Marshall Ray Graham

Slow Motion Replay: ‘Holy Toledo, Batman! It’s Coach Ben Pumphrey!’ @KyHighFootball, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans, @khsaafootball

June 21, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

We thought we had concluded our “Slow Motion Replay” series and then a colleague reached out to me and said “What about Ben Pumphrey?” We researched it and couldn’t have agreed more. Pumphrey was among the more fun and charismatic coaches the KHSAA has ever known. He was also a guy who traveled the commonwealth taking hard jobs, jobs many of his colleagues didn’t want. Pumphrey did it to make a difference and what a difference he made. Pumphrey was enshrined in the KHSAA Hall of Fame in 2004 and richly, deservedly. Today he is being featured by us. Again, his being featured by Friday Night Fletch and KPGFootball is richly and deservedly past due. Enjoy this edition of the Slow Motion Replay series. Be aware, there is no telling where this series will actually end and when. We will keep writing them as long as you care to read them.

Friday Night Fletch.

Slow Motion Replay: Marshall Ray Graham was Dedicated to the Fight and Devoted to the Victory @grahamfam1975, @Doug_Preston1, @LCAEAGLESFB, @MSUEaglesFB, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans, @KyHighFootball, @khsaafootball

May 3, 2025 Fletcher Long 3

Most of Marshall Graham’s friends call him “Ray,” or so we are told. We are also told Ray Graham is a coach who made a penchant for doing more with less. As far as X’s and O’s, there is just no one in the KHSAA who is much better than Coach Graham. Overall, Graham won 252-games. More importantly, Graham, a very devout man, believed his coaching football was a “calling” and Graham answered God’s call and lived his faith everyday of his coaching career. Graham came up with “DTF-DTV” which stands for Dedicated to the Fight/Devoted to the Victory. Graham’s kids played both with dedication and devotion and they both finished and proved themselves victorious in more games than not. Graham got the very most from their physical capabilities much of Graham’s career. Enjoy this feature about a Kentucky High School football coaching icon, a “lifer” as those of us similarly afflicted are prone to pronounce.

Friday Night Fletch

Connor Marshall (Class of 2020) has come into his own, looking for big senior year

August 1, 2019 Henry Lyon 1

How was Ray Graham able to step in and turn around a Thoroughbred football program in Cynthiana, Kentucky (Harrison County) which had won a total of 9 games from 2014-2017? Well, it certainly didn’t hurt to have a Marshall on hand. Coach Graham had previously coached two other Marshalls, one named Bubba, the other named Cliff. Now he’s coaching Connor. It would appear Connor is on the cusp of a big, big year.