🏈 The Bailey Family "Football Matters" Scholarship Fund
To help pay it forward in our local football community, the Bailey Family has created the "Football Matters" Scholarship Fund. This grassroots fund will provide scholarships to local high school seniors in West-Central Pennsylvania who can articulate why the great sport of football has been an influential aspect of their lives.
This scholarship celebrates the enduring values of football—including teamwork, discipline, perseverance, goal-setting, and time management—that empower young men long after they graduate.
🌟 About the Scholarship Founders
The Bailey family's commitment to football runs deep in West-Central Pennsylvania:
Brandon Bailey (Founder): Football has been integral to his personal growth, playing collegiately at WVU and UConn, and coaching at Robert Morris University and Richland High School.
Don Bailey (Father): After he retired from coaching in 2018, he was the 5th winningest high school coach in Pennsylvania history and a member of the Pennsylvania State Football Coaches Hall of Fame, winning 375 games in 45 years at Forest Hills High School.
Derek Bailey (Brother): Played collegiately at Morehead State before settling into his current role as a professional with Apple Inc.
Karsen & Koby Bailey (Sons): Had outstanding high school careers at Richland. Karsen attended the University of Mississippi, and Koby, after attending the University of Pittsburgh, now works in Football Operations at Rutgers University.
Scholarship Details
Award Amount: A one-time scholarship of $500.
Presentation: Awarded prior to the 2026 Ken Lantzy All-Star Classic, presented by 1st Summit Bank.
Eligibility: Current High School Senior enrolled in an SAFCA member school and a member in good standing on their high school football team.
Application Requirements
To be considered for the 2026 award, applicants must meet the following criteria:
Academic Plan: Must plan to be enrolled in college or trade school for the upcoming school year.
GPA: Minimum 3.0 GPA required. (High school transcript must be included.)
Essay Focus: A 250-word, typed essay describing how the sport of football has positively impacted their life.
Recommendation: One letter of recommendation from a high school faculty member or coach.
Coach Status: Head Football Coach must be a member of the Southern Alleghenies Football Coaches Association.
🏆 Our Honored Recipients
This scholarship supports students who have turned their lessons on the field into success off the field. Congratulations to our previous winners:
2025: Ricky Kirsch (Northern Cambria)
2024: T.J. Carroll (Forest Hills)
2023: Braden Moriconi (Northern Cambria)
2022: Josh Waite (Central)
📅 Application Deadline
All materials must be submitted online by the deadline.
Deadline: Friday, March 6th, 2026 at Midnight
➡️ READY TO APPLY?
All applicants must create an account or log in via the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies website.
APPLICATION LINK: https://www.grantinterface.com/Process/Apply?urlkey=cfallegheniesscholarship
***Beginning in 2025, the fund co-sponsors a $1,000 scholarship for a high school senior through the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Football Foundation. For more information, please visit https://centralpachapternff.org/.