Eric Driskell Coach of the Year Award Winners

Jesse Owen

Gardner-Edgerton

Jesse Owen won the honor after leading the Trailblazers to their first Kansas 6A championship.

Bryan DeLong

Center

DeLong has been named the Eric Driskell High School Coach of the Year for the 2022 season. Center finished the season 11-1, losing to defending Class 4 champion Smithville in the quarterfinals. The Yellowjackets went 6-0 in league play, and DeLong led the team to its first Missouri River Valley Conference title in 2022 since joining the league four years ago.

Clint Rider

Blue Valley Northwest

Blue Valley Northwest started its season with a 35-21 win over Blue Valley and never looked back. The Huskies' only loss of the regular season came against St. Thomas Aquinas High School before starting a dominant run to the Kansas Class 6A title. Northwest would average 52 points per game in the postseason, beating Blue Valley West 35-7 to advance to the Huskies' first-ever state championship game. In the title game, Northwest dominated three-time defending champion Derby 41-21.

Tom Radke

St. James Academy

St. James knocked off No. 1 ranked and undefeated Paola High School 45-35 in the second round of the 4A playoffs. The Thunder would go on to beat six-time defending 4A champ Bishop Miege 36-35 in overtime on their way to winning their first-ever state title with a 56-34 win over Arkansas City in the Kansas 4A championship game. The Thunder finished the season 8-4.

William Lowe

Lincoln College Prep

Lowe led the Blue Tigers to an 11-1 record falling to Platte County in the Class 4 district final. Lincoln Prep finished with one of the best seasons in school history

Leon Douglas

North Kansas City

In 2018, the North Kansas City High School football team had its best season in 50 years. The Hornets went 9-2 overall.

Kansas: Andy Sims

Blue Valley North Missouri: Phil Lite

Kansas: Eric Driskell

Blue Valley Missouri: Bryan DeLong

Kansas: Joel Applebee

Mill Valley Missouri: Ryan Schartz

Kansas: Jon Holmes

Bishop Miege Missouri: Pat Richard

Kansas: Dustin Delaney

Shawnee Mission East Missouri: Kelly Donohoe

Kansas: Tim Callaghan

Shawnee Mission West Missouri: Kelly Donohoe

Kansas: Jeff Gourley

Olathe South Missouri: Fred Bouchard

Kansas: Eric Driskell

Blue Valley Missouri: Tony Severino

Kansas: Pete Flood

Olathe North Missouri: Ryan Schartz

Kansas: Kevin Kopecky

St. Thomas Aquinas Missouri: David Allie

Kansas: Scott Wright

Blue Valley West Missouri: Royce Boehm

Kansas: Steve Rampy

Blue Valley Missouri: Greg Oder

Kansas: Jeff Meyers

Olathe East Missouri: Tom Kruse

Kansas: Mark Littrell

Olathe South Missouri: Tom Kruse

Kansas: Steve Rampy

Blue Valley Missouri: Mark Thomas

Kansas: Gene Wier

Olathe North Missouri: Tony Severino

Kansas: Gene Wier

Olathe North Missouri: Kelly Donohoe

Kansas: Gene Wier

Olathe North Missouri: Chip Sherman

Kansas: Mark Littrell

Olathe South Missouri: Tony Severino

Kansas: Steve Rampy

Blue Valley Missouri: Rick Byers