The Kansas City Chiefs have announced the initial recipients of the Missouri and Kansas High School Coach of the Week award for this season. Fort Osage's (Missouri) Ryan Schartz and Basehor-Linwood's (Kansas) Rod Stallbaumer each received this honor after a strong performance by their respective teams this past week.
With a record of 3-0, Schartz and Fort Osage are one of the top teams in the Metro and the state of Missouri. Fort Osage defeated two-time defending Class 6 champion Blue Springs with a 35-21 victory. Fort Osage's triumph snapped Blue Spring's 25-game win streak. Schartz and his team followed the win with a 31-28 victory over Lee's Summit this past week.
Across the state line, Basehor-Linwood opened its season with a 20-17 win over Baldwin. The win was the first for Stallbaumer as the head coach of the Bobcats, after spending seven years on the coaching staff at Lyndon High School.
As a result, both schools will receive a $500 grant towards player health and safety equipment and/or education. Schartz and Stallbaumer will be presented with congratulatory footballs autographed by Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid and a certificate recognizing their selection. Each coach is now a finalist for their respective state's Chiefs High School Coach of the Year Award, which will be announced at the conclusion of the football season.
The 2014 High School Coach of the Week program is a joint initiative of the Kansas City Chiefs and the National Football League. The program is designed to recognize and reward Kansas City area high school coaches who have created successful programs for teams and players both on and off of the playing field. This includes coaches that champion philosophies which advance and promote player health and safety.
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 kcchiefs.com or prepskc.com.
