Cedar Springs Varsity Football Coach August (Gus) Kapolka was recently named Coach of the Year in Region 6 by the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association.

Coach August (Gus) Kapolka with his Coach of the year award.

He received the award in Lansing on January 16.

“It is my privilege to announce that your Head Football Coach, August (Gus) Kapolka, was named 2014 Regional Coach of the year (Region 6) by the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association (MHSFCA),” wrote Kelly Luplow, president of the MHSFCA, in a news release. “The efforts of your coach, his staff, and team have brought a great amount of pride to your school and community. We know that to reach this level of excellence requires numerous hours of work throughout the year.”

Region 6 covers all the teams in the Ottawa-Kent Conference.

This is the first time Coach Kapolka has been named Regional Coach of the year, and he was humbled by the honor. “I’m very appreciative to the members of my coaching staff and our players for allowing me to receive this recognition. It’s always gratifying to receive recognition individually, but the award is due to the hard work of everyone involved in our program. Hopefully we can continue the success we had on the field this year, and bring more accolades to Red Hawk Football.”

IN 2014, Kapolka led the Red Hawks to their first conference championship since 1978, when they shared it with Sparta. This year the Red Hawks went 9-2, winning their first playoff game at Red Hawk Stadium, and finally losing to the Muskegon Big Reds, who went on to the state final championship. Kapolka was named Coach of the Week early in the season by the Detroit Lions.

Kapolka came to Cedar Springs in 2013, after being head Varsity coach in Manistee from 2004 to 2012. In his first season there, he coached the Chippewas to a 4-5 record, breaking their 32-game losing streak, and was also named 2004 Class B Associated Press Special Mention Coach of the Year. In 2007 he coached the Chippewas to their second MHSAA state play-off appearance in school history with a 6-4 record. He continued to make school history in 2011 & 2012 when the Chippewas qualified for the MHSAA playoffs in back-to-back seasons. He also spent four years as an assistant at Boyne City and four years as an assistant at Warren Lincoln. 

Congratulations Coach Kapolka!