It was just about a year that Jerry Diorio gave up the head football coaching position at Wayland and it was just a couple of months ago he began his new adventure as assistant principal and assistant varsity football coach at Benton Harbor.

Diorio teamed with former collegiate head coach Elliott Uzelac to guide the Tigers, who never before had beein the post-season playoffs. Last Friday night, they defeated Dowagiac 28-7 in the Division 4 post-season playoff opener. And this was after only winning four games over the past eight seasons.

Benton Harbor, now 6-4 overall of the season, has its work cut out for it the second round this weekend, playing a Zeeland West team that is undefeated and crushing its opponents.

Diorio was Wayland’s head varsity football coach in two four-year stints and he taught social studies and economics at the high school. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and played on the offensive line for Bo Schembechler and Ulezac back in the 1980s.

PHOTO: Jerry Diorio and Elliott Uzelac