Hornell's Mehr named Buffalo Bills Coach of the Week after big win

The Hornell/Arkport-Canaseraga football program is enjoying a strong 2026 campaign, and the Buffalo Bills have taken notice.

Hornell/A-C head coach Dr. Ismail Mehr has been named one of the 2026 High School Tackle Football Coaches of the Week by the Buffalo Bills in partnership with Visa. Mehr was named the Rochester Coach of the Week by the Bills, while the Buffalo Region Coach of the Week was Chad Bartoszek of Salamanca.

The weekly honor by the Bills aims to highlight football coaches’ efforts on and off the field, recognizing their team’s excellence on the field and their service to their communities.

As part of the program, each winning coach’s program will receive $1,000 from the Buffalo Bills and Visa, and each region’s Coach of the Year will receive an additional $1,000 and be celebrated on the field at Highmark Stadium before the Bills vs. Jets game in January.

Mehr was honored after leading the Red Raiders to a 19-13 victory over previously undefeated Alexander/Pembroke that moved Hornell/A-C to 6-1 on the season.

Tyrone Buchanan sealed the win with a rushing touchdown with under five minutes left in the fourth quarter. Senior running back Matt Karr powered the running game, rushing 12 times for 147 yards and a touchdown.

Mehr has been a part of Hornell football for more than two decades, noted the Bills.

A 1991 Hornell High School graduate, he returned to his hometown in 2002 after completing medical school and specializing in anesthesiology. He is a board-certified anesthesiologist and medical director at UR Medicine St. James Hospital in Hornell. He began his coaching career as an assistant on the staff of legendary Hornell football coach Gene Mastin.

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After years of serving as an assistant coach, Mehr took over as head coach and has led the Red Raiders for the past four seasons.

“Community involvement is an important part of the Hornell football program,” Mehr told the Bills. “Hornell is a small, blue-collar, hard-working community, and the football program believes strongly in giving back to the community that supports it. As a staff, we encourage our players to be active, responsible, and proud members of the community.”

This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Hornell’s Mehr named Buffalo Bills Coach of the Week after big win