A Field By Any Other Name...

Wyoming High School Field to Be Named After Legendary Coach

The Wyoming Board of Education announced that the Wyoming High School football field in Bob Lewis Stadium will be named after Wyoming’s newly retired Coach Bernie Barre.
Mr. Barre’s career in Wyoming has been legendary with a tremendous record of success. In 21 years, he compiled a record of 182 wins and 54 losses, fifteen playoff berths, two regional championships, and 11Cincinnati Hills League Championships. Mr. Barre is a member of Wyoming School’s Athletic Hall of Fame and the Ohio High School Coach’s Hall of Fame. Before joining the staff at Wyoming, he was head Coach at Beechwood Schools in Kentucky for 16 years and is a member of their Hall of Fame as well. Overall, Mr. Barre’s coaching record is 317 wins and 108 losses. During his career, he was among Ohio’s most respected coaches known as a dedicated and caring person who was committed to the betterment of the students he served.
Mr. Barre joined the staff of Wyoming Schools as Assistant Middle School Principal, Athletic Director, and as Head Varsity Football Coach in 1991. He is a Wyoming High School graduate in the Class of 1970.
“It is a great privilege to honor Bernie Barre in this manner,” stated Superintendent Dr. Susan Lang. “As an educator and as a coach, Bernie served as an excellent example of someone who has inspired and positively impacted the lives of students. He was a role model teaching student athletes about teamwork, camaraderie, dedication, perseverance, and personal integrity. Naming the field in his honor signifies all that is good in high school athletics.”
The stadium was named after another Wyoming legend, Bob Lewis, who coached in Wyoming from 1956 until 1978. He, too, had a very impressive record with an overall coaching record of 198 wins, 21 losses, and 7 ties.  The stadium is dedicated to “the memory of ‘Coach’ and all that he mean to the youth of Wyoming.”
“Bernie's successes and achievements were a direct result of his passion and commitment to the student-athletes of Wyoming High School,” stated Athletic Director Scott Kaufman. “His leadership carried on the great tradition established by Coach Bob Lewis. It is only right that their names be permanently enshrined together.”
A formal dedication ceremony for the Bernie Barre Field is planned in the fall of 2013.

Bob Lewis Stadium

Bob Lewis Stadium has been through a lot over the last year.

It has seen one of the most exciting Wyoming-Indian Hill football games ever, state-ranked soccer teams on both the girls' and boys' sides, a young lacrosse program starting to produce formidable boys and girls teams, the return of track meets, a fire which left a gaping hole in the stands, and the installation and dedication of a plaque honoring Coach Lewis.

What it doesn't seem to have is a name that people actually use.  All great stadiums have a name - "The Pit", "The Horseshoe", "The Big House", "Wrigley Field", "Fenway"; even old school: "Candlestick", "Riverfront", etc.

Along with the help of Booster President Tom Horn, I've been trying to come up with a nickname, if you will, for the stadium that we can start using.  Right now I think most people would call it the A-Field, or the just something generic like "the stadium."

Some first thoughts:  BLS (analogous to PBS), "The Bob", "Lewis."

It needs to be something respectful, but "Bob Lewis Stadium" seems a little formal.

I even suggested "B-Lew" to Mrs. The Roundup, saying that it had the ring of "bijou" to it, and her comment was that everyone born in the 20's would love it.

So what do you think?  Any other ideas?  Leave a comment or send me an e-mail at wyoroundup@gmail.com.

Bob Lewis Stadium plaque dedication

Most of you know that Wyoming’s stadium is named after long time head football coach Bob Lewis. Prior to the Little Miami scrimmage last Friday night a plaque honoring Coach Lewis was dedicated. It is meant to be a way to put a real person with the name Bob Lewis for those of us who weren’t fortunate enough to know him.

Coach Lewis’ family was on hand for the dedication.

Board of Education member Terry Marty offered some comments on Coach Lewis which I paraphrase below:

Coach Lewis and I had a friendship that stretch over the course of 53 years… He passed about September 24th of last year…I was in the first class that he coached, which was the 1956 football season…

Coach Lewis had one of the best records of any high school football coach in the country. He won state titles in both Ohio and Kentucky…I told him that he should have gone to Indiana to complete the tri-state…He never had a losing season in 22 years…He was 198-21-7 at Wyoming and 270-55-8 overall. He is in the Ohio High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame along with such coaches as Woody Hayes, Paul Brown, and one of his players, Bernie Barre…Bernie has followed in Bob’s footsteps and coached teams to over 300 victories…Wyoming has only had three coaches over the last 54 years – Coach Lewis, Gary Jump and Coach Barre. Their combined record is 440-109-12 for a winning percentage of 79%.

Coach Lewis left his mark on so many individuals…Records are fine, but great coaches and teachers leave a lasting mark – teaching students and athletes values such as loyalty, commitment and respect…All who coached Coach Lewis’ path are blessed with these memories.

Thanks to Arch Cunningham for the pictures.

You can read more about Coach Lewis here.