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Hearn leaves coaching with good memories

WILLIAMSBURG — Saying it was a “tough decision,” but also a decision he felt he had to make, Williamsburg football coach Bob Hearn has stepped down after 10 seasons running the Blue Pirates’ program.

Hearn, who will remain as the school’s athletic director, turned in his letter of resignation in November. He says the school district will most likely name his successor next week.

“I think it was just time,” said Hearn, whose teams went 31-71 in his 10 seasons. “I always said I would coach as long as I could get the players to come out and to get the players to work in the offseason, but here at a small school, our numbers are just really low. This was a very difficult year.”

Williamsburg went 0-10 last season. In the last three years, Williamsburg, one of the smaller schools in central Pennsylvania, graduated 28, 28 and 31, respectively, and that includes both boys and girls.

“People don’t realize how small we really are sometimes,” Hearn said. “But we are happy with how hard the kids played. We have not always been that small, but we have been recently. This is a 12-month job now, and it was just time.”

Hearn, who worked for years in the computer software business as well as the poultry business, said the job has already been advertised, and interviews were already held.

“I talked it over with my wife, and then I took some time to think about it, and I just thought maybe it is time for someone else to come in,” he said. “I really appreciate the school giving me this opportunity. I have a lot of fond memories of the kids.”

The 1977 Williamsburg graduate and 1981 Juniata College graduate says his first goal was to make the program competitive, and he believed that happened. But last year, because of low numbers and injuries, the Blue Pirates suffered several blowout losses.

“We did put together some winning seasons, we made the playoffs and we even hosted a playoff game,” he said.

His favorite memory in the past decade?

“I remember we went out to Homer-Center and had to win a game to get in the playoffs, and our kids went out and played a heckuva game and we won,” he recalled. “It was Halloween night, I think, and everyone turned out for the trip. And we had just missed the playoffs the year before, too.”

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