Sean Flaherty Memorial

Sean Flaherty was a 1998 graduate of Stow-Munroe Falls High School, where he was a two sport student-athlete as a four-year member of both the football and basketball programs. He then went on to continue his football and academic career at Walsh University, where he was a highly successful student-athlete for four seasons. Sean graduated from Walsh University in 2002 and then later from the University of Akron in 2006. He dedicated his professional career to his true passion of helping young people, as both an educator and a football coach. Sean taught English/Language Arts at Wadsworth High School and then later at Cuyahoga Falls High School. He began his football coaching career in 2003, as an assistant varsity coach at Stow-Munroe Falls High School. He also spent time as an assistant varsity coach at Wadsworth High School, Medina Buckeye High School and Revere High School and he was the head varsity football coach at Cuyahoga Falls High School for four seasons. Sean returned home to his alma mater, Stow-Munroe Falls High School, as an assistant varsity coach for the 2022 and 2023 seasons before he unexpectedly passed away on June 7, 2024, prior to what would have been his 6th season of coaching at Stow. 

Sean's passion for playing and coaching the sport of football, as well as his dedication to his students and players, have positively impacted many over the years. He embodied and instilled in others the values of character, leadership, hard work, toughness, sacrifice, family, loyalty and perseverance. He was a firm believer in Positive Mental Attitude (PMA). This scholarship honors Sean's commitment to both athletics and education and his unwavering dedication to making a positive impact on the lives of young to financially assist a graduating Stow-Munroe Falls High School senior football player achieve their goal of playing college football. Requirements for eligible applicants include:

• Must be a graduating senior football player from SMFHS planning to play football at the college level in the upcoming fall season 

• Cannot be receiving a full collegiate athletic scholarship ("full ride") and be eligible to receive this scholarship. This scholarship is based on financial need. Thus, only those applicants who are not receiving collegiate athletic scholarship funds or those receiving partial collegiate athletic scholarship funds will be considered 

• Must demonstrate the core values that embodied Sean over the years...loyal and dedicated to the football family; hard working; persevering; leader both within the football family as well as in the classroom and within the Stow-Munroe Falls community; respected by his coaches and teammates 

• Letter of recommendation from an SMFHS teacher 

• Completion of the online application and essay