Ty Harper’s mom called him in tears. Not the sad kind, but the proud, overwhelming kind.
She had just seen the news: her son, a three-time Class D state champion coaching Clymer/Sherman/Panama, had been named to The News’ quarter-century team. Harper, who has devoted his life to coaching, felt a surge of emotion he couldn’t have predicted.
“I’m honored,” Harper said. “I couldn’t believe it. My mom actually called me, and she was in tears. Anytime you receive praise like that, it’s a reflection of the great people I’ve had around me.”
Harper’s humility defines him. He’s the kind of coach who believes his success is a byproduct of the people he’s worked with – the players who listened, the assistant coaches who pushed them and the parents who trusted him with their children.
“I’ve been so blessed and fortunate to coach great kids and work with other great coaches,” he said. “I’m flattered. There are other worthy coaches, and it’s more about the people I’ve worked with than anything I’ve done.”
His mom’s reaction, though, struck him the deepest.
“That meant more to me than anything else,” he said. “You always want to make your parents proud. She was so happy.”
Harper’s legacy is cemented in local lore, but his new chapter has people talking. After winning state championships at CSP, he made a life-altering decision, resigning from his post to accept a position as a social studies teacher at Chautauqua Lake High School while taking over the Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton program. He made the move for his family so he could be closer to home and play on Friday nights. He has taken took over a program on the rise and has led it to its first 3-0 start.
A new challenge
The Thunderbirds are a reflection of Harper’s philosophy. Hard-nosed, coachable and hungry. The players have embraced their new coach’s system with zeal.
“The kids have worked hard all offseason,” Harper said. “I’m proud of how coachable they’ve been. They’ve put in a lot of time and effort. Hopefully, we can continue to work hard and improve every week.”
He understands coaching is universal, regardless of where you are.
“Kids are similar everywhere,” he said. “They want to be coached. They want to be in an environment with structure. Once you show them you care about them as people, they generally listen to what you have to say.”
The Thunderbirds are a testament. They’ve picked up Harper’s new playbook with impressive speed, turning the complex into routine.
“I’ve been impressed with how quickly they’ve picked it up and now it’s becoming routine,” Harper said. “They know what we expect. They show up every week and work hard.”
The team is led by senior quarterback Brayden Gibbs and junior running back Thandon Bensink.
Gibbs, a three-year starter, has been a revelation under Harper’s tutelage.
“Brayden is a three-year starter at quarterback and looking at his film last year, I thought he was a very talented kid,” Harper said. “He can do a lot of different things and make all the throws. He’s athletic, can run and he’s been very receptive to working. I can’t say enough about him.”
Gibbs has embraced his new coach, saying, “He’s been good and as the quarterback, I’m always around him. Having him, you learn new things that we didn’t run before that he introduced this year. It’s been fun.”
Through three games, Gibbs has been a dual-threat terror, completing 28 of 46 passes for 370 yards and six touchdowns. He has rushed for 103 yards and two scores.
On the other side of the backfield is Bensink, who Harper called a “super tough kid” who is “getting better each week.”
Bensink has been a workhorse, racking up 34 carries for 255 yards and three touchdowns. He echoed Gibbs’ praise for Harper, noting the coach “brings motivation to the team every single week. He keeps us on our toes and makes us be honest with ourselves and have the ball rolling forward every single week.”
The return
Now comes the ultimate test, a matchup with Harper’s old team on Saturday at Clymer Central High School at 1:30 p.m.
Harper knows what his former team is capable of, having built it into a threat, although it’ll look different with the core having graduated. He understands the difficulty of the competition in the Section VI C South Division, not only with his former team, which has moved up a class, but also with the first-year merged program of Southwestern/Frewsburg and the reigning state Class C runner-up, Salamanca.
“It’s a gauntlet,” Harper said. “It’s an incredibly difficult division. Every team is really well coached and there’s a lot of talented athletes in this class.”
The Thunderbirds are ready for the challenge and are downplaying this weekend’s game.
“It’s like any other game,” Gibbs said. “It’s football. We just have to go out there and play.”
Harper will face his past, as it’ll be a homecoming for one of the most successful coaches this century. Although for him, it’s just another opportunity to compete and to continue to make his mom proud.
“I’m just excited about the opportunity to compete,” Harper said. “I think it’s going to be two really good programs taking the field against one another on Saturday.”
Trench Trophy
Here are the Trench Trophy nominees from Week 3. The Trench Trophy honors the best lineman at the end of the season:
Benny Hess (Barker/Roy-Hart), Evan Spruce Jr. (Salamanca), Quincy Patterson Jr. (Health Sciences), Josh Newman (Williamsville North), Asziah Watson (Jamestown) and Will Wortkoetter (St. Francis).
Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter
Sent weekly directly to your inbox!
* I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Clevis Murray
Sports Reporter
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
Your notification has been saved.
There was a problem saving your notification.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Followed notifications
Please log in to use this feature
Log In
Don’t have an account? Sign Up Today