SM West Vikings Tim Callaghan 100 WINS !!!

Tim Callaghan #100 Wins

Congrats to Tim Callaghan of the SM West Vikings on winning his 100th game all-time. 

This accomplishment as mentioned in the previous post earlier in the week had last been accomplished in 1977 by former SM North legendary Head Coach Larry Taylor. 

Of the 46 Head Coaches throughout the SMSD #512 Football history only three (3) Head Coaches have accomplished this in their time: You can now add Tim Callaghan as number four (4). 

* John Davis - SM South - 131-57-5, 193 GC, 6-7 Playoff Record, 681 W%

* Harold Reade - S-M Indians - 114-39-16, 169 GC, No playoffs, 674 W%

* Larry Taylor - SM North - 110-31-4, 145 GC, 7-3 Playoff Record, 758 W%

@ Tim Callaghan - SM West - 100-43, 143 GC, 12-8 Playoff Record, 699 W%+

SM West Football does not go unnoticed. For decades dating back to the 1970's Dick Purdy brought the Vikings in to State Football prominence with 1967 to 1980. Coach Purdy left the Vikings with an impressive 91-44-3 record before taking over the Lee's Summit Tigers in the Fall of 1981. 

During Coach Purdy's tenure his 1972 Football team won the Kansas State Football Title. That team finished the season 8-3 with a one point win over Wichita Southeast 7-6. 

Following in those great footsteps, Harold Wambsgans (a long-time Purdy AC) was rehired by SM West after a two year stint with the Lancers in 1979 and 1980. During Wambs tenure with the Vikings again a winning formula was found. Wambs too finished out his tenure going 69-27, with a 9-7 playoff record, and multiple student-athletes with post-season honors. 

Nearly a decade or more later Tim Callaghan was hired away from the Olathe North Eagles and Gene Weir for the 2003 season. After being part of the second Eagles three-peat of State Titles, filling in for the departed Jon Krug was going to be quite the task. 

After struggling early on to an identical 2-7 record that forced Jon Krug out, the Vikings went on an impressive and powerful run from 2004 to 2015 making the 6A playoffs 10 out of 13 times, and two trips to the 6A Final. 

Under Callaghan the Vikings first trip to the 6A Final was against Hutchinson in 2006. Although the Vikings fell to the SaltHawks that season with a 21-14 loss, retribution would be in short order as the team vowed to return again to the final one day. Six seasons later the Vikings again found themselves playing the SaltHawks and won 19-14 completing an 11-game win streak, and multiple student-athlete post-season honors again showed by the State in post-season voting. 

One special thing about this Vikings program is its Staff and their student-athletes. Every Football team or program is a family. Three years ago the Vikings suffered major losses to their team losing school favorite's Andre Maloney and Houston St. John, both passing away. These fine young men defined what it took to play Vikings Football and are a fitting legacy to the present day Vikings. It is not every day that you can find young men like those two who made a friendly impact on and off the gridiron. Andre was known for his personality and fun loving day to day joy he brought to his friends in the hallways of SM West. Houston St. John was known for his theatrical work and singing that was known class wide as a love of his once the football pads were stored away for the winter. 

Congrats again to Tim Callaghan of the SM West Vikings on this great accomplishment for the SMSD #512, and the Sunflower Football League. Your impact on the hundreds of young men coached has left an impact that will live on for years long after their playing days are over.