The Kansas City Chiefs have announced their Coach of the Week honors for the fourth week of the season. The awards go to University Academy head football coach Andrew Blakemore (Missouri) and Sumner Academy head football coach Andrew Wright (Kansas).
As a result of this honor, both schools will receive a $500 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.
University Academy rallied to beat Pembroke Hill 40-27 to move to 5-0 on the year. This is Blakemore's first year as the head coach of the Gryphons after serving as an assistant. In their last four games, University Academy has averaged 49.5 points per game. Blakemore said this honor goes to the whole team and community.
"Receiving this award serves as a tremendous reminder of how hard our entire program has worked since last season and we would like to thank the Kansas City Chiefs for recognizing that. It truly takes a village. This honor is a direct reflection of the dedication our entire community has offered the CO-OP this season. I'd also like to extend my appreciation to the administration, athletic directors, coaches, student managers, cheerleaders, band members and incredible fans at both UA and Kauffman," Blakemore said.
After a tough loss to Topeka Highland Park, Sumner rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit to move to 2-2 with a 27-26 win over Wyandotte. Wright said his team and coaches deserve the recognition for all of the hard work they have put in.
"Obviously, it's a tremendous honor to win this award, but it's an award for our players and assistant coaches, who did a great job preparing and executing the game plan last week. It was a total team effort in our win. I'm very proud of this group," Wright said.
In its 26th season, the 2022 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 13 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.
