The Kansas City Chiefs have announced the Coach of the Week honors for the fourth week of the 2024 season. The Week Four awards went to Pembroke Hill School Head Coach Sam Knopik (Missouri) and Louisburg High School Head Coach Drew Harding (Kansas).
As a result of this honor, the awarded schools will receive a $500 grant from the Hunt Family Foundation. Additionally, the coaches will be presented a pair of sunglasses, courtesy of Oakley, and a certificate recognizing their selection. These 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.
Pembroke Hill is now 5-0 after its 28-22 win over University Academy. This year already, the Raiders have matched their season win totals of the last two years. Knopik shared that Saturday's win said a lot about his players and coaches.
"Our team is very honored to have been recognized for our effort on Saturday," Knopik said. "Each season has its own unique challenges, and this campaign is no different. In a game plan full of so many unknowns, it was extremely rewarding to see young people trust the plan, trust each other and show a competitive spirit under pressure to achieve the goal. We challenged them to find a way or make a way under circumstances outside of their control. Football is a special part of the educational process. Saturday was an amazing example of the best classroom in America."
Louisburg High School moved to 4-0 on the season with a 57-8 win over Bonner Springs High School. The win marked the Wildcats' 19th straight regular season win dating back to the second week of the 2022 season, which was Harding's first year as head coach. Harding noted this honor is for everyone in the program.
"This award is great to highlight the hard work and dedication our players and coaches have put in," Harding said. "It is certainly an award that goes to our program as a whole, more so than any individual coach. We would also like to thank the Kansas City Chiefs as well as PrepsKC for their continued support for high school football."
In its 28th season, the 2024 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 15 years, it has combined a dynamic website, weekly magazine and comprehensive weekly radio show. More information about PrepsKC, including scores, schedules and coverage can be found at www.prepskc.com.
