South Oldham and Oldham County High School have a significant and long standing rivalry in the small community of Oldham County, Kentucky. When it comes to football, this rivalry is unmatched when it comes to the intense close games and the high level of student and community spirit. One hire at South Oldham High School 15 years ago completely changed the program for SOHS, stocking our trophy cases and adding wins to our record, but there’s now a twist.
Jamie Reed spent 13 years as the head coach of The South Oldham Dragons, gaining 114 wins from 2010-2022. He took the Dragons to the state quarterfinals four times, and the semifinals twice, and won seven of the last eight district titles. Reed completely turned the program around, leading the Dragons from counting losing seasons to never having a losing season during his tenure as coach. In May of 2023, Reed stepped down as the head coach to be an assistant principal at East Oldham Middle School. He wanted to move to his new role full time, but he eventually discovered that he will always have a heart for coaching.
The Oldham County Colonels had a rough few years, averaging 2-3 wins a season. Ultimately, the Colonels fired their head coach and were on the hunt for a coach who could lead their team to victory. Reed heard about the opportunity and decided to take advantage. Eventually, he was hired as the next head coach for Oldham County, leaving the Dragon community feeling shocked and betrayed. After Coach Reed stepped down, however, a familiar face took over for the Dragons. Cain Sams was a defensive assistant for four years during Reed’s tenure. Once he was offered the head coaching position, he didn’t hesitate. Sams has followed in the footsteps of Reed, having a successful first few years and wanting to continue the winning streak for South. Over the past four years, Sams has continued the Dragon’s winning seasons.
The Dragons Tale reached out to Coach Sams about his thoughts of facing the man he used to coach with. “Coaching against coaches that you have coached with for several years isn’t common,” clarified Sams. He continues, “It adds an additional element to an already emotional game.”
Sams also provided some insight on how he’s prepared his team to beat their rival after coming off of their first loss of the season. Of the coaching staff helping to prepare the Dragons, Sams said his staff “is full of smart, hard-working men that care a lot about this program and these boys. Over 90+ years of coaching experience.
Sams also feels confident in the manner in which the athletes prepared for the game. “Throughout the years we have honed our craft and routine throughout the week to devise a gameplan and put our athletes in the best position possible to make plays,” states Sams. “Hours upon hours of film study, meetings, practice plans detailed to the rep and minute are all common practice for our staff.”
On September 19, 2025, The Oldham County Colonels will face the South Oldham Dragons at Irvin Stadium. The stakes are high for the Dragons and the Colonels to not only gain a rivalry win, but also compete to see who’s the better coach, and who holds bragging rights until the start of next season.
