IN Mars Area Summer 2016 | Page 14

INPERSON Mars Football Coach Nominated to Hall of Fame By Jennifer Brozak 12 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Mars Area e’s a six-time Coach of the Year and holds the best record of any Mars Area football coach in history. Now, after 25 years as head coach of the Mars Area High School boys varsity football team, Scott Heinauer can add “Hall of Famer” to his resume. Heinauer, who’s in his 28th year as the district’s athletic director, was recently named to the 2016 Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Hall of Fame. The honor recognizes high school football coaches with more than 15 years of service or 100 wins. “I’m not a guy who likes to have a light shined upon me, but this is a great honor,” says Heinauer. “We’ve had a lot of success because we have a great coaching staff, and we’ve been working together for a long time. This isn’t just about me.” Heinauer, who once taught high school social studies, has 165 wins and has led the Fightin’ Planets to nine section titles and the WPIAL playoffs in 19 of his 25 seasons as head coach. In both 1996 and 2002, the Planets claimed second-place finishes in the WPIAL championships before advancing to the PIAA playoff quarterfinals. The strength of the Mars football program would not be possible without a dedicated group of coaches and athletes, Heinauer notes. “We’re not a huge district, and we’ve been lucky to have been able to work with really H