BATAVIA — A legend in the local high school football scene has passed away.
Ray Jamalkowski, most known for his years spent on the gridiron sideline at Batavia — as well as his one important season at Le Roy — passed away peacefully on Friday at St. John’s Home in Rochester. Jamalkowski was 90 years old.
After being nominated by legendary head coach Jim Briggs, father of current Batavia High School head coach Brennan Briggs, Jamalkowski was inducted into the Section V Hall of Fame in 2018.
Jamalkowski was the head coach at Batavia from 1969-77, while he also had a huge impact on the Oatkan Knights program. Jamalkowski only spent one year at Le Roy, just prior to the Don Santini era, but it was a successful one as he went 6-1 in the 1965 season. Jamalkowski is often credited with putting the toughness back into the Le Roy program.
Jamalkowski also spent the 1966 season at Livonia High School, while he would accumulate a career record of 45-26-6.
Jamalkowski was also inducted in the Batavia Blue Devils Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005. While at Batavia he was a three-sport star in football, basketball and baseball.
He would go on to play college football at McNeese State in Louisiana on a scholarship.
In 1951, Jamalkowski signed a baseball contract with the Cleveland Indians and would eventually play catcher for the Batavia Clippers. In the PONY league in 1951, he would hit .276 with a slugging percentage of .397 with six doubles and five home runs.
Jamalkowski was also an assistant football coach at SUNY Brockport. He taught physical education at Batavia High School and his 1971 football team captured the Monroe County Championship.
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