Sentinel file photo
Juniata football coach Gary Klingensmith, right, talks to a player on the sideline during a game in 2017. Juniata won its first game of the season Friday, which put Klingensmith among an elite group of coaches who have won 300 or more games.

MIFFLINTOWN — Juniata football coach Gary Klingensmith joined an exclusive club when he notched his 300th career win when the Indians beat Pine Grove, 28-20, Friday night.

Klingensmith became just the 17th coach in the history of Pennsylvania high school football to reach the 300-win milestone.

The late George Curry is the all-time win leader with 446 at Lake Lehman, Berwick and Wyoming Valley West.

Klingensmith, in his 50th year at Juniata and his 61st year in coaching, took the win in stride. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t a goal he set out to achieve when he began his tenure with the Indians in 1969.

“I’ve never given it a whole lot of thought. … To get 300 wins is nice but I figure a coach who has stayed around as long as I did, should have 300 wins,” Klingensmith joked. “Like I said, it was never one of my goals, but there are some great coaches out there who have won 300 in less time than I have. I’m honored to be up there with that group.”

He attributes much of his success to the people he surrounded himself with over the years.

“I’m lucky to have been able to coach this long and to be around so many great people during my time here,” Klingensmith said. “It says a lot about our program and the coaches and players we’ve had come through here. They are all responsible for the wins. There are lots of great memories for me at Juniata.”

One of those was a hot summer afternoon in his second game at Juniata.

“My first win came in week two against Bermudian Springs. That was a big deal. The following week we beat Penns Valley to go 2-1 and at that point, I felt good about being here and never looked back,” Klingensmith said. “The game was played on a hot Saturday afternoon and they had a star running back named Charlie Green who went to Arizona State on scholarship. That was a very satisfying win.”

His fondest memory is of his undefeated district championship team in 1987 and the squad that returned in 1988. The Indians went 28-1 during that span.

“Our 1987 team won the District 3 championship and that was big because that was the first Tri-Valley League team to win a district championship,” Klingensmith said. “That was huge. I felt like we won the Super Bowl and I know the kids felt that way too. We were 13-0 and that’s all the farther we could go because there wasn’t a state championship back then — that came a year later.

“We had a special team the next year as well. Most of the kids were back from the ’87 team. We had a great team that went undefeated, but we were triple-A that year and met Middletown, probably one of the greatest Middletown teams ever, in the playoffs. We lost a close one. That was a downer. I didn’t want to see those kids get beat. They were 28-0 up until that point.”

For Klingensmith, it’s the love of the game that keeps him going — not awards, milestones or accolades.

“It’s more of a big deal for the fans, the former players, and the coaches,” Klingensmith said. “I coached so long because I loved the game. I love the thrill of the chase. I like to drop a plan and see the boys execute it. Of course, I try to win every game, but I never focused on what my career record was.”

The support he received from the administration and the community through some lean years is another factor in Klingensmith’s longevity.

“A lot of good coaches at other places never had the opportunity I had. We were independent until 1980 and my record at that time was about .500. We were playing big triple-A teams like Selinsgrove, Cedar Crest, Bellefonte, Jersey Shore and Huntingdon. We were kind of overwhelmed by our schedule,” Klingensmith said. “I give our kids credit. They were playing over their heads at times, but they were playing tough. The administration stayed with me and some coaches don’t get that opportunity when they have losing seasons.

“We kept building our system and we’ve built it up to where we win 70 percent of our games or more every year,” he continued. “I think consistency, everybody knowing what they’re doing is important to winning football. Many coaches don’t get that chance to put a system in and let it develop. I was very lucky.”

His success is based on hard work, humility, respect, teaching fundamental football and a passion for the game. Add those qualities together and you have a recipe for winning.

The word legend is way overused in sports circles, but when it comes to Gary Klingensmith, the moniker is well deserved.