9-28-22 legendary ledger football coach closing in on milestone

St. Mary’s Springs Academy’s varsity football team is on track to present coach Bob Hyland with his 500^th win. This Friday, the school takes on the Campbellsport Cougars. If the team wins, that will put Coach Hyland one game away from securing his 500^th win.   Currently the second most winning active high school football coach in the United States and the number one in the state of Wisconsin, Hyland has served as head coach for the St. Mary’s Springs Academy Ledgers for over 50 years.   A graduate of North Dakota State, where he played on the school’s football team, Hyland won two Division II national championships and was named the NCAA Division II offensive lineman of the year. When Hyland started coaching at St. Mary’s Spring’s Academy in 1971, he embraced the challenge of transforming a struggling football program.    Coaching every play with the same level of intensity and importance, Hyland reinforces the importance of preparation, honesty, and focus with all his players. He also expects his players to uphold the school’s core values of faith, respect, leadership, community, responsibility, and learning. The average GPA for the Academy’s football team is 3.38.    “With a career spanning 52 years and counting, Coach Hyland’s impact both on and off the field is beyond inspirational; rivalling that of a football coach, or any other coach for that matter.  As countless alumni attest, the lessons learned on the field helped to prepare them for life; shaping them into faith-filled, servant leaders. At SMSA, Coach Hyland is so much more than a winning coach – he is a mentor, a leader and a legend,” states Stacey Akey, System President at St. Mary’s Springs Academy.  If the Ledgers win this Friday, they head to Lomira to take on the Lions on Saturday, October 8, 2022. Kick-off is schedule for 7:00 p.m. at Lomira High School, located at 1030 4^th Street, Lomira, Wisconsin.