Tundo of Orchard Park Honored as the 2007 Buffalo Bills HS Coach of the Year

Coach Gene Tundo of Orchard Park High School has been named the Buffalo Bills High School Football Coach of the Year for the 2007 football season.

It was an exciting season for Coach Gene Tundo as he celebrated his 100th win as head coach of Orchard Park High School and led the Quakers to an 11-1 record. After a perfect regular season, Orchard Park entered the playoffs as the number one ranked large school in the Buffalo News poll. After holding Kenmore West High School scoreless in the semifinals (28-0), the Quakers shutout Lancaster High School 35-0 at Ralph Wilson Stadium to defend their Section VI Class AA title.

In the Far West Regionals, they snapped a seven-game losing streak to Rochester representatives with a convincing 49-27 victory over Canandaigua High School. The quest to reach their first state title game fell short however with a 30-27 loss to West Genesee of Section III Syracuse.

Coach Gene Tundo, right, and his son Jeff.

Coach Tundo's enormous success was shared with his son and Star RB Jeff Tundo who was the recipient of the Connolly Cup, given each year to Western New York's most outstanding high school football player. In 14 seasons as head coach at Orchard Park, Gene Tundo has posted a career record of 109-32.

This is the eleventh consecutive year of the Buffalo Bills Coach of the Week program. Each week during the 11-week high school football season, a committee appointed by the Buffalo Bills selects a head football coach as Coach of the Week. The honorees received a certificate signed by the Buffalo Bills Head Coach Dick Jauron, Buffalo Bills General Manager Marv Levy and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, plus a Buffalo Bills Coach of the Week cap and $1,000 donation to the school's football program from the Buffalo Bills Youth Foundation. Recognition of the winning coach can be seen on the Buffalo Bills official website (www.buffalobills.com).

For being named the 2007 Buffalo Bills "Coach of the Year", the Orchard Park High School Football program will receive an additional $1,000 donation to the school's football program. All of the 2007 "Coach of the Week" winners were honored during pre-game of the Buffalo Bills / Miami Dolphins game on December 9th as part of the Bills Salute to High School Football Ceremony. All head football coaches in Western New York are eligible, regardless of their high school's division or affiliation.

2007 Buffalo Bills Coach of the Week Winners:
Week #1: Nick Benedetti - Medina High School
Week #2: Gene Tundo - Orchard Park High School
Week #3: Eric Jantzi - North Tonawanda High School
Week #4: Len Jankiewicz - Lancaster High School
Week #5: Sgt. William Johnson - McKinley High School
Week #6: Dan McGrath - Depew High School
Week #7: Dick Diminuco - Albion High School
Week #8: Scott Zipp - Cheektowaga High School
Week #9: John Faller - Sweet Home High School
Week #10: Glen Graham - Cleveland Hill High School
Week #11: Angelo Sciandra - Cardinal O'Hara High School