NFF 2020 Banquet Program

OUTSTANDING FOOTBALL OFFICIAL
Ed Zapolski
Born in Passaic, New Jersey, Ed Zapolski
acquired his love for football while playing at
Don Bosco Prep and the US Naval Academy.
After completing flight school, Zapolski
was assigned to a helicopter squadron in
San Diego and joined the San Diego County
Football Officials Association where he has
maintained membership since 1977.
Zapolski has been a member of the
Central Coast Football Officials Association
and the Portland Football Officials
Association where he officiated at the high
school level. Additionally, he was a member
of the Northwest Intercollegiate Football
Officials Association where he officiated NCAA Division III and NAIA football.
Zapolski is a Navy veteran, who retired after 26 years of active duty
service. Since the early 1990’s, Zapolski has primarily served as a crew chief /
referee at the high school level in San Diego and Oregon. He has worked two
high school playoff games in Oregon, multiple San Diego Section Finals and
the 2008 Division III California State Championship as line judge and the 2016
Open Division California State Championship as the referee.
As a member of the Southern California Collegiate Football Officials
Association, Zapolski has worked NCAA Junior College games primarily as
a back judge and more recently as a referee. He has worked several NCAA
Junior College Bowl Games, several Junior College semifinal playoff games
and a Division III playoff game in Oregon.
In 2015, Zapolski was inducted into the San Diego County Sports Officials
Hall of Fame, and now serves as the Committee Secretary.
Zapolski has been classroom instructor for the SDCFOA for over 19 years.
He has served as the association’s president and multiple terms as a board
member. Presently, Zapolski serves as the executive secretary.
Zapolski has been the San Diego representative to the executive board of
the SCCFOA for nine years and was recently selected as the first crew chief
to be on the selection committee to determine officiating crews for the JC
playoffs and Bowl games.
Zapolski would like to thank his family, his wife Flossie, and children Lisa,
Bill and Lindsay for their support and all the past and present members of the
San Diego County Football Officials Association for their support and
friendship.
CONTRIBUTION TO AMATEUR FOOTBALL
Jerry Schniepp
Jerry Schniepp has spent the last 32 years
positively impacting education and high
school sports in and around San Diego. The
1981 graduate of Helix High has left his mark
on the county as a teacher, coach, principal
and most recently as CIF San Diego Section
Commissioner.
Schniepp changed the landscape of the
high school playoff system during his eight
years as commissioner (he will retire from
the post after the 2020 school year).
He had the courage to revamp the
playoff divisions based on competitive
balance rather than enrollment. The result
was all schools - even those in rebuilding years - entered the season with a
chance to compete for a section championship. In addition, the creation of
the Open Division allowed the top football teams in the section to compete
for a championship at the end of each year.
While changing the playoff structure was his biggest accomplishment,
Schniepp has done so much more during his time as the fifth commissioner
in the section.
He has improved communications between CIF offices and administrators,
he helped create Battle of the Fans and he has begun to bring awareness to
the importance of mental health for young people.
Before his time as commissioner, Schniepp was successful in the position
of Coordinator of Athletics for the Sweetwater School District. He was
honored in 2009 as the California Coaches Association Athletic Director of
the Year. In 2010, he was named the California State Athletic Directors
Association Athletic Director of the Year.
Schniepp, who played baseball and football in high school, coached both
sports at Helix between 1987 and 1997. The baseball team won a section
championship in 1988. He then moved into administration, becoming the
assistant principal at El Cajon Valley High and then later holding the same
position at Santana High. In 2006, Schniepp was named the principal at
Santana.
Schniepp, 57, currently resides in Bonita with is wife of 28 years, Ruth. They
have three children.
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NFFCHF WJZ /SD AWARDS BANQUET 2020
NFFCHF WJZ/SD AWARDS BANQUET 2020 27