As the All-Racine County football meeting was drawing to a close Monday at The Journal Times, Burlington coach Hans Block excused himself and took over the proceedings.

Looking down the conference table, Block mentioned Racine Lutheran's Scott Smith, Union Grove's Scott McBride and Waterford's Carey Venne by name and detailed their considerable accomplishments. He added that in any other year, each would be deserving to be voted the All-County Coach of the Year by his peers.

But then Block added that this wasn't any other year and that the only choice for this honor was Catholic Central's Tom Aldrich.

Considering Aldrich had just led his team to its second straight WIAA Division 7 championship and had been named the Associated Press' Coach of the Year in Wisconsin, it's not that a strong case had to be made in his honor.

But so convincing was Block that the coaches dispensed with the customary vote and gave Aldrich the honor on the spot.

"It's just amazing to me what he can do with his athletes," Block said. "Everybody in town here talks about what his approach is. He very seldom raises his voice. He treats them like young men and not children. I'm just so impressed with him."

Block is far from alone with Aldrich, who is the county's coach of the year for the sixth time in 11 seasons.

Imagine having to replace 10 starters lost to graduation from last year's undefeated state championship team, including a quarterback who passed for 31 touchdowns (Reese Hartlage), a running back who rushed for almost 1,800 yards and anchored the defense at linebacker (Max Vos) and a second-team AP All-State receiver (B.J. Ritzman).

And then imagine getting shut out for only the fourth time in 113 games in your season opener and losing your top offensive returnee (Sam Wagner) with a fractured thumb.

But the 50-year-old Aldrich not only kept his team together during that period of doubt, he started a 13-game winning streak that culminated with another state championship.

"I just had a lot of confidence in my players and between my staff and I and my players, we were going to figure out a way to make this work," Aldrich said.

Said Block: "Tom is able to take the average kid and make him good. And he takes the good athletes and makes them outstanding high school players. And I just think that's the gift Tom has. It's a true pleasure to watch what he can do with young men."