Chesty Lions new Athletic Director

Alumni Nick Wood takes the lead post:

In a recent move, the Administrative dominoes of Teaching turnover take place again.  

However, this time it is in Lawrence, as the new Athletic Director taking over for John Hilton, now at BV Northwest is Chesty Lions alumni 1996 Nick Wood. 

Nick Wood is no stranger to the hallways of Lawrence High. During his time as a student, he found himself in the midst of Football power during the Dick Purdy Football regime seeing the Chesty Lions win the 6A State Title in three of his four years as a student. 

Entering the 2020 season, Steve Rampy will hope to be carrying the 8-2 momentum in to a strong and continual stay at the top of the league table in this new decade of play. 

The team as a whole will have the opportunity to meet City rivals the Free State Firebirds in week-8 in 2020 and 2021. A somewhat new team will be introduced to the schedule as well with the 5A powerhouse Mill Valley Jaguars in week-4. This will be a first for both Steve Rampy and the Lions since he never faced them during his time as the Blue Valley Tigers Head Coach from 1985-2009.

2020 Chesty Lions Football

@ OEH - Olathe East Hawks

SMN - SM North Indians

@ SMW - SM West Vikings

MVJ - Mill Valley Jaguars

SNW - SM Northwest Cougars

@ SMS - SM South Raiders

ONE - Olathe North Eagles

@ LFS - Free State Firebirds

Courtney Porter is new Hawks Football Coach

Olathe East Hawks hires Courtney Porter

Courtney Porter is now joining the Olathe East Hawks as their third Head Football Coach in team history. 

Coach Porter is succeeding Jesse Owen who led the Hawks from 2015 to 2019. Jesse Owen finished 22-26 in his five seasons, and the Hawks themselves enter the 2020 season with a record of 184W-101L-285 games played, and a 19W-18L-37 games played in post-season both new format of 1-16, and the old District format of post-season.  

Courtney Porter's background in the Kansas City High School East is no secret to those of his student-athletes who he has mentored. With stops at BV Northwest, BV North, SM East (2014 State Championship season), and SM West have all gained a wealth of knowledge with him as their position coach and more. 

With plenty of knowledge of his own to gain on from previous BNW, BVN coaches, Dustin Delaney, and Tim Callaghan, the Hawks will be looking to reach higher goals and expectations once the Hawks have met their new leader. 

Over the history of the Sunflower League, only two Black Head Coaches have ever lead their High School team since the inception of the Sunflower in 1954. 

All that being said, you may be curious as to the other school? That would be the SM Northwest Cougars. 

Once Tony Severino was hired away to Rockhurst from SM Northwest, his AC Bill Leonard took over for the 1983 and 1984 seasons. Unfortunately in his brief tenure leading to an 8W-10L record after 18 games, Mr. Leonard passed away a couple years after his time in education. 

After the conclusion of Bill Leonard's 1984 season in the SFL, there has not been a Black Head Coach hired by any SMSD #512, LAW & LFS #497, Leavenworth #453 during their duration in the SFL 1981-2017, and Olathe #233 since expansion in 1981 of #OSF, #OEH, #ONW, and #OWO. 

Multiple Black Assistant Head Coaches have been hired on to the faculties of all of these programs in the 35+ years the schools have been in the Sunflower League, but never hired as Head Coaches.  

Congratulations to Coach Courtney Porter and his family joining the Olathe East Hawks, and looking forward to seeing you in the league for a very long time!  

Owen to leave Olathe East Hawks

Jesse Owen resigns from Olathe East Football

In a stunning move and out of the blue, Jesse Owen, who was about to enter his sixth year as the Hawks Football Coach resigned due to personal reasons. 

In most High School Football circles, resignations tend to come within weeks after the Thanksgiving weekend and the State Final game clock has wound down to 00:00 and a Champion is crowned. 

2020 for some reason has been quite the experience world wide, and for all of us locally as Kansas City residents.

For A.D. Kaleb Stoppel, a new hire will be looked upon immediately, either as on an Interim-emergency one season gap hire, or could be found internally within the Owen coaching staff of the last five seasons. 

For those Sunflower alumni Hawks tied deeply to the program, the 2020 season is 29th year of Football in the Olathe #233.

There have been only two Head Coaches in the program, and both are former Olathe-North Eagles. Jeff Meyers, who led the team the first 23 seasons with an overall record of 162W-75L in 237 games. His playoff record was a steady 16W-14L in 30 games. Back in the 2005 season, the Hawks made it to their first and only 6A State Final, losing to Randy Dreilings Hutchinson SaltHawks 24-7 and the best record in team history to this day at 12-1. 

Following Jeff Meyers after his 23 seasons, was long-time Olathe North Eagles Head Weights Teacher, and 1996 State Title member Jesse Owen in the 2015 season. 

Although his Hawks started off slow his first two seasons, the program took a turn, and found success soon after. Back to back 3-6 starts are not easy in a new opportunity but it happens to many new Coaches around the country. After a successful one year stint with the Eudora Cardinals, the Owen hire gained traction and strength quickly from 2017 to 2019. In that time, the Hawks finished: 5-5, 4-6, 7-3, and Jesse Owen and his staff finished 22W-26L overall in 48 games played, and a 3W-4L post-season record under the new @KSHSAA playoff format in the 6A East bracket. 

In 28 years of Varsity Hawks Football, the Hawks are 184W-101L-285 games since the 1992 season. 

SM North welcomes New Coach

Andy Walter named Indians Head Coach

  

The SM North Indians appointed Andy Walter (SM South 2001) as their 17th Head Coach in their 99 years of Football History. 

Andy Walter joins the Indians from the hallways of SM East where he has maintained a position within the Math Department and previously part of the Football program as an Assistant Coach. 

Andy Walter is no stranger to the SMSD-5 Football programs as he is a SM South Raider 2001 alumni. During his time at SM South as a student-athlete the Raiders were coached by current BV West Principal Brett Potts, and Don Hanna during his time as a student.

Entering the 2020 season, the Indians will face off with their sister-school the SM East Lancers. 

2020 Indians Schedule: 

9-4 - SME

9-11 - @ LAW 

9-18 - ONW

9-25 - SNW

10-2 - OEH

10-9 - @ GET

10-16 - @ SMW

10-23 - MVJ

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