The Kansas City Chiefs have announced their Coach of the Week honors for the fourth week of the 2020 season. The awards go to Winnetonka High School coach Benny Palmer and Saint Thomas Aquinas High School coach Randy Dreiling.
As a result of this honor, both schools will receive a $500 player health and safety grant from the Hunt Family Foundation. Additionally, both coaches will be presented congratulatory footballs autographed by Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid and a certificate recognizing their selection. Both coaches are now qualified for the Eric Driskell Coach of the Year Award, which will be voted on later this fall. The Eric Driskell Coach of the Year Award is selected by a panel comprised of the Missouri and Kansas Boards from the Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association.
Winnetonka had to rally for its win after trailing Kearney 16-0 in the third quarter. The Griffins beat the Bulldogs 20-16 to move to 6-0 on the season. It's the first 6-0 start to a season for Winnetonka since 1982.
"It means a lot for our program," Palmer said. "We have come a long way and still have a long way to go, but the one thing that has been constant has been getting this program in a place where we are respected. The players hear more than us coaches, and they want to be thought of as a good team. The results so far this season, and an award like this, validates that we are doing the right things. In turn, hopefully it will keep driving us to continue to improve this week, weeks to come, and into this offseason. Thank you to the Kansas City Chiefs and PrepsKC for their continued coverage and support of high school football and kids like ours at Winnetonka High School."
Saint Thomas Aquinas moved to 4-0 on the season with a thrilling 35-34 win over Shawnee Mission Northwest. The Saints rallied from down 28-7 at the half and stopped a possible game-winning two-point conversion with 38 seconds left to seal the win.
"Hats off to our kids, they kept grinding," Dreiling said. "We greatly appreciate the award."
In its 24th season, the 2020 High School Coach of the Week 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 while honoring individuals who are shaping today's youth and tomorrow's leaders.
The Kansas City Chiefs partner with PrepsKC to select Coaches of the Week from Missouri and Kansas each week. PrepsKC is the only complete multimedia coverage of high school football in the Kansas City Metro. For the last 11 years it has combined a dynamic web site, weekly magazine and comprehensive weekly radio show. More information about PrepsKC, including scores, schedules and coverage can be found at www.prepskc.com.
