Schuylerville High School varsity football coach John Bowen has been named the Times Union Small School Coach of the Year, following the conclusion of the 2025 season. Bowen guided the Black Horses to a Section 2 championship and an 11–1 overall record, with the season ending in the state semifinals. Coming off a historic prior year for the program, Bowen made it clear early on that this team would not live in the shadow of the past.
“We’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge some of the blueprint from last year, but we put that behind us and focused on moving forward,” said Bowen. “We weren’t going to spend time looking in the rearview mirror. This was their team—their narrative to write, their chapter in the book of Schuylerville football. The seniors did an unbelievable job owning that.”
Senior captains Ben VanVeghten and Rosevald DeLair praised Bowen’s impact on the program and the players, as well as his daily investment in the team.
“He’s very deserving, he’s a great coach,” said VanVeghten. “We had a great season and lot of wins, so it definitely went positively.”
“From the beginning, he invested a lot into us,” added DeLair. “He never compared us to last year; he always said this team is its own identity. It was amazing seeing week after week how we kept getting closer, competing on Fridays or Saturdays, and getting the outcomes we wanted. Everyone stepped up and gave their all.”
“It’s such a group award,” said Bowen. “I’m the one whose face is on it, but any time you get a Coach of the Year, it’s because a lot of people were involved in the success. From the buy-in of the athletes to the expectations on the coaches, everyone just did an amazing job carrying their load.”