Mars’ Blair Gerlach, George Williams of Seneca Valley tabbed state’s top coaches

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, December 3, 2020 | 6:12 PM

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Blair Gerlach directed the Mars girls soccer team to back-to-back WPIAL and PIAA championships.

He also doubled up on one of the state’s top honors.

Gerlach was named the Class AAA coach of the year by the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association, becoming the first repeat winner in the classification since the award’s inception in 1997.

Mars, which finished 22-0, has 41 straight wins and finished the season ranked No. 1 in the nation by the United Soccer Coaches. It allowed five goals all season, none across seven playoff games.

The Fightin’ Planets ended the season with nine straight shutouts.

Earlier this year, Gerlach was the recipient of the High School Coach of Significance Award for Pennsylvania.

Seneca Valley boys coach George Williams, meantime, was tabbed the boys Class AAAA coach of the year after guiding the Raiders (17-1-1) to WPIAL and PIAA championships.

Williams posted his 300th win early in the WPIAL postseason.

After a 2-1 loss to Butler on Sept. 24, Seneca Valley won 14 straight games.

Of the eight award-winning coaches, seven won PIAA titles.

The PSCA’s other top coaches are:

Boys

Class AAA: Scott Martz, Bellefonte

Class AA: Ben Kettlewell, Lewisburg

Class A: Ryan Climer, Faith Christian

Girls

Class AAAA: Audrey Anderson, Pennridge

Class AA: Aaron Flook, Bloomsburg

Class A: Derek Stone, Southern Huntingdon

Assistant coach of the year: Todd Scheetz, Conestoga Valley

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Mars, Seneca Valley