Wheeling's Panagakis earns Week 1 honor from Bears

Posted September 02, 2021 1:00 am

Daily Herald report

The Chicago Bears announced Thursday that head coach Peter Panagakis of Wheeling has been named the Chicago Bears High School Coach of the Week for Week 1.

The Coach of the Week is sponsored by Athletico Physical Therapy. The Bears will make a $2,000 donation to the Wheeling football program.

Panagakis is in his first year as head coach for Wheeling, after being named to the position in August. He'd previously been an assistant coach for 16 years. He inherited a team that had lost 19 straight games and fielded approximately only 20 players, which he was able to quickly increase to nearly 40 in two weeks.

The Wildcats won their first game of the season to snap the losing streak with a 27-15 victory over Round Lake.

Panagakis also spent 30 years with the Wheeling Police Department.

Wheeling will play at Barrington on Friday.

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