Over the past 30 years, Jerry Walczak's football teams at Dolgeville High School have become synonymous with character building and championships. The veteran coach has a lifetime mark of 223 wins-33 losses-II tics, or a .871 winning percentage. In the last 10 years alone, he has constructed a 95-6 record and .940 winning percentage. He has the ninth-best record overall and fifth best among active coaches in New York State.

His Blue Devils polished off the 1998 season with a 10-1 record, which included extending their regular-season winning streak to a state record of 58 consecutive games. Dolgeville also won the Section III Class D title for the 12th time. It finished No.2 in the state rankings following a 20-19 loss to Maple Grove in the state title game. Walczak still came out a winner, as the Syracuse area sportswriters named him the All-Upstate Coach of the Year.

Dolgeville, one of the smallest schools in Section III, looms large on the field thanks to Walczak's record of consistency. The Blue Devils have captured 20 league and 12 sectional titles since Walczak became head coach in 1969.

Born in Herkimer on February 5, 1944, Jerry was active in local youth and high school sports.

He was named to the all-league football team at Herkimer High. He continued to pursue football while at Ithaca College. In his senior year, he became manager of the football team, which completed an undefeated season.

Following his graduation in 1966, he was offered a job as tennis coach at Fulton High School. He turned it down in order to become assistant football coach, head basketball coach and head baseball coach at Dolgeville.

In 1967-68, all three teams coached by Walczak won league titles. In 1969, he set the stage for a remarkable career when the Blue Devils went undefeated in his first season as head football coach.