JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com

I’m not a political guy. Trust me.

I’m not big on endorsing candidates or smear campaigns or any of that junk.

But it’s time.

It’s time for a local high school to step up to the plate and hire Jim Cantafio as its head football coach.

You remember Cantafio.

Conestoga Valley. Wyoming Valley West. Wilson.

District championships. State-playoff appearances. Football players going off to play at the next level – with scholarships in hand.

You might also recall his exits from those three positions, and the stuff that whirled around him when he left.

Did he screw up a couple of times? Yes. Has he paid his debt? I say yes.

It’s time to let bygones be bygones and bring this guy back. He’s a terrific football coach, who will give any program 110 percent of his time and effort. He loves coaching and teaching kids and he’d run through a brick wall to help a kid or help his team succeed.

He’s an excellent mentor (the guy runs wildly popular football camps and he also helps players make video tapes to send to recruiters so they can get into college - and not just his own players; any player who asks for his help) and, quite frankly, he’s terrific for local football. He does an excellent job promoting his sport and the school he’s coaching for.

So do the right thing, Ephrata.

Bring Cantafio back.

It’s time.

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