Throwback Thursday: The Meade County Green Wave football team began a run to the KHSAA 3-A State Championship 35 years ago
- Chad Hobbs
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
As the Meade County football team prepares to kickoff its 2026 campaign this Friday night, we take a look back at the 1991 Green Wave squad on this WMMG Throwback Thursday, brought to you by KY Land Company of Irvington.
It was 35 years ago, that the '91 Green Wave football team prepared to kick off their season against the Breck County Tigers, with high hopes. By the time the season was over, the Waves took an 8-2 record into the playoffs, with their only losses coming against LaRue County and Central Hardin. They, then, rolled through Franklin, Scott and Woodford Counties' teams to claim a Regional Championship on their way to play Bowling Green in a Semi-State matchup for the right to go to the State Championship at Cardinal Stadium in Louisville. They would win that game by a score of 19-15. The Green Wave would ultimately come up short in the State Championship finale against Bell County by a score of 13-35, but would bring home Meade County’s first ever State Runner-Up Title in football.
Larry French was Meade County's head coach during that '91 season, and he would stay at the helm of football program for 12 more seasons, compiling a 105-67 record from 1989 to 2003. Coach French would make stops at Lincoln County, Boyle County, Southwestern and Middlesboro before retiring from the later after the 2025 season as the third winningest coach in Kentucky High School Football history. His 381 wins only trailed former foe, Bell County coach Dudley Hilton, with 455 wins and Phillip Haywood with 486 wins. Coach French also won two back-to-back State Championships during his tenure at Boyle County in 2009 and 2010. He began his coaching career at Mercer County in 1975 before coming to Meade County. Sadly, he would be taken from this world just four months after retiring. Coach French passed away on April 8 of this year.
In honor of Coach Larry French's life and legacy, the Meade County Green Wave football team will honor the beloved Coach at Friday night's season opener against South Oldham at 7:30 pm at Hamilton Field. Shirts honoring him were sold, which fans are encouraged to wear to the game. The official game ball also has "Coach Larry French 1978-2025" printed on its side along with "One More Play" to honor his coaching career. The players will also wear memorial decals on their helmets this season.
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