Long time coach Roger Gerlach hit a milestone in the coaching ranks that not many who specialize in one field of coaching reach.  In this his 24th season of coaching the Lady Bulldogs he is reaching out to the 450 win mark in volleyball, however, when you combine all the sports that he has been a head varsity coach in it would include the likes of 63 seasons in five different sports and a grand total of 1,000 career wins at Sparta High School.  The  1,000th win was secured with a conference win at Du Quoin  September 15.
Coach Gerlach a 1974 graduate of Sparta High school began his teaching and coaching career at Carbondale High School after graduation from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.  He came to Sparta in the fall of 1980 and has coached five years of football with a record of 17-26, 16 years of baseball 203-175, 15 years of Girls Basketball 268-123, 23 years of Volleyball 455-219, and three years of softball  52-21.
“It has been fun coaching the different sports and all of the different athletes,” said Gerlach. “Through the years the only thing that makes it tougher is the specialization that it seems you need by the athlete.  There is a lot of pressure on the athlete to concentrate on one sport and at a school our size, you have to have the good athlete play them all.  I’m very proud of the student athletes that have went through these doors and have gone on and become very good citizens.”