Edward Sheely, Francis "Whitey" Koontz founded the sport of wrestling at Bedford High School.
Whitey was a 1927 graduate of Bedford where he was a star running back on the football team for four years. Whitey was also a star sprinter on the track team.
After graduating from Bedford, Koontz attended Gettysburg College. As an undergraduate he played fullback on the football team and was a starter on the college's first wrestling team.
During his college junior grid season, he and his teammates of McCloy and Anglemoyer were tabbed, "the Blond Backfield" and they went on a scoring rampage that resulted in a 6-3 season.
Koontz accounted for many of the 152 points scored that year. He graduated from Gettysburg in 1931.
Koontz returned to Bedford as a teacher and he started the first wrestling team in 1936. Bedford was the first wrestling team in the county. Red Horner started a program at Boswell about the same time, and he and Koontz worked together to get their programs started.
Bedford wrestled only Boswell its first year and lost twice, 18-16 and 20-13. The young Bisons dropped five more matches the following season, but went 3-3 in the 1938-39 season, including wins over Boswell, Lock Haven, and Tyrone.
The Bedford wrestling program prospered in the years that followed. The Bisons went undefeated in 1944 and won the District V title in 1944 and 45. John Heacock was Bedford's first state wrestling champion in 1945 and only the second state champ Bedford had in any sport. John "Boots" Clark had won the 100 and 220 yards dash in track in 1930.
Whitey coached for 21 years and had a career record of 103-62-1. His last four teams had a combined record of 34-3-1. He coached three undefeated teams: 1944, 1955, and 1956. He had 62 individual District V champions, including Don "PeeWee" Jones who was the first four-time champ from Bedford and District V. He also coached four state runners-up: John Heacock twice, in 1944 and 1946, Bob Hershberger in 1947, and Alan Hershberger in 1949.
Whitey retired from coaching wrestling after the 1957 season. ln recognition of his record and achievements as a coach, Koontz was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame in 1974. He also was inducted into the Gettysburg Hall of Athletic Honor in 1983.
In his room were his wrestling awards, but the largest trophy in the room was a golf trophy he won on the golf course. Koontz was an avid golfer for over 50 years, including being the golf pro at the Bedford Springs in the 1940s.
Koontz married Jane Atkins in 1939 and they had one daughter, Linda, three grandchildren, and four great grandsons. He retired from teaching in 1972 and passed away on August 27, 1994.
Francis "Whitey" Koontz will always be remembered as the "Father of Bedford Wrestling?
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Class of 2007
Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County, Pennsylvania