Valor Bowl - Ben Crisi Trophy

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Ben Crisi Trophy

Ben Crisi Valor Bowl Trophy

The organizers of the Valor Bowl, Chester County ’s senior all-star football classic, have renamed the trophy in honor of a man who impacted the lives of high school students for over forty years. The trophy awarded to the winning team is named “The Ben Crisi Valor Bowl Trophy”.
            The trophy is named in honor of Ben Crisi. A native of Aliquippa, and a 1964 Mansfield graduate, Coach Crisi taught at Great Valley High School for over 30 years. He served as the Head Football Coach at Great Valley for six seasons in the mid 1980’s. He also served as an assistant coach at Great Valley for 21 seasons and at Coatesville for 9 more seasons. As a teacher and coach, Coach Crisi touched the lives of many young people in Chester County . He was respected throughout the area as a tremendous coach and an outstanding educator. Coach Crisi is loved and admired by everyone who has known him because of his deep love for his players, coaches, and especially his family.
            Besides his outstanding legacy as a teacher and coach in Chester County , Coach Crisi is being honored for his fight against cancer. Coach Crisi had been battling non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for over five years. “He is a special man. He’s the epitome of valor with what he’s been fighting,” said a former player of Coach Crisi’s. Because of his determination and will throughout those difficult times, he has been an inspiration for many people.
            On behalf of the entire Valor Bowl community, we are honored to have the trophy named in honor of a person who epitomizes the word “Valor.”
            Coach Crisi lost his battle with cancer in January, 2006. He left a wife, Kathy, and five children. He is missed by the many people he has touched. He will never be forgotten. Great Valley High School has established the “Crisi Educational Fund” to help with the educational cost of his daughters education and the “Crisi Character Award”, a scholarship awarded to a deserving senior, male and female, each year in the graduating class at Great Valley High School.  A portion of tonight's proceeds will be donated to the education fund for Ben's daughters.

Coach Crisi (far right) is pictured presenting the 2005 Ben Crisi Trophy to Mark Peticca (center),
winning Head Coach of the South and Andy Hachadorian, editor of the Daily Local News,
who sponsors the trophy.

Mr. Bernard A. Crisi “Ben”

**39 years in Education**

1960-Graduated from Aliquippa High School

1964-Graduated from Mansfield Sate College

*B.S. Comprehensive Social Studies

1964-1966-Taught Social Studies at York Catholic High School ( York, PA )

*World History

*Assistant Football Coach

*Head Wrestling Coach

1966-68-Taught Social Studies at Northwestern High School ( Albion, PA )

*World Cultures & Problems of Democracy

*Assistant Football Coach

*Head Wrestling Coach

1968-2003-Taught Social Studies at Great Valley High School

*Global Studies, Current Events

1977-1980-Director of Activities

1977-1979-Head Wrestling Coach

1976,1985,1999,2003-Class Advisor

1983-1988-Head Football Coach

1968-1982-Assistant Football Coach

1999-2002-Assistant Football Coach

1990-1998-Assistant Football Coach at Coatesville High School ( Coatesville, PA )

2003:

**Ben Crisi-Offensive Lineman of the Year Award—(Presented by Gridiron Club and the Great Valley Football Team)

**Crisi Character Award (Ben and Kathy Crisi)-started this year by the Class of 2003 and will be presented at the Senior Award Assembly

2004:

**Ben Crisi-Valor Bowl Trophy-(Given to winning team annually at Valor Bowl)