Blackhawk football coach is in Afghanistan, working on the effort to evacuate Americans

BEAVER COUNTY, Pa. — The football team at Blackhawk High School will return to the field Friday night without one of their coaches.

Lou Wolber, the wide receivers coach, is now serving in Afghanistan and helping in the effort to evacuate Americans.

“For him to go over and defend our country and look out for other people, that’s right up his alley,” said head football coach Zack Hayward.

Hayward said Wolber serves in the Air Force Reserve unit. He received deployment orders last week and deployed on Friday.

“He puts other people first in everything he does; he’s one of those coaches, one of those teachers who’s very caring,” Hayward said.

Wolber is also the head baseball coach and a driver’s education teacher at Blackhawk.

He had a talk with the football team before deploying.

“Basically what he told us, ‘Hey guys, duty calls, I know what I signed up for and I have to do what I have to do,” Hayward said.

But without the team knowing, Wolber ordered shark stickers for the players’ helmets, to be used anytime they get a touchdown or interception this season.

“We tell our guys ,you got to dominate the field, you have to dominate the turf like the sharks dominate the sea, so that was kind of his slogan,” Hayward said.

Since being deployed, the head coach said they’ve already been able to communicate with Wolber a few times back and forth.

“He just says, ‘Hey, I’m thinking about you guys, good luck tonight’ and all the coaches are texting him back, ‘Lou, we miss you, we want you home, stay safe,’ " Hayward said.

Channel 11 was told Wolber will be very missed at tonight’s game against Beaver Falls. He’s certainly making Pittsburgh proud and we all wish him a safe return home.

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