The Kansas City Chiefs have announced Coach of the Week honors for the 10th and final week of the season. This week's awards go to Center coach Bryan DeLong and Shawnee Mission East coach Dustin Delaney.
The 2017 High School Coach of the Week fueled by Gatorade is a joint initiative of the Kansas City Chiefs and the National Football League. This program is designed to recognize and reward Kansas City area high school coaches for superior performance on a weekly basis. The Chiefs Coach of the Week award is intended to honor individuals who are shaping today's youth and tomorrow's leaders.
Center wrapped up its second straight district title to advance to the Missouri Class 3 quarterfinals. The Yellowjackets stand at 11-2 on the season and this week take on Maryville for a shot at the semifinal round.
"It is truly an honor for our football program and entire community to be recognized by such a quality organization as the Kansas City Chiefs. It is a true testament to all the long hours that the players and assistant coaches have put in to get our program to the level it is today," DeLong said.
Shawnee Mission East moved to 9-1 on the season with a 42-17 win over Olathe Northwest. The victory advanced the Lancers to the Kansas Class 6A quarterfinals for the fifth-straight season.
"It's a great honor for our coaching staff and for our team to win the Kansas City Chiefs Coach of the Week," Delaney said. "Thank you to the Chiefs organization for being so great in the community."
As a result of this honor, both schools will receive a $500 player health and safety grant from the Hunt Family Foundation and each school will receive a Gatorade Sideline Kit, including coolers, bottles and Gatorade products. Additionally, both coaches will be presented congratulatory footballs autographed by Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid and a certificate recognizing their selection. DeLong is now qualified for the Missouri Coach of the Year Award, while Delaney is now qualified for the Eric Driskell Kansas Coach of the Year Award, both of which will be voted on later this month and announced in December.
Prior to the 2017 season, the Kansas City Chiefs announced that the Kansas High School Coach of the Year Award would be renamed in memory of Eric Driskell, the former head coach at Blue Valley High School. Driskell was a three-time award recipient during his seven years with the football program and spent 14 years as the head coach of the boys' track and field teams. Driskell suddenly passed away in mid- February.
A member of the Chiefs Community Caring Team will visit the winners this week for a special presentation to honor them at their respective schools. Each state's winner is selected in collaboration with PrepsKC. For more information on this week's winners and the Chiefs Coach of the Week program, visit www.chiefs.com or www.prepskc.com.
