The Buffalo Bills and ADPRO Sports have partnered to name Kurt Schneider and Trait Smith as the coaches of the week for the Rochester and Buffalo regions, respectively.
Each coach will receive $1,000 for their football programs and were named because of their dedication to both their team and the surrounding community. The Coach of the Year for each region will be named during the Week 17 game against the New England Patriots.
Buffalo Region Coach of the Week
Trait Smith of Lockport High School is the Coach of the Week for the Buffalo region. Smith has been a member of the Lockport coaching staff for 28 seasons including stints at the modified, junior varsity and varsity level.
Lockport is fresh off of a playoff-clinching win over Williamsville North. After trailing 14-0 and 21-7 throughout the game, the Lions blocked a punt to spark a game-winning touchdown drive as Lockport won 28-24.
Quarterback Graham Schultz threw for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Tray Thompson rushed eight times for 51 yards and a touchdown, adding 45 receiving yards and a score as well as an 85-yard kickoff returned for a touchdown.
Smith, a graduate of Lockport in 1982, was named head varsity coach before the 2018 season. Smith played on the undefeated (9-0) Lockport team in 1981, which won the Section 6 title.
Smith's coaching philosophy is centered around encouraging his players to root themselves in their surrounding community.
"I have coached in Lockport for 28 years and only two players have made the NFL," Smith said. "It's far more important to make great employees, great parents, great uncles and great community members."
The Lions senior players go to the elementary school to read to students every October.
Smith's favorite memory was winning the Section 6 championship and being part of the only undefeated team in Lockport history.
Rochester Region Coach of the Week
Kurt Schneider is the Coach of the Week for the Rochester region after York-Pavilion defeated arch-rival Geneseo 28-0 to win the Valley Ball trophy.
Quarterback Parker Bonefede completed 7 of 10 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown and Carl Szczech ran 15 times for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Brennan Royce led the defense with eight tackles, a forced fumble and an interception returned for a touchdown.
Schneider is in his 13th year as a coach at York and was named head varsity coach before the 2018 season. In his first season as head coach, Schneider led the Knights to the Section 5 Class D championship game.
York-Pavilion is 7-1 and will enter the playoffs as the top seed in Class D.
Schneider believes in instilling values in his players to "make the kids better young men when they graduate." His players visit the district's elementary school students to read to the children while wearing their jerseys.
His favorite memory was the bus ride home from this year's big win at Avon.
