Former Wilson coach to be inducted into Lancaster-Lebanon League Hall of Fame
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Former Wilson football coach Jim Cantafio, who took the Bulldogs to four section titles during eight seasons in West Lawn, will be inducted into the Lancaster-Lebanon League Hall of Fame Friday at halftime of the league’s basketball championship game at Manheim Township.
Cantafio also spent 15 years as head coach at Conestoga Valley and was an assistant coach at Lancaster Catholic during a 40-plus-year career that saw him win district championships at three stops.
He’ll enter the Hall of Fame along with former Elco baseball coach Lyle Krall, former Lebanon athletic director Sam Elias and former Hempfield volleyball coach Mike Vogel.
Cantafio won 263 games as a head coach at Conestoga Valley, Wyoming Valley West, Wilson and Cedar Cliff. He was also offensive coordinator at Coatesville and Schuylkill Haven, along with Lancaster Catholic.
He went 69-19 with the Bulldogs from 1998-2005, winning a Section 2 title in 1999 and Section 1 titles in 2000, 2002, and 2004. They were unbeaten in the regular season in 1999 and 2002 and won a District 3 Class AAAA championship in 1999, beating Conestoga Valley.
Overall Cantafio finished with a 263-95-2 record in 32 seasons as a head coach, with 12 league or section championships. He was named Coach of the Year 10 times.
He was Pennsylvania’s head coach in the Big 33 Class in 1998.
His first head coaching job came at Conestoga Valley in 1980. He was immediately successful, winning Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 titles five straight seasons, from 1981-85.
He took the Buckskins to the 1991 District 3 championship; that team became the first in league history to play for a PIAA football championship.
Cantafio spent 15 seasons with the Bucks, winning six section titles and reaching the district championship game four times.
He coached at Wyoming Valley West from 1995-97, winning Wyoming Valley Conference and District 2 titles in his final season.
He final head coaching gig came at Cedar Cliff, from 2008-13.
The following season he became offensive coordinator for Bruce Harbach at Lancaster Catholic.
In what he says was his final stint coaching a team, Cantafio served as offensive coordinator at Coatesville from 2016-23.
He is currently Director of Football at Spooky Nook Sports Complex and through his company, Susquehanna Valley Sports, remains involved running clinics and teaching the game. For the last several years he has worked with his former Wilson quarterback, Chad Henne, running the Henne-Cantafio All-American camps.
Cantafio has been inducted into the Hall of Fame at his alma mater, East Stroudsburg, at Conestoga Valley, and by the Pennsylvania High School Football Coaches’ Association.
Former Cocalico football coach Phil Kauffman was part of last year’s L-L Hall of Fame class. Mike Williams of Manheim Central was inducted in 2003.
