Byron L. Vickery

Byron L. Vickery

Fate brought the ever popular Coach Vickery to Bennett HS. After finishing graduate school in Iowa, Byron was making his way East on his way back home to his native Wales, G. B. A stop-off to see Niagara Falls was a must. During his stopover in our area, Byron stopped at City Hall and inquired about a job. Byron was immediately put to work at school #6 and in 1963 came to Bennett. At Bennett Byron became a consistently successful educator. Byron’s teams won championships in cross-country(? Columbia Cups), swimming(4 Syracuse Cups) and tennis(3 Dr. Bapst trophies). Byron also had a short stint coaching his favorite sport, soccer. Nichols School benefited from Byron’s expertise, with a 33 wins, no losses in the early 60’s.


The highlight of this brilliant coaching resume’ has to be the year 1978. Byron’s teams went undefeated in all three of his sports, winning the boys and gins championships in cross country, swimming and tennis, surely any coaches dream.


The star athletes Coach Vickery developed are too numerous to mention here. It must be noted however, that Byron was the first coach to use females on a boys varsity team. Byron helped “revolutionize” Buffalo city sports when Kathy McCarthy and Lydia Manuel swam on the varsity swim team in 1971.

Gerald Berkman

Gerald Berkman

Jerry came to Bennett in 1964 replacing a legend, Elmer Rosenthal. Jerry taught physical education and health, and kept busy coaching three sports a year. In the fall season, Jerry coached cross country, was an assistant football coach and head football coach from 1971 until his retirement.

In the winter season, Jerry coached either boys basketball, girls basketball, swimming or bowling. The spring season saw Jerry coach track and field or baseball. Jerry experienced championship teams in football(1 ), track and field(3), but his biggest success came in baseball. Jerry guided Tiger teams to Cornell Cups in ’74,’76,’81,’82 and ’85, not a big surprise since Jerry himself signed a pro baseball contract with the Philadelphia Phillies right out of Burgard HS. Jerry’s career was defined with the high moral and ethical standards he set for his athletes, and the sense of humor he brought to work everyday.

Best wishes for a long happy retirement in Leesburg, Florida, where Jerry still plays softball today.

Art “Buzz” Serotte

Art “Buzz” Serotte

Art “Buzz” Serotte graduated from Bennett in 1957. After matriculating at the University of Buffalo, he became a Physical Education Teacher and coach in the Buffalo Public School System. During his illustrious 35 year career, Serotte made his mark by coaching football and basketball at Grover Cleveland H.S. His football teams captured 12 Harvard Cips, and shared another in 15 title game appearances. Art’s 1 60 – 52 – 5 won/lost career record is one of Western New York’s all-time best. In basketball, Grover won 5 Yale Cups, and 7 Section VI Class titles under his tutelage. He also coached cross country and track at various stages during his coaching tenure at Grover.


During Serotte’s high school days at Bennett, he stood out as a football lineman.He was named All-High by the Buffalo Evening News in his senior year. Serotte helped lead the Tiger gridiron forces to a won 6, lost 2 record, and a 9-6 Harvard Cup Consolation Game victory over McKinley in 1956, for third place. For his outstanding play during the season, he was named to the Buffalo Ad Club’s All-Star game, pitting the Buffalo Public School representatives against a team picked from the Erie County Conference and the Niagara Frontier League.


Art also played basketball at Bennett and was a member of the 1957 Yale Cup Championship team during his senior year.

Nicholas J. Mogavero

Nicholas J. Mogavero

Nick Mogavero was born and raised on Buffalo’s West Side. He graduated from Grover Cleveland H.S., where he played football and baseball. Following the footsteps of his late father llluminato “Lemmy” Mogavero, a Physical Education major and graduale of Columbia U. in Manhattan, Nick enrolled in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation program at the University of Buffalo. While at UB he attained a BA and MA degree in Education in the H.P.E.R. program in 1 959. Mogavero then joined the Bennett H.S. Physical Education staff in 1960, where he taught and coached until December of 1970. In January of 1971 Mogavero became a Supervisor in the Physical Education Dept. at City Hall, and later Director of Health Education for the city schools.

During his 10 1 /2 years at Bennett, Nick coached football, basketball and baseball. Coach Mogavero’s football teams had a cumulative record of 48 wins, 1 8 losses and 3 ties. The highlight was the 1 968 “Harvard Cup” champion team. This team
arguably ranks among the best squads in city school history, recording 7 shutouts in 8 games that season.Coach Mogavero fondly recalls some of the many stars of that team, including Joe Alexander, David White, Owen Tober and Kenny Lidge. Mogavero’s teams were always representative and competitive. His basketball teams of 1 961 to 1964 all made it to the Board of Education Playoffs. His baseball teams from 1960 to 1970 were also very competitive. Coach Mogavero will always be remembered as an innovative, tough and fair coach. Mogavero said, “I never had to cut a player in football. I ran long, hard practices, and they cut themselves.” Mogavero always put the “kids” (athletes) welfare and interest above all else, always taking the “high road”. Many of his former athletes describe Coach Mogavero as a coach and a father.

Mogavero is retired and lives in Buffalo. He is the proud father of 5 wonderful children, three of whom are employed in the Buffalo school distrct (Lemmy, Nick Jr. and Mike).

Lou Montgomery

Lou Montgomery

Lou Montgomery taught and coached track, cross country, and hockey at Bennett from 1929 into the late 30’s.

Before he arrived at Bennett, he was a radio operator on submarine L-6 during WWI. After the war Lou entered Indianapolis College. After graduation he taught physical education in Michigan for a few years before coming to Buffalo. He spent a few years teaching in Buffalo elementary schools before taking the coaching reins at Bennett. Although his hockey and cross country teams were successful, his track teams were legendary.

Montgomery left Bennett in the late 1 930’s with an undefeated string of Scalp & Blade championships. He transferred over to the new Kensington High School and started another undefeated string of championships there.

Upon leaving the city of Buffalo, Montgomery became a very successful college track coach at Cornell University. His stops included a stint as a coach with the U.S. Olympic track team. He later returned to Buffalo where he became director of the Buffalo Athletic Club.


Lou retired to California, having left a legacy in Western New York track and field.