Wildcats Hold Special, Touching Ceremony To Honor Coach Jim Williamson, Prior To Season Opener

on 30 August, 2022 at 21:55

The Central Clarion Wildcats conducted a very Special Tribute in Honor Of A Very, Very Special Man, Coach Jim Williamson, prior to the home opener against Brookville, at the Clarion-Limestone Football Field on Friday, June 26th.

Coach Williamson, passed away on June 4th, at age 73, spent many years coaching multiple sports at Clarion-Limestone and Clarion Area school Districts.

Coach Williamson also spent the majority of his career at Clarion-Limestone, where he taught for thirty-five years, as well as being an Assistant Varsity Football Coach from 1973-1979, 1993-2001, and 2003-2007 and Varsity Head Coach from 1980-1986. Coach Williamson also coached Varsity Boys Track and Field, Varsity Girls Basketball, Junior High Boys Basketball for the Lions.

He was the Junior High Head Football coach at Clarion Area from 1987-1989 and Varsity Assistant
Coach from 1990-1992. While at Clarion, he had the pleasure of coaching his son Eric who was the Bobcats’ signal caller.

During his career, Coach Williamson was also a Football Assistant at Slippery Rock; Varsity Football
Assistant and Varsity Girls Basketball at Kane. He also coached Track and Field at Clarion University.

**Some of the former players, students and others lined up for the Ceremony for Coach Williams.**

Standing on the sideline before the ceremony and hearing many comments about Coach Williamson, from many of his former players and others, you really sense the mutual love that they, to a person, shared with him.

The Ceremony began with former players, coaching partners, students, and friends and family lining up along the home sideline. Wildcats Junior High Head Coach and former Lions’ player Jess Quinn opened the Ceremony, sharing some words and then introducing the speaker Coach Clyde Conti, a great friend of Coach Williamson. Coach Williamson and Coach Conti developed a lasting bond, coaching together for many years.

Coach Conti shared many great memories on their special friendship and coaching highlights and other special memories, thanks to those who came out to honor Coach Williamson, among other things.

As the ceremony moved along Coach Conti became aware that their was more time allotted than he had expected. So he just shared off the cuff, with a special challenge to current students in attendance.

(The transcript of Coach Conti’s speech as well as his recollection of his impromptu words appear at the end of the article.)

**Coach Quinn preparing to hand the microphone to Coach Conti**

Jim’s two children, Eric Williamson and Brianne McPherson were in attendance along with his long time partner, Carol Yetto, and many other members of the Williamson family.

**Coach Conti addressing the gathering**

Eric, Brianne and Coach Conti then joined the team captains and officials at midfield as Honorary Coin Toss Captains.

Honorary Coin Toss Captains (L-R) Brianne Williamson, Coach Clyde Conti and Eric Williamson with Wildcats and Raiders captains and officials

Eric shared these fine words about this special evening, “You know it was so great to see so many people come out. There’s a lot of people that love my dad, that were either coached or taught by him. And just coming back here, I haven’t been back to the Clarion-Limestone Field here for a number of years.

“It was just good to see everybody that gathered. He touched so many lives. It was a great day for him, a great day to honor him. The family really appreciates everybody coming out.

“Coach Conti’s words were fantastic. They’ve been together for so long. They practically started the football program here at Clarion-Limestone. It was great to have him here and great for him to be a part of this as well.

“What a special night. It was a great to be back at Clarion-Limestone field to honor the teaching and coaching life of my father.

“Thank you to the Central Clarion Wildcat community in putting this together. I had a great time visiting with so many people that I have not seen in a very long time. Thank you Clyde Conte for a wonderful speech. And congratulations to Dave Eggleton and the Wildcats on a great opening win!”

TRANSCRIPT OF COACH CONTI’S INSPIRING WORDS: JIM WILLIAMSON WAS A COLLEAGUE, FELLOW COACH, AND TRUSTED FRIEND. WE FIRST STARTED COACHING FOOTBALL TOGETHER IN 1973. THAT WAS 49 YEARS AGO! HE WAS A WONDERFUL MAN, LIVING HIS LIFE IN SERVICE TO OTHERS. JIM WAS SO BRIGHT. HE HAD THE INNATE ABILITY TO COACH ANY POSITION ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD. IN 1973, THAT WAS A BONUS SINCE ONLY THE 2 OF US COMPRISED THE VARSITY STAFF!

WE WOULD SHARE OUR FIRST TITLE TOGETHER IN 1974 WHEN RICK BEGGS JOINED OUR STAFF. I’M INDEBTED TO BOTH MEN.

FAST FORWARD TO 2002. IT WAS THE LAST TIME JIM AND I WOULD COACH TOGETHER. WE WOULD TEACH AT C-L DURING THE DAY, THEN DRIVE DAILY 100 MILES TO SLIPPERY ROCK AND BACK. IT WAS PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY DRAINING, DOING THIS CONTINUOUSLY FOR OVER 3 MONTHS. JIM COACHED AN INEXPERIENCED OFFENSIVE LINE CONSISTING OF 3 JUNIORS AND 2 FRESHMEN AND MOLDED THEM INTO A DYNAMIC UNIT. WE BEAT SHARON FOR THE D 10 TITLE. WITHOUT JIM, WE WOULD HAVE STRUGGLED. HE WAS ALWAYS A GOOD COACH, BUT HIS SENSE OF LOYALTY AND COMMITMENT MEANT EVERYTHING TO ME.

WE SHARED OUR FIRST TITLE TOGETHER IN OUR EARLY 20’S AND OUR LAST IN OUR EARLY 50’S. HOW COOL IS THAT? JIM ALSO SPENT MOST OF HIS TEACHING CAREER COACHING THE BOYS TRACK TEAM, INCLUDING STATE CHAMPIONS JAY SHOFESTALL IN 1975 AND DAN ALDERTON A QUARTER OF A CENTURY LATER.

IN BETWEEN, HE WOULD COACH THE VARSITY GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM TO A DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1988 OVER NORTHERN POTTER. IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR JIM TO COACH 3 SPORTS DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.

HIS FAMILY RESIDED IN THE CLARION SCHOOL DISTRICT. WHEN HIS SON, ERIC, DECIDED TO PARTICIPATE IN INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORTS, JIM OPTED TO JOIN LARRY WISER’S STAFF AT CLARION. ANYONE WHO KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF CLARION COUNTY FOOTBALL, REALIZES HOW PROLIFIC LARRY WISER WAS AS A COACH, AND HOW TERRIFIC HIS BOBCAT TEAMS WERE. THERE, JIM HAD THE CHALLENGING BUT SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY TO COACH ERIC, WHO TRULY IS IN SO MANY WAYS, HIS FATHER’S SON.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE STANDING ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD TONIGHT, OUT OF LOVE AND RESPECT FOR COACH WILLIAMSON. HE WOULD BE HUMBLED AND DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE. FOR THOSE WHO COMPRISE THE ENTIRE COACHING STAFF AT CENTRAL CLARION, ESPECIALLY THE GRADUATES OF C-L, DAVEY EGGLETON, MIKE FERGUSON, JESS QUINN, AND JARED BEGGS, JIM WOULD BE SO PROUD OF EACH OF YOU. NOT SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU POSSESS THE ABILITY TO COACH THE NUANCES OF FOOTBALL, BUT RATHER, LIKE HIM, YOU ARE MEN OF CHARACTER, WHO LOVE YOUR FAMILIES AND THE STUDENT-ATHLETES THAT YOU COACH.

FINALLY, JIM WILLIAMSON LIVED HIS LIFE AT PEACE WITH HIS CREATOR. I THINK HE REALIZED THAT TOMORROW IS NOT PROMISED TO ANY OF US. HE INHALED LIFE, DOING THE THINGS HE ENJOYED, WITH PASSION, AS LONG AS HE COULD, WITH NO REGRETS.

HIS LIFE SERVES AS A REMINDER THAT THERE ARE SO MANY BEAUTIFUL REASONS TO BE HAPPY. THANK YOU WILLIE….GOD LOVE YOU.

COACH CONTI’S RECOLLECTION OF HIS INPROMTU WORDS

I WOULD FIRST WISH TO ADDRESS THE YOUNG STUDENTS PRESENT, INCLUDING COACH WILLIAMSON’S GRAND CHILDREN WHO ARE HERE ALL THE WAY FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS. FIRST AND FORMOST, JIM WAS AN EDUCATOR. HE WAS A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER, FIRM BUT FAIR, AND HIGHLY RESPECTED BY THE STUDENT BODY AND FACULTY. WHAT I BELIEVE MADE HIM CONNECT WITH PEOPLE, IS THAT HE TREATED THEM WITH MUTUAL TRUST AND MUTUAL RESPECT, ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR ANY HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP, AT ANY STAGE IN LIFE. STUDENTS AS YOU PREPARE TO COMMENCE AN EXCITING SCHOOL YEAR, CONSIDER CHOOSING TO MAKE EACH DAY A GREAT DAY! YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE PERFECT TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

(A Clarion Sports Zone thank you to everyone involved in honoring this fine man. And congratulations to Eric, Brianne and the entire Williamson family on sharing this tribute with so many whose lives your father touched!!!!)