WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y.-Friday was a night Wiliamsville East wrestling coach Bert Ernst will never forget. In front of a packed gym at East the Flames coach was honored for his stellar coaching career and for his victory over cancer.
It was the first annual "Takedown for Cancer" night when the Flames hosted the Williamsville South Billies. Both teams wore pink shirts, socks and shoelaces. Proceeds were donated to the University at Buffalo's Jeff Parker Foundation and Carly's Club, both named after young people's lives cut short by cancer. Flames coach Paul Horton told Two On Your Side "We are trying to start a tradition here so the sport of wrestling can give back to the community."
Ernst wrestled at Williamsville South and at the University at Buffalo. In his 43 year coaching career he has nearly 300 victories. Ernst was given a lengthy standing ovation and you could see the emotion in his eyes when three members of the Flames current team presented him a with huge framed picture commemorating many great moments in his career.