Mars' Heinauer joins county HOF
This is the sixth in a series of 10 articles profiling the 2017 inductees into the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame.ADAMS TWP — Success does not happen alone.Longtime Mars High School athletic director and football coach Scott Heinauer is cognizant of that fact.“This is not about me,” he said of his impending induction into the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame. “This is about our kids and our program.”Heinauer, eight other individuals and the 1977 Butler High School football team will be inducted into the BCSHOF at the organization's 52nd annual banquet April 29 at the Butler Days Inn.Heinauer has compiled a 174-96 record in 25 years as head grid coach with the Planets. His last losing season was in 2004 (4-5) and his teams have reached the WPIAL playoffs 15 times in the past 16 years, including the last 12 in a row.“That can't happen without good kids,” Heinauer said. “We always have them here. We've had a very dedicated and loyal staff to work with them.“A number of our coaches have been with this program as long as I have.”Among those coaches are Dave Goodworth, Terry Dillner, Brian Hobaugh, Andy Bednar, Dave Kuremsky and Dave Mayer, among others.“A lot of assistant coaches in the business this long usually do move on,” Heinauer said. “I rode that coaching carousel myself .... Trinity, Peters Township and here.“Most of the people on our staff are very happy here. They teach here. Their lives are here. And we all share tremendous pride in Mars High School.”He mentioned that most head coaches of various athletic teams at Mars have been there for a long time and “have been a staple of our consistent success in so many sports.”Keeping a coaching staff together breeds familiarity.“Everyone knows what everyone is supposed to do,” Heinauer said. “I don't have to spend any time coaching coaches. If I yell out we're going to run the curtain drill, everyone knows what that is. That's a big plus.”Heinauer is the longest active football coach at one school in Butler County — with room to spare. Mike King stepped down after his 18th year at Knoch at the end of last season and Ed Conto will be entering his 18th season at Karns City this fall.Also serving as athletic director at Mars for more than two decades, Heinauer has received assistance there as well. Ruth Mathison has been his athletic department secretary for 28 years.“She's like having a second athletic director at the school. She does a lot of stuff around here,” Heinauer admitted.Heinauer's involvement in high school athletics extends well beyond Mars itself.He has served on the WPIAL, PIAA Board of Control and the WPIAL track and Field Committee. He has been president of the Northern Association of Northern Football Coaches and the Midwestern Athletic Directors Association, along with serving as vice president of the WPIAL Athletic Directors Association.“You find the time and just do it,” Heinauer said. “Those are important functions.”Inducted into the Mars High School Hall of Fame in 2013, Heinauer said he is “deeply honored” to be joining the county Hall.“Just look at the people who are in there, so many different sports and accomplishments, so much history,” he said.“This is one of the longest running hall of fames of its kind. This is a big deal.”Tickets for the April 29 HOF banquet are $35 in advance, $40 at the door. Ticket outlets include Parkers Appliance in Chicora, Bill's Beer Barn, Moses Jewelers and Snack-N-Pack in Butler, Saxonburg Drug and Maddalon Jewelers in Zelienople.
