Chiefs name St. James’ Tom Radke high school coach of year after Thunder’s state title
Tom Radke coached St. James Academy to the first football state championship in school history, navigating the most difficult of paths along the way.
On Sunday, the Chiefs recognized the feat, naming him the Eric Driskell high school coach of the year. Radke was honored at Sunday’s Chiefs game against the Broncos.
“It was truly a team effort. I have a great coaching staff, and the kids really stayed focused in what has been such a challenging year,” Radke said in a statement. “I am so grateful to the SJA administration and parents for trusting us with their kids this year, and for allowing us to have a football season. I think it was so important for these kids to have something to look forward to every day. Over the summer we were hoping to play a few games. As it turned out, we delivered the longest season in St. James history.”
On its way to the Kansas Class 4A title, St. James beat top-ranked Paola and then six-time defending state champion Bishop Miege in overtime. The Thunder defeated Arkansas City in the championship game, finishing the year 8-4.
As part of the honor, Radke will receive a $3,000 player health and safety grant from the Hunt Family Foundation.
The award is named in memory of Eric Driskell, the former Blue Valley High School who died in 2017.
This story was originally published December 8, 2020 at 5:00 AM.