12 years ago
New Red Lion Coach Learned His Football at Lebanon Catholic

BY JEFF FALK

The Lebanon Catholic football program has been defunct for 13 years now. But it’s legacy lives on.

Jesse Shay, for one, is keeping the Beavers’ spirit alive.

Shay, a 1996 graduate of Lebanon Catholic High School, was recently hired as the new head football coach at Class AAAA Red Lion High School. Shay, 34, replaces Pat Conrad, who spent nine years in the post before going to Penn Manor.

An ancient history teacher at Northern Lebanon Middle School, Shay will now teach social studies at Red Lion High School. Shay spent the last four seasons as a defensive coach under Jeff Weachter at Lebanon Catholic.

During the mid 1990s, Shay played middle linebacker for Weachter at Lebanon Catholic. After coaching at Northern Lebanon for three years, Shay joined Weachter’s staff at Bishop McDevitt in 2009, and during the last two seasons, served as the program’s defensive coordinator.

Last season, the Crusaders went 14-1 and advanced to their second straight PIAA semifinal. In nine of its wins, Bishop McDevitt allowed two touchdowns or less.

Red Lion went 1-9 in 2012, but returns a good nucleus from that squad.

Shay resides in Palmyra with his wife Ashley, and the couple is expecting their first child this summer.