Texas Football

By Neil Robertson/Special Contributor

AMARILLO -- The Golden Sand Storm of Amarillo High. Over 100 years of Texas Panhandle high school football tradition.

Three consecutive Texas state titles in the mid 30s. Head football legends named D.X. Bible and Blair Cherry – both of whom left to increase their legacies at the Texas Longhorns.

Add one to this list, the one who stayed – 31 seasons and counting.

Amarillo's Larry Dipple just added another number: 250. As in 250 career wins.

This number puts Dipple at eighth for career wins among the Top 10 active Texas high school head coaches. Amarillo High earned Dipple win No. 250 in convincing fashion against pass-happy Lubbock Coronado, 52-24 Thursday night at Amarillo’s Dick Bivins Stadium. The Sandies now stand alone atop District 2-5A at 3-0 and 7-1 overall.

Sandies quarterback Kyler Hill passed for 305 yards on 22 of 27 passing (including a stretch of 17 straight in the first half). He spread the ball around to eight different receivers for three touchdowns with no interceptions

Post-game, the quarterback had this comment: “that’s way cool, ” on being a key component of Dipple’s 250th career win.

Way cool?

“It’s just Dipple,” Hill explained smiling. “He’s always there for us giving us a good plan. It’s nice to do this for him.”

“I like getting Coach Dipple his 250th win. I’m sure he doesn’t care because he just goes on coaching,” added Amarillo defensive back Tanner Doughten, who recovered a key Coronado fumble in the third quarter.

Indeed he does, as his well-documented record testifies over 31 years at Amarillo High alone:

• He has won or shared 13 district titles;
• Amarillo-record 12 consecutive playoff appearances from 1992-2003;
• Texas state semifinal appearance in 1992;
• Past-president of the Texas High School Coaches Association;
• First high school football coach of the year awarded by the College Football Coaches Association.

So, there you have it. Larry Dipple, with 250 career wins, belongs among the great high school football coaches in Texas.

So what’s his take on 250?

“It’s a nice feeling … but what I’m really happy with is what this does for us in district.”

In other words, he just wants win No. 251. And Larry Dipple will just keep on coaching – into his 34th season and one more district title.

“That’s just the way it is,” a modest Dipple said. “Always the next one.”