Wiregrass Ranch to hold memorial for late coach, science teacher Chris Bounnell

Posted Nov 8, 2011 by Mike Camunas

Updated Nov 8, 2011 at 07:19 PM

This Thursday at Senior Night when Wiregrass Ranch hosts Zephyrhills in the team’s season finale, one additional person will be honored.

Chris Bounnell, a former coach and a science teacher who died two days into the school year, will be remembered during the Senior Night festivities prior to the 7:30 p.m. kickoff against the Bulldogs.

After coming to Wiregrass when the school opened six years ago, Bounnell, 54, collapsed of a heart attack during a pick-up soccer game on campus Aug. 23 and died on the way to the hospital. Prior to working at Wiregrass, Bounnell taught and coached at Zephyrhills High, including as a weightlifting coach and an assistant on the football team.

“He was willing to go the extra mile to get things done,” former longtime Bulldogs coach Tom Fisher told the Tampa Tribune and who had known Bounnell since 1991.

Bounnell is survived by his wife, Diane, and his daughter, Sydney, who is a freshman at Wiregrass. Both will be given framed jerseys from the Wiregrass and Zephyrhills football coaches.

Correspondent Mike Camunas can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or follow him on Twitter @MikeCamunasTrib.

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