Kennett coach Frazier named Pa. Coach of the Year by National Federation of High Schools

Being exceedingly good at your job is always something to be celebrated.

But when you shine in a job where no one else had been successful before, plenty of people take notice.

Since Kennett football started playing varsity football in the early 2000s, the Blue Demons were always many rungs down the ladder from their Ches-Mont League peers, and an afterthought on the District 1 scene.

That has all changed since Lance Frazier took over the Kennett program three years ago. Last season, the Blue Demons posted a winning record and advanced to the District 1 Class 5A playoffs for the first time in school history.

Wednesday, the National Federation of High Schools took notice, naming Frazier as its Pennsylvania Football Coach of the Year for 2019-2020.

The news was released by the PIAA.

“I guess I feel a little joy right now,” Frazier said. “It is always nice when people take notice of the job you are doing. But this has been a collective effort from the athletes, my AD, Sean Harvey, the administration and the community and all the parents. When you plan for something it is nice when it happens to be successful and it is great to see your work in progress going to your plan. It is paying attention to all the little things from year to year and of course the athletes deserve a lot of the credit.

“This season we had to replace a wonderful running back in Garrett Cox and a pretty good offensive and defensive lines and the kids have responded well to the challenge right now,” Frazier said. “We are 2-0 and have a game coming up with Sun Valley and we are just focusing on the little things because that is where the winning is.”

Frazier has injected new life into a program that sorely needed it. Kennett Athletic Director Sean Harvey could not be happier with his head football coach on and off the playing field.

“There is not just one adjective to what Lance means to this program and community except everything,” Harvey said. “He is a fantastic coach, fantastic person and fantastic role model. He means everything to this school, football team and community.”