SLIPPERY ROCK - It's hard to catch Clyde Conti by surprise.

The Slippery Rock High School football coach is a master of preparation. Have a weakness, just a tiny crack in your football team's armor, and it is likely to be exploited by Conti and his two-plus decades of experience.

But Conti was caught off guard by an April 2 phone call from Brookville coach Chris Dworek, who informed Conti that he had been selected for induction into the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

"I was in bed trying to sleep," Conti said. "He didn't want to call me on April 1 because he didn't want me to think it was an April Fools' joke."

It wasn't. Conti will be inducted with nine others in Hershey July 22, a day before the annual Big 33 Football Classic.

Conti has compiled a 159-83-3 record in his 25 years of coaching. He went 136-71-3 at Clarion-Limestone in 22 years before the school board unexpectedly opened up the football coaching position.

That sent Conti to Slippery Rock, where he commuted from his home in Clarion during that first season. Conti dropped his first two games as the Rockets coach, but the team rebounded and won the District 10 championship.

The next season, Slippery Rock repeated as District 10 champions and led eventual state-champion Aliquippa in the fourth quarter before losing in the PIAA semifinals.

In his three seasons at the helm for Slippery Rock, he has posted a 23-12 record.

Despite a resume like that, Conti is still shocked he was recognized with a Hall of Fame nod.

"It's extremely humbling," Conti said. "There are other coaches out there who are better football coaches than Clyde Conti."

But few with his history.

Conti was a standout tailback at Freeport High School under coach Don Earley, who influenced Conti considerably when he began his coaching career.

Conti ran one of Earley's favorite plays during the first snap of a Slippery Rock playoff game two years ago as a tribute.

Earley didn't realize the kind of career Conti had carved out until he looked at his record after he was told his former player had been selected for the Hall of Fame.

"My goodness gracious, I didn't realize he was stacking up so many wins," Earley said. "But when you have a bunch of 8-, 9-, 10-win seasons, I guess that happens. They add up.

"I am just so doggoned happy. He's getting what is maybe the highest honor a coach in our state can get."

Conti remembers a trip he, former teammate and current Freeport football coach Bill Dillen and Earley made in 1992 to Hershey when Earley was inducted into the Hall.

The conversation turned to Conti and a quip was made that their next trip to the Hall induction ceremony would be for Conti.

"He's done a great job," Earley said. "He was blessed with some good players and good teams at (Clarion-Limestone), then he went up to Slippery Rock and had success there. Everywhere he's gone he's had success."

And Conti has done it through a generation of change.

But Conti said he hasn't changed too much in the past 25 years.

"Basically, you're still teaching how to block and tackle," Conti said. "We're still talking about the same things today."

Conti's son, Chad, who played for the coach at Clarion-Limestone, will be the induction speaker for his father.

That makes Clyde Conti both happy and curious at the same time.

"Lord knows what he's going to say," Clyde Conti said. "My son Chad means an awful lot to me. I didn't want anyone else to do that but Chad."

Conti also had to write a little passage to be put on his plaque. He would not reveal what he wrote - a secret as guarded as a game plan against Grove City.

"I'm not letting anyone see that yet," Conti said. "I had a couple of teachers in the English department read it, but that's it."

What's not a secret is how much coaching has meant to Conti - and still does.

"All I know is the kids I have coached at Clarion-Limestone and Slippery Rock have all given much more back to me than I have given to them," Conti said.