KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Chiefs have announced the Coach of the Week honors for the fifth week of the 2023 season. The Week Five awards go to Rockhurst's Head Coach Kelly Donohoe (Missouri) and Lawrence Free State's Head Coach Kevin Stewart (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, a congratulatory commemorative Super Bowl LVII coin 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.
Rockhurst moved to 5-1 with a fourth-quarter comeback win over Saint Thomas Aquinas. The Hawklets trailed 28-0 in the third quarter and 38-15 midway through the fourth quarter only to pull off a 45-44 overtime win. Donohoe dedicates this award to the entire program.
"We're very honored to be picked by the Chiefs as the Coach of the Week," Donohoe said. "The Chiefs have always done a great job of being very involved in high school athletics and we are all very appreciative."
Lawrence Free State beat Shawnee Mission South 49-24 to move to 5-0 on the season. The Firebirds are tied for first place in the Sunflower League with Gardner-Edgerton and are currently the No. 1 seed in the Kansas 6A West bracket. Stewart is honored for his program to be recognized.
"I want to thank the Kansas City Chiefs organization, PrepsKC and everyone who works tirelessly to make high school football in Kansas City a success," Stewart said. "This is such a great honor because success in football takes a team effort. Our assistant coaches and players have put in countless hours and have made a commitment to being the best team they can be. I'm very proud of them all and grateful for their efforts. Without them I wouldn't be receiving this honor. Go Firebirds! Go Chiefs!"
In its 27th season, the 2023 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 14 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.
