Bob Kern wasn't sure what to expect when he took over as Northern Lehigh's head wrestling coach before the 1980-81 season.

Kern was, after all, still just a 20-year old senior at East Stroudsburg University who was more concerned with completing his student-teaching requirements than any win-loss total."My soon-to-be mother-in-law saw an ad in the paper that they were looking for an assistant wrestling coach," Kern recalled. "So I looked into it and got the chance to go in for an interview."Little did Kern know, he was about to become much more than just an assistant coach."When they called me and told me I got the job, they asked who I wanted to be on my staff, which I thought was strange," he said. "Then they told me I was going to be the head coach. It really was a tremendous surprise."It worked out just fine for both sides. And this past Friday, a journey that began in 1980 and ended in 1995 came full circle for Kern when he was inducted into Northern Lehigh's Ring of Honor."It means everything to me. This is where I got my start," he said. "I was very young myself when I took over, but I was able to connect with them and they were hungry to win."We worked them pretty hard, but they bought into what we were doing."Finishing with a career record of 167-74-1, Kern established - and consistently raised - the bar for what wrestling at Northern Lehigh was all about.That trend continued until the end of his storied career, as Kern went out with a state champion when Jeremy Dogmantis won gold at 112 pounds in 1995."What a way to go out," recalled Kern, who was inducted into the District 11 Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2002. "I couldn't have asked for anything better."Though no longer coaching, Kern has remained a fixture on the mat.Having earned his PIAA official's license through his physical education coursework at ESU in 1978, Kern was able to seamlessly transition into a new role once he left the coaching ranks."It was a natural fit for me,' he said. "And it also gave me an opportunity to go to officials' meetings while I was still coaching, so I was sure to have a clear understanding of the rules, which I thought gave me an advantage."Kern served as the head referee of District 11 Class AA wrestling while Gene Waas held the same role in Class AAA until the latter retired in 2006.Kern has held the distinction of being District 11's No. 1 official for 11 years and has refereed seven state championship tournaments, establishing himself as the one of the most familiar faces in the sport.But late last season, Kern decided it was time to step away."They say once you start thinking about retirement, you're already retired," he said. "I had some thoughts about it last year, and I want to go out on top, on my terms."I'm in good health, and I don't want to stick around too long. With everything I've ever done, I've always wanted to go out on good terms and leave in a better position than when I started."That mentality has carried into Kern's professional career as well.Under Kern's leadership as principal, the Nazareth Area Middle School has earned a National Green Ribbon Award, a National Blue Ribbon Award, and the Governor's Award for Academic Excellence. Kern also was named the Terrance H. Bell, National Principal of the Year in 2015 by the United States Department of Education."What I've done in coaching, I've been able to translate to my career in education," Kern said. "I have a very good staff that has helped to make all of this possible."The relationships I've built over the years are what I will remember the most. I'm lucky to have worked with so many great people during my life."Here's hoping Kern gets the chance to continue making a positive impact in the lives of others long after he calls his final match.*****HAVE A DAY ... Saturday was a very good day for the Lehighton wrestling team. Not only did the squad go 5-0 and capture the team title at its own Indian Duals tournament for the second consecutive year, it also enjoyed a great deal of individual success. Tegan Durishin picked up his 100th career victory, going 5-0 with five pins and now boasts a career record of 101-28. In addition to Durishin, Connor Frey went 5-0 with four pins and a forfeit to push his career record to 122-28. The talented senior is now only two wins away from breaking the all time wins record at Lehighton, which is currently held by Derek Brownmiller.*****CHANGE AT THE TOP ... Saucon Valley (13-0) took over the top spot in the District 11 Class AA team rankings, while Lehighton (12-3) moved up from the third position to No. 2. Northwestern (12-4) is currently in the fifth spot; Northern Lehigh (6-3), the defending Class AA champion, is seventh; Panther Valley (9-3) slots in at the No. 8 position. Palmerton (8-12), currently 13th in the AA power rankings, is just outside the cutoff for the 12-team District 11 tournament, set to begin Thursday, Feb. 4. In Class AAA, Pleasant Valley (5-7) is 16th. (Note: All records through Sunday, Jan. 10).*****CHECKING IN ... In the latest issue of Off the Mat's Class AA state dual meet team rankings, Northern Lehigh narrowly missed the top 10, coming in at No. 11. Lehighton took the 19th spot while Northwestern was 23rd in the 25-team poll released Sunday.*****COMING SOON ... Seems hard to believe, but the Schuylkill League Wrestling Championships will take place this weekend at Pottsville's Martz Hall. Several teams from the Times News area will be participating, including Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, Panther Valley and Tamaqua. Blue Mountain is the defending team champion. Lehighton's Connor Frey (182) is the lone returning individual champion among area wrestlers.