The Buffalo Bills, in partnership with Visa, have announced Week 3 High School Tackle Football Coaches of the Week for 2026. This week's recipients are Buffalo Region Coach of the Week Jay Baumann (Starpoint) and Rochester Coach of the Week Ryan Kramer (Geneseo-Mt. Morris).
Aimed at highlighting tackle football coaches' efforts on and off the field, coaches from both the Buffalo and Rochester regions will be recognized over the course of the next 11 weeks for their team's excellence on the field and their service to their communities. As part of the program, each winning coach's football program will receive $1,000 from the Buffalo Bills and Visa, and each region's Coach of the Year will receive an additional $1,000 and be celebrated on the field at Highmark Stadium prior to the Bills vs. Jets game in January.
Check back each week for updates on the Buffalo and Rochester Coach of the Week winners, and good luck to all the teams in our community on their upcoming seasons!
Buffalo Region Coach of the Week
Starpoint head coach Jay Baumann was named the Buffalo region Coach of the Week for the week ending Sunday, September 20, after leading the Spartans to a 14-8 win over Pioneer. After a narrow loss to Grand Island in the season opener, the Spartans have won consecutive games, including a 42-28 road victory over North Tonawanda.
Against Pioneer senior quarterback David Chase completed 13 of 24 passes for 126 yards and a score. Senior running back Victor Collins paced the running attack with 39 yards and a score on only nine carries.
After serving as Starpoint's offensive coordinator from 2015-19 and from 2022-24, Baumann was promoted to head coach of the Spartans in 2025 and guided Starpoint to a 6-4 overall record, including a Class B Funke Bowl title. In 2021, he was the offensive coordinator and linebacker coach at Joshua (Texas) High School.
"My coaching philosophy is Extreme Ownership, which means own everything that happens to you and adapt," said Baumann. "Those who choose to blame others will be stuck in their ways. Building relationships is critical. The bond I share with my assistant coaches and my players makes all the hours worth it."
Starpoint was recognized with the 2025 Scholar Team Award as 85 percent of the team's players were on the merit/honor roll.
Rochester Region Coach of the Week
Geneseo-Mt. Morris head coach Ryan Kramer was named the Rochester region Coach of the Week for the week ending Sunday, September 20, after leading the Blue Devils to a thrilling 43-42 win over two-time defending Class D champions Avon. It marked Geneseo-Mt. Morris's second one-point win of the season, including a 21-20 season-opening win over Livonia. The Blue Devils fell to Oakfield-Alabama/Elba in Week Two.
The Blue Devils trailed Avon 42-35 when junior quarterback Gavin Johnson connected with fellow junior Shay Hepler for a 9-yard touchdown, followed by a 2-point conversion with 19.6 remaining to secure the 43-42 victory. Geneseo-Mount Morris trailed 22-6 in the first quarter. Hepler notched 11 catches for 106 yards and three touchdowns on the night, and Johnson connected on 21of 34 pass attempts for 236 yards and four scores. Johnson also rushed for 64 yards on eight carries.
"My coaching philosophy is to use a sport that is mentally and physically difficult to play to teach young people that they have the abilities to overcome challenges and succeed through hard work, teamwork, and perseverance," said Kramer, who was a four-year starter at St. John Fisher, twice earning all-Empire 8 all-conference honors. "I grew up in a family that believes in the power of football to build positive relationships and the need to believe and care about the growth of young student-athletes on the field and in life. That is why I teach and that is why I coach football."
Kramer was named head coach before the 2023 season. He graduated from Oneida High School in 2009 and was part of the team that lost the New York State title game to Rye in 2008. He first worked as an assistant coach at Rush-Henrietta and at Oneida before being hired as a high school English teacher at Geneseo.
The football program offers players opportunities to volunteer during the Geneseo Rotary Festival and hosts youth football nights.
2026 COTW Winners
Week 1: Mark Benton (Springville-Griffith Institute), Mike Humphrey (Le Roy/Cal-Mum)
Week 2: Nate Armella (Randolph), Dennis Pynn (Churchville-Chili)
Week 3: Jay Baumann (Starpoint), Ryan Kramer (Geneseo-Mt. Morris)
