Recruiting

Slow Motion Replay: (Article No. 3,000) Lynn Ray, paved the way for success today! @CovCathFootball, @EddieEviston, @CovCathColonels, @bigassfans, @minguabeefjerky, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball

May 27, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

You will notice we pictured Lynn Ray with his wife of many years as the “featured photograph” to this piece. There is a reason for that. Football wives suffer everything their husband’s endure and they do it without the least bit of fanfare nor credit. Well, we should say “outside credit.” Coaches know how valuable and faithful and supportive wife is to a lifetime of coaching and how quickly a poor choice, in the wife department, can derail a career. Today we detail the career of a guy who was a fine player for Roy Kidd at EKU and constructed the machine we now know as Covington Catholic. Lynn Ray was 5-0 in title games and won approximately 64% of his games at a place which had no practice field, no football stadium, and 34 wins in its 8 year history prior to Ray’s retention. Enjoy the feature.

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: Bob Beatty from Trinity, coaching champions, not friends @TrinityHSFB, @trinitysports, @LarryInMissouri, @MoSportsHall, @bigassfans, @minguabeefjerky, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball

May 26, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

Bob Beatty didn’t have 17-year old friends. Beatty coached 17-year old champions. Over a 21-year period at the KHSAA’s most revered, respected, and successful football programs (largely owing to him), the former OC at William Jewell College in Missouri wracked up 15-titles in 17-trips to the finals of the KHSAA’s largest classification. In 21-years, Beatty won nearly 86% of the games he coached (255-wins in 298 games played) and finished the year in the title game 81% of the time, winning the title approximately 72% of the time. That is a run of success to which no other coach in the history of the KHSAA can lay claim. This guy here may have been “The Best.”

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: Parlez-vous français? Oui, nous parlons parfaitement français à Middlesboro Kentucky; Larry French has Middlesboro speaking his language perfectly well @MboroFootball, @SizemoreBraylon, @BoysGirls13th, @bigassfans, @minguabeefjerky, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball

May 25, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

Larry French has one of the better “coaching trees” among the all-time greats across Kentucky. French’s tree includes Jean Rollins, Larry Mofield, Chuck Smith, Clay Clevenger, Brad Hood, David Buchanan, and Jack Robertson. Several of these guys have been featured in this magazine. At least two of them have been featured in our “Slow Motion Replay” which was designed to highlight the all-time guys. David Buchanan’s dad, John, hired Ed Rall at Boyle and Larry French at Mercer…. both guys right out of college, so French was even mentored by and all-timer and coached with several others. Enjoy this look at KY’s third winningest coach, all-time, and a guy likely to join the 400+ wins club before too much longer.

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: Mark Brown started his career without any guarantees, but fulfilled his contract with the kids he coached @OwensboroSports, @1027TheGame, @bigassfans, @minguabeefjerky, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball,@EtownFB, @FULLNELSONFOOT1

May 24, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

Mark Brown thought he would build a dynasty at one high school. In the end he built a dynasty which expanded across four (4) high schools and 38-years. Along the way, Brown won over 70% of his games, won 331-times against 140-losses, and took his alma mater, Nelson County, to the 4A title in 1996 in a thrilling 35-34 OT victory over Lexington’s Paul Dunbar High and its legendary HFC, Mike Meighan. It is Nelson County’s only football title in program history. We haven’t a clue what you would call such a record. We would call it a fine résumé. Enjoy this feature.

Friday Night Fletch

This week our Big Ass Fans Kentucky Comfort Creator is Jason Hence who has proven Goodin is NOT the only ‘Good’un’ on the Collins roster @jasonhenc3, @KadeGoodin, @MLCTitanCoach, @MLCHS_Athletics, @bigassfans, @minguabeefjerky, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball

May 23, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

Everyone across the commonwealth is eager to talk about Kade Goodin. What’s not to like? He is 6’3,” 190 pounds and threw for over 2,200-yards and 22-TDs a year ago while rushing for close to a thousand (861) and rushing for 13-TDs. Goodin isn’t the only prime time ’27 on Coach Lucas’s roster. Jason Hence is really coming on too. Find out in this feature what makes Jason Hence from Collins such a “cool customer.” Let’s keep it comfortable out there, Kentucky, and allow us to help you out in that regard.

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf(e)? Perhaps everyone should be! @MaleBulldogs, @LMHSCoachWolfe, @Aspirationsgym, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans

May 22, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

We don’t know ultimately who’s afraid of the big, bad Wolfe; but we know who should be…the teams having to face the Bulldogs this coming Fall. Chris Wolfe has been among the very best coaches in the business since he took his first job at Hancock County in 1997 and quickly led them to a 10-3 finish in 1998. Wolfe then went 46-25 at Waggener (1999-2004), taking them to the 2000 semis, and finally 18-16 at Pleasure Ridge Park (2005-2007) before landing at Male High as Bobby Redman’s successor. This is a pass-first, explosive play hunting, offensive innovator who recognized he would have to move the ball, through the air, and for large chunks of production to regularly compete with and overcome the teams in Louisville he would have to schedule. Enjoy this feature, Tra la la la la.

Friday Night Fletch

Storm Warning: Conner Miles is looking to lead @HopkinsCentral, @_CoachManning, @evans02_mike, @scott_khristian, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball

May 22, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

Connor Miles, a ’27 DE for the Storm, looks to have all the right measurements to thrive where slotted. Mile is a DE. Miles is 6’5″ tall. Miles weighs a slight, but thickening as he lifts and conditions, 215-pounds. Miles played some his sophomore year and did well when presented with opportunity. Coach Manning believes both Miles and Aaron Wells are growing into roles on his team. That means we should see much more from this prospect over the next couple of years than we have the first two. Big, tall, lengthy kids can take longer to develop. However, when they finally arrive… Enjoy the article and be careful out there; looks like a Storm is brewing!

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: Ewell E. “Judge” Waddell laid down the law around Highlands High from 1942-1954 @HighlandsFB, @WaddellScholars, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball, @bigassfans, @minguabeefjerky, @WKUFootball

May 21, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

We don’t make head coaches anymore the ilk or equal of your Doc Farrells, your Judge Waddells, or even your Homer Rices. No sir, those days appear long gone and who knows if we will ever see them reappear. Still, it is fun to remember when our high school football coaches were way more than just coaches. Many of them were fine teachers, accomplished academics, and community leaders. They were heroes to some and fine gentlemen to all. They required their players to act in conformity with a certain code of conduct from the young men they would lead and the young men they would coach. Enjoy this look at Judge Waddell, perhaps the first, great coach of the Highlands High School era. His efforts would result in the construction of one of the KHSAA’s all-time football factories, football dynasties.

Friday Night Fletch

Aaron ‘AD’ Johnson, from Perry County Central, is the Mingua Beef Jerky Protein-packed Performer of the Week @minguabeefjerky @bigassfans, @KyHighFootball, @PCCHSFootball, @kyhssportszone

May 21, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

Aaron David Johnson, or “AD” as he is called around Perry County Central circles has been making some real, off-season strides. He is getting taller, getting thicker, getting stronger exhibiting more arm-strength, and getting much, much faster. This kid has got the home folks around Hazard, Kentucky going plumb crazy. We believe this kid, coming off a solid junior year under center, is poised to have quite the senior season. Together with “little brother” Bryson Johnson (“Mr. B”), these two have the Commodores from Perry County Central trending in an upward trajectory. Enjoy this feature and don’t forget to pick up a few bags of some of the world’s finest beef jerky products. #SavorTheFlavor out there in Perry County, KY.

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: Doc Ferrell walked through Prestonsburg like a Demi-god @PrestonsburgFB, @SrHighFootball, @khsaafootball, @UKFootball, @KyHighFootball, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans

May 20, 2025 Fletcher Long 2

I think the world of Dan Goble. I am also mindful of the responsibility of this online magazine to be the recorders of KHSAA football history. I don’t know why the job has fallen to us, I just know that it has. That is why when I got a call from Coach Goble asking me to feature a former coach who meant the world to him, I was eager to comply with the request. From that phone call, this article materialized. I would like to thank my mother, and the DAR, for contributing to this piece. We have resurrected the story of a former great we were required to rescue from the dustbin of history, soon to be forgotten forever. Thank Goodness we got to it before it was gone. Enjoy this article.

Friday Night Fletch