Jake Brink

🏆 Sports in Kansas 6A 🏈Coach of the Year Lorne Clark, Olathe Northwest One of the most impressive coaching jobs in the largest classification this season came from Olathe Northwest, where head coach Lorne Clark led the Ravens to their first ever 6A state championship appearance, finishing 9-4 and shocking the Kansas football landscape with a historic postseason run. Olathe Northwest punched its ticket to the title game with a 42-28 victory over two-time defending state champion Gardner-Edgerton, ending the Trailblazers’ streak of three straight state championship appearances. For the first time since 2021, the 6A east representative would not be GE, it would be ONW, a program still seeking its first state crown after beginning varsity football just 21 years ago in 2004. Clark’s turnaround has been rapid. Two seasons ago, the Ravens were 2-7. At one point this fall, they stood 5-3, navigating the brutal Sunflower League. Instead of fading, they won four straight to reach the championship game, including knocking off a dynasty to get there. A 6A sleeper at midseason became a full-blown title contender by November. The Ravens’ rise under Clark reflects player development, belief, and steady progression over his four-year leadership. Olathe Northwest had never broken through to this stage, and very few expected it this year until the Ravens kept winning, kept defending, and kept proving they belonged. Though they ultimately fell to Manhattan in the championship, 2025 will be remembered as the season Olathe Northwest arrived, crashed the 6A party, and proved it could stand against the very best in Kansas. A historic breakthrough for the Ravens, and a coach who took them where they had never been. #sportsinkansas