YAIAA shows support in wake of South Western tragedy

You can expect to see an overflow of emotions at the Corral on Friday night, when South Western hosts Central York in a YAIAA Division I contest. It will be the first game since Mustangs lost junior Ben Bynaker, who was killed, along with his mother, Tammy Bynaker, in a double-murder suicide last Sunday. Bynaker was a receiver on the football team.

And while such events certainly cast sports into their proper light, the YAIAA football community has stepped up in an effort to support the Mustangs family.

In addition to South Western's own plans to honor Bynaker on Friday, many stadiums across York and Adams Counties will feature a moment of remembrance before kickoff.

Teams around the YAIAA also will wear Mustang helmet decals in Bynaker's memory. South Western coach Don Seidenstricker said that New Oxford coach Matt Muller, the president of  the YAIAA football coaches association, called him during the week to ask his thoughts on the idea.

"I thought it was a tremendous gesture," said Seidenstricker, who added he's been "overwhelmed" by the amount of support those across the area have shown.

"In an otherwise tragic situation that seems almost senseless and without reason," he said of the outreach, "it helps you understand why this life that we’re in is so special."

As far as the game itself goes, Seidenstricker hopes that football can play some small role the healing process.

"Some of his very closest friends were on this football team," the coach said. "It's tough. It's really tough. But you keep focusing on together, we're going to get through this.

"The other thing that we know is that trying to maintain some normalcy -- getting out on a practice field or getting out and playing a game -- it helps you not necessarily forget, but helps you remember a big part of Ben's life, the good things."