Mike Fields

Slow Motion Replay: Sam Simpson, over his 27-year career at Henry Clay provided Blue Devil fans lots of shining moments @HCHSDevilsFB, @HCHS_Athletics, @MarionCoKnights, @KyHighFootball, @khsaafootball, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans

June 16, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

Sam Simpson went 32-years coaching at two places not easy to win ball games. Marion County was five years and the other 27 were spent in Lexington at Henry Clay High. Simpson won 193-games at Henry Clay, taking the Blue Devils to one of its two visits to the title game. Henry Clay beat St. Francis DeSales back in 1981 for the 4A title under Jack Bell. Simpson would take the team on an improbably four (4) game run through the playoffs which ultimately ended in the title game against Mike Glasur’s Tigers. Well, that ended up like matchups with St. Xavier often do, with the Tigers leaving the field with victory. Enjoy this installment of our “Slow Motion Replay” series.

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: Walter Brugh was ‘The Big Blue Legend’ at Paintsville High @PaintsvilleFB, @PaintsvilleHS, @MichaelBrughArt, @CitadelFootball, @minguabeefjerky, @bigassfans, @KyHighFootball, @khsaafootball

June 13, 2025 Fletcher Long 0

I, for one, miss the old time football coaches like Walter Brugh from Paintsville. Often the “greats” from these days end up among the all-timers. This guy here fits that bill. Brugh went to the title game twice, in 1978 and in 1985. Each trip netted him a tight ball game which pitted him against two other Hall of Famers, Marshall Patterson in 1978 and Pat Gates in 1985. We have before mused around the magazine how often two hall of fame guys find themselves pitted against the other at that level. It is uncanny. Enjoy this look at a coach who retired in 1994 the KHSAA’s all time leader in wins. He has since been eclipsed but remains pretty high on the all-time wins list. The “Big Blue Legend” himself, Walter Brugh. Try to learn a thing or two.

Friday Night Fletch

Slow Motion Replay: Bob Redman, Renaissance Man @ItsChris_Redman, @OwensboroSports, @bigassfans, @minguabeefjerky, @khsaafootball, @KyHighFootball, @MaleBulldogs

May 19, 2025 Fletcher Long 5

Bob Redman was a true Renaissance Man in that he was able to do a variety of things while doing them all very well. Redman was among the greatest high school football coaches the Louisville area has ever known and managed to beat both St. Xavier and Trinity more than any other Louisville area coach in spite of coaching a team in one of those powerhouses’s districts in 30 of his 35-years. Redman averaged over 9-wins a season for 35-seasons. Playing against the best and most talented rosters the commonwealth of Kentucky had to offer, that is really something quite remarkable. Enjoy this feature.

Friday Night Fletch