Slow Motion Replay: The architect of the 50-game win streak, Dennis Lampley, from Trinity High @BALampley79, @TrinityHSFB, @trinitysports, @bigassfans, @minguabeefjerky, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball,

Lampley won 138 of the 159 games he coached at Trinity (.867924528 win percentage) with five titles in 12-years and an unprecedented 50-game win streak

Lampley was the head football coach at Trinity for 12-seasons. Lampley won five state championships at Kentucky’s largest classification of competition in a 10-year span, serving as the defensive coordinator for four (4) more Trinity championships. Lampley was either the head coach or defensive coordinator for nine (9) titles. Lampley also led the Shamrocks on a 50-game win streak, the Kentucky all-time record for win-streaks. At the time Lampley coached, there weren’t but 4 classifications. No other 4A team in Kentucky history has ever come close to winning so many consecutive games. We doubt that record will ever be broken, and should it be, doubt it will be a team playing “big boy football” breaking it. In addition to winning five titles, Lampley also coached Trinity to three consecutive, undefeated, championships. Throughout Lampley’s tenure, as head football coach at Trinity, Lampley’s teams were a mainstay in “USA Today’s Super 25,” and became known as one of America’s truly elite high school football programs, garnering attention for both Trinity and the KHSAA’s brand.

HB Lyon, Scouting Director, “KPGFootball”

Louisville, KY: Retief Goosen is enshrined in the World Golf Association’s Hall of Fame. He has the fewest number of PGA tour wins of any of the other members.

Goosen won seven (7) times on the PGA tour. Of the seven (7) wins, two (2) of them were US Opens (2001, 2004), and one was the Tour Championship (2004). The Tour Championship is one of the final events of the PGA Tour season.

Prior to 2007, its field consisted exclusively of the top 30 money leaders of the past PGA Tour season. It is a signature event and now part or the FedEx Cup championship series.

Now, if you were to Google search the phrase, “World Golf Association Hall of Fame” minimum criteria, you would see the Hall claims one has to win 15 PGA tour events and two (2) majors to merit enshrinement. We know this because we have “Googled” it.

We don’t know if there are minimum requirements for coaches to gain admission into the KHSAA, Dawahares Hall of Fame. If there are, we are unsure what those requirements might be.

We know Homer Niece gained admission with 127-wins. We know Fleming Thornton gained admission with 109-wins.

We know there are coaches enshrined who coached five (5) decades. We have seen strong applications where the applicant coached between 10-15 or so seasons.

Dennis Lampley, it would seem to us, is a strong candidate. Lampley is already enshrine in the Trinity Hall of Fame, and deservedly.

Lampley was the head football coach at Trinity for 12-years. His record over that 12-years span was 138-wins, 21-losses. He had a winning percentage close to 87% and competed at Kentucky’s largest classification of competition at the time (Kentucky 4A). We called that classification, “Big Boy Football.” It earned that nickname.

Lampley won five (5) “Big Boy Titles” in a decade and served as the Defensive Coordinator for four (4) additional titles. Lampley led the Shamrocks to 50-consecutive wins (1988-1991), a KHSAA record at any level (Homer Rice’s Highlands’ squad won 50-consective games in the 60s. Highlands was a 2A team at the time), a record many consider unassailable.

Lampley’s teams were mainstays in the USA Today’s Super 25 over his tenure. Trinity, over that period of time, because known as one of America’s elite high school football programs. This helped Trinity and its brand. This also increased the value of the KHSAA’s brand among other states and commonwealths as a place where championship football was routinely played.

Having teams routinely in the Super 25 in the nation’s most circulated newspaper is good for recruiting. It helps Kentucky kids catch on with college, life altering, football programs.

Lampley promoted Trinity and helped the Shamrocks promote its brand. Lampley helped the KHSAA too.

Coach Lampley got to coach his son, Brad Lampley. Under Dennis steady hand and tutelage, Brad Lampley developed into a much recruited, elite player in the Derby City and went on to become a varsity football player at the University of Tennessee.

Brad Lampley is a very successful businessman and lawyer today in Tennessee’s state capital (Nashville). Brad is heavily involved with Tennessee alumni and fundraising activities.

Brad had a son, Jackson Lampley. Little Lampley (Lampleys really don’t come in “Little” sizes) also played football at a prestigious, private high school, (Montgomery Bell Academy “MBA”), and later at the same University as dad.

Little Lampley, and all 6’4,” 320-pounds of him, also played football for the “Vols.” Jackson Lampley was a constant contributor along the interior offensive line. The 2024 campaign was his sixth and final season with the program.

Jackson played in 52 career games in the SEC, the country’s premier college football conference. Dennis Lampley’s grandson only allowed one sack in his career on 647 offensive snaps.

That’s a Lampley for you. Go big or go home is, unofficially, the Lampley family “motto.”

The name “Lampley” will always be associated, first and foremost, with Trinity High. However, Lampley coached on staffs in both Danville (1969-1971) and Madisonville (1968,1969) prior to taking the reins to one of the commonwealth’s more storied and prestigious programs.

At the end of the day, what was it which made the World Golf Hall of Fame relax its published standards and enshrine a seven (7) time PGA Tour winner in Retief Goosen? We are guessing here, we haven’t asked them, but the two US Opens and the TOUR Championship probably accounted for quite a few “regular wins” in the eyes of the committee.

At the end of the day, what gets Dennis Lampley enshrined in the KHSAA Dawahares Hall of Fame? How many wins are enough? How many seasons are enough?

How many wins and seasons do five (5) titles as a HFC at Kentucky’s largest classification of competition (at the time, 4A) count? How many wins and seasons does nine (9) titles as a DC and HFC at Kentucky’s largest classification of competition count?

How many wins and seasons does the commonwealth’s all-time longest win streak of 50-consecutive games count? How many wins and seasons does three (3) successive, Big-Boy, undefeated championships count?

Is it enough? It is for us. How can it not be? As it turns out, it was enough for the KHSAA, too.

This is Friday Night Fletch, reporting for KPGFootball, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!

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