Inductees

He found his way to the Midwest as a teenager, following his love for football and eventually built a tremendous reputation as a coach known for rebuilding projects.

At Platte County High School, his body of work is right there to see: A program that had never won much now has a spectacular field turf, box seats and a spacious press box. Oh, and heck of a tradition.

Look closely and, all over the place, you’ll find the finger prints of Chip Sherman, who was 191-37 here in 20 seasons (all winning years), including three state championships and a 52-game win streak. In fact, his .838 winning percentage is in the top 10 all-time in state history.

Simply put, it’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is proud to induct Sherman with the Class of 2017. However, Sherman insists his success stemmed from family and community support.

“I wouldn’t have done it without those folks – helping with fifth-quarters (after-game parties), helping me get things together, with all kinds of stuff” Sherman said. “Back then, you had to line the field. You didn’t have an irrigated field. You had to drag the sprinklers around. I had people all over trying to help. It was a total community effort.”

Sherman’s energy for the job created his reputation as a player’s coach, and it’s no wonder why in recent years he soldiered on despite battling non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

He’s certainly climbed the ladder the right way.

An All-State running back, team MVP, captain and 1976 graduate of Point Pleasant Beach (N.J.) High School, Sherman took mental notes from teammates as well as coaches Jack White and Don Fiouretti. He then played for Tarkio College in northwest Missouri.

“It was probably mid-college when I thought, ‘Do I want to sell insurance? Do I want to sell cars?’” Sherman said. “I have never worked a day of my life. I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve enjoyed the kids. I’ve enjoyed the people I’ve worked with.”

Sherman earned a master’s at Northwest Missouri State University, was an assistant at Benedictine (Kan.) College and then got his break at Kansas City’s Grandview High School, working as the football team’s offensive coordinator and the head wrestling coach from 1983 to 1988.

At that point, Sherman and his wife, Angie, began raising their family and wanted a school to grow with. They found it at Platte County, which had only three winning seasons in 15 years.

The Pirates eventually rose to the top. Sherman’s teams won three consecutive Class 3 state championship (2000, 2001, 2002) and reached the state semifinals two other times (1999, 2005). That was all part of 12 playoff berths. Along the way, the Pirates won 64 of 66 games beginning in 1999, including 52 consecutive – the second-longest streak in state history.

Between 1992 and 2006, Platte City’s .867 win percentage was the best in the state.

The secret to his success? “Fifth quarter” after-game parties on Friday nights in his backyard, Saturday morning practices and a strict weight program created discipline and accountability. Soon, 300 students attended the Friday night parties, and local businesses rallied to the cause.

“Everybody does something good and nobody does everything good,” has long been his speech to players. “Don’t be afraid to enhance those good things you do, and don’t be afraid to try to improve the things you don’t do well. That kind of gives a kid that opportunity that, ‘Hey, I’m not afraid to try this. I can take a chance.’”

Some years, his teams had plow horses. Other years, they had speedsters. So Sherman fine-tuned his offenses. Yet, reaching the pinnacle was not easy. The 1988 team won the conference title but missed the playoffs. In the mid-1990s, teams with 12-1 and 11-1 records fell just short of reaching state semifinals. But …

“That (’88 season) got the kids believing,” Sherman said.

Fortunately, he always had the support of Angie and their children – Keith, Zach, Katie Mascal and Jessica Meyer. With sons-in-law, Colin and Jeff, all have been part of state championships.

Sherman retired from Platte County after the 2008 season and went on to rebuild Kansas programs at Salina South, Shawnee Mission East and, since 2013, at Olathe Northwest. He won his 250^th game in 2016.

“It isn’t about all those Ws and Ls,” Sherman said. “It’s about those relationships. We all did it together. There were a lot of people with me who put in a lot of effort.”