Michael Cottle
Growing up in Snake Spring Valley, living at the foot of the mountain on the road to Loysburg, Mike was destined to be a ballplayer and a hunter. After all his granddad, Jess, played baseball for Snake Spring in the 1940s and 50s in the Bedford County League, and he was an avid hunter. His dad, Don, at age of 12, played on the Snake Spring softball team that won the ISL Championship in 1959.
His cousin Bill Creps tried to get Mike to wrestle, and he wrestled in grade school and did well. However, he turned to basketball in seventh grade.
Mike graduated from Bedford High School in 1984 after a very successful career in football, basketball, and baseball. As a receiver in football Mike had a great mindset. He thought that he was always open and could catch any football thrown to him. When the game was on the line, he wanted the ball thrown to him.
He set many school records at Bedford for receiving. He set the single-season record for receptions with 42 and receiving yards with 754 as a senior. He also set career record for receptions with 100 and receiving yards with 1,497 in the 1981-1983 season. Mike was named to the First Team Bedford County All-Star Football Team in 1982 and 1983. Mike was also AP All-State Honorable Mention as a senior.
Cottle also starred in basketball and baseball. As a senior in basketball, Mike helped the Bedford basketball team to a runner-up finish in District 6-AAA. Mike was named to the Bedford County League First Team. In baseball, Mike helped the Bison to three District 5-AAA championships and a trip to the state quarterfinals in 1984.
After graduating from Bedford, Mike continued his education at Juniata College where he continued to set school records as a receiver. Mike set a single-game record for receiving yards with 14 receptions for 214 yards. He set season records for receptions with 67 and touchdowns with 14. Mike also set Juniata’s career records with 221 receptions for 2,609 yards and finished second in touchdowns with 36.
For his pass catching, Mike was named to the First Team Middle Atlantic Conference in 1987 and 1988. Mike was First Team Little All-American in 1988. Mike had several tryouts with NFL teams.
While in high school and college, Mike played fast-pitch softball in the Schellsburg Softball Fast Pitch League from 1983-1989. Mike was developing into a pretty good pitcher when he moved to the Harrisburg area in 1990. He played in the ASA National Fast-Pitch Tournament 1990 -2003 with his team winning the ASA National Fast-Pitch Softball Tournament in 1992.
Mike coached football at Elizabethtown High School as an assistant coach (2003-2008) and as the head coach (2009-2014). He is staying in coaching as he will be coaching the wide receivers at Palmyra High School in 2015.
Mike married Mireille, his wife of 22 years, on November 7, 1992. They have one child a son, Tyler, who will be a sophomore in the fall at Lebanon Valley College, where he plays football and golf.
Mike and family lives in the Elizabethtown area. He is a salesman for H&L Team Sales and enjoys going around to schools selling sporting goods, especially in our area. Mike enjoys playing in golf tournaments with his dad, and they usually do well.
Growing up in Snake Spring Valley, living at the foot of the mountain on the road to Loysburg, Mike was destined to be a ballplayer and a hunter. After all his granddad, Jess, played baseball for Snake Spring in the 1940s and 50s in the Bedford County League, and he was an avid hunter. His dad, Don, at age of 12, played on the Snake Spring softball team that won the ISL Championship in 1959.
His cousin Bill Creps tried to get Mike to wrestle, and he wrestled in grade school and did well. However, he turned to basketball in seventh grade.
Mike graduated from Bedford High School in 1984 after a very successful career in football, basketball, and baseball. As a receiver in football Mike had a great mindset. He thought that he was always open and could catch any football thrown to him. When the game was on the line, he wanted the ball thrown to him.
He set many school records at Bedford for receiving. He set the single-season record for receptions with 42 and receiving yards with 754 as a senior. He also set career record for receptions with 100 and receiving yards with 1,497 in the 1981-1983 season. Mike was named to the First Team Bedford County All-Star Football Team in 1982 and 1983. Mike was also AP All-State Honorable Mention as a senior.
Cottle also starred in basketball and baseball. As a senior in basketball, Mike helped the Bedford basketball team to a runner-up finish in District 6-AAA. Mike was named to the Bedford County League First Team. In baseball, Mike helped the Bison to three District 5-AAA championships and a trip to the state quarterfinals in 1984.
After graduating from Bedford, Mike continued his education at Juniata College where he continued to set school records as a receiver. Mike set a single-game record for receiving yards with 14 receptions for 214 yards. He set season records for receptions with 67 and touchdowns with 14. Mike also set Juniata’s career records with 221 receptions for 2,609 yards and finished second in touchdowns with 36.
For his pass catching, Mike was named to the First Team Middle Atlantic Conference in 1987 and 1988. Mike was First Team Little All-American in 1988. Mike had several tryouts with NFL teams.
While in high school and college, Mike played fast-pitch softball in the Schellsburg Softball Fast Pitch League from 1983-1989. Mike was developing into a pretty good pitcher when he moved to the Harrisburg area in 1990. He played in the ASA National Fast-Pitch Tournament 1990 -2003 with his team winning the ASA National Fast-Pitch Softball Tournament in 1992.
Mike coached football at Elizabethtown High School as an assistant coach (2003-2008) and as the head coach (2009-2014). He is staying in coaching as he will be coaching the wide receivers at Palmyra High School in 2015.
Mike married Mireille, his wife of 22 years, on November 7, 1992. They have one child a son, Tyler, who will be a sophomore in the fall at Lebanon Valley College, where he plays football and golf.
Mike and family lives in the Elizabethtown area. He is a salesman for H&L Team Sales and enjoys going around to schools selling sporting goods, especially in our area. Mike enjoys playing in golf tournaments with his dad, and they usually do well.
Class of 2015
Bedford County Sports
Hall of Fame
Class of 2015
Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County, Pennsylvania