“It takes a village, and this man right here is the epitome of what any parents would be so lucky to leave our sons or daughters with for 40 hours + a week…This man shows his passion for our children everyday. To hear him talk about your kids as if they were one his own speaks on so many levels. We as parents try to lead them and have them take responsibility for themselves, and he takes that and emphasizes it that much more. He makes our kids find a way to believe in themselves. He builds confidence and structure, helping us turn boys into men.”

Damon Parker is about to begin his ninth season as head coach at Washburn Rural High School. He took over a program that finished near the bottom of the 6A standings at the 2012 State tournament to a program that finished just shy of the 2018 6A State Championship. Along the way, he has collected a dual mark of 104-41 and has been recognized as city coach of the year five times in addition to the Kansas Wrestling Officials Association Coach of the Year. He was named Coach of the Year for the 2017-18 season by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.

Washburn Rural senior Preston Williams has been named the city wrestler of the year by city coaches after winning the Class 6A 195-pound state championship, the city’s lone champion in 2019.

Washburn Rural’s Gavin Carter was named the junior of the year, Rural’s Bishop Murray the sophomore of the year and Rural’s Austin Fager the freshman of the year. Carter, a former state champ, placed second in 6A at 182 pounds while Murray, also a former champ, was third at 106 pounds. Hartzell earned his first state medal, finishing fifth in 5A at 170 pounds while Fager won the Centennial League title at 145 pounds before missing the remainder of the season with an injury.

Washburn Rural coach Damon Parker, who coached the Junior Blues to a second-place finish in the Centennial League and a fourth-place state finish in 6A, was named the city coach of the year.

  • 2011 Missouri Teacher of the Year Nominee

  • 2011 Platte County Teacher of the Year

  • 2011 Northland Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Education Award

  • 2012 Regional Coach of the Year

  • 2012 City Coach of the Year

  • 2014 City Coach of the Year

  • 2015 Educator of Excellence Award

  • 2016 City Coach of the Year

  • 2017 6A State Sportmanship Coach of the Year Award

  • 2018 KWCA 6A State Coach of the Year

  • 2018 City Coach of the Year

  • 2019 City Coach of the Year

  • 2019 Centennial League Coach of the Year

  • 2019 Topeka Top 20 under 40