LHS Golden Bears Football History

09/05/2026

🏈400 WINS. ONE LEXINGTON💛💜🏈

With last night’s first region win over Phil Campbell, our Golden Bears are now 3-0 on the season — and that victory gave Lexington High School Football its 400th win in school history!

And this 3-0 start is something special — it’s the first time our Bears have started a season 3-0 since 2016!

Four hundred wins is more than a number. It represents generations of players, coaches, band members, cheerleaders, families, and fans who have worn the purple and gold, supported this program, and helped make Lexington Football what it is today.

So this Friday night, September 11, as we take on Falkville at Raymond McMeans Stadium, we want to celebrate EVERYONE who has been a part of those 400 wins.

If you played for Lexington… coached at Lexington… marched in the band… cheered on the sidelines… or sat in the stands supporting the Golden Bears — we want you there!

Come home!

And our Bears deserve a HUGE home crowd behind them, cheering them on as they continue this special season!

Come celebrate the past.
Come support the present.
Come be a part of what happens next.

400 wins belong to all of us.

Let’s fill Raymond McMeans Stadium Friday night and celebrate 400 wins of Lexington Football!

🏆 400 WINS
🐻 3-0
💜💛 ONE FAMILY
🏠 ONE LEXINGTON

See you Friday night

09/04/2026

September 4, 1981 - The Bears gave head coach Garner Ezell his first career win with a 6-0 shutout at Wilson. The defense forced 6 fumbles and 2 interceptions in the win. Vance Gray scored the only points of the game, a one-yard run immediately following a Tim Pettus fumble recovery. John Wayne Masonia had two fumble recoveries and an interception. Shane Davis sealed the win with a late interception.

09/04/2026

September 5, 1986 - The Bears moved to 1-1 with a 22-8 home win against the Central Wildcats. Eric Thigpen rushed for 190 yards on 29 carries and scored on a 15-yard run, a 6-yard reception, and a 5-yard run.

08/27/2026

Thursday, August 28, 1986 - On an unusually crisp late-August night, the Brooks-Lexington series was renewed at E.D. Redding Stadium after a four-year hiatus. The Lions had a 7-0 lead at the half thanks to a first quarter Todd Parker touchdown run. The Bears made it 7-6 in the third quarter after Donald Stewart recovered a Brooks fumble. A 31-yard pass from Scott McGee to Paul Carlock to the three-yard-line highlighted the drive, and Eric Thigpen scored on the next play.

The Lions took a 14-6 lead when Byron Greer scored on a 41-yard reverse. The Bears' final drive ended when Parker intercepted McGee at the Lion 13. The Lions ran out the final 7:13 to claim the win.

Note: A late August cold front made the conditions unusually pleasant for an opening game. According to NWS records from the Muscle Shoals airport, the high temperature for the day was 75, and temps were in the low 60s as the game ended. The weather remained cool for several days, with the airport recording a high of 67 on 8/31.

08/27/2026

Thursday, August 27, 1981 - Big plays highlighted the Bears' annual rivalry with the Brooks Lions at Raymond McMeans Stadium. Ron Toner returned a punt 64-yards, then scored four plays later to put the Bears up 6-0. The Lions tied the game on a touchdown pass from Kevin Montgomery to Chad Morrison, completing a five-play drive that featured a 73-yard run by Ollie Petty.

The Lions went up 14-6 on a one-yard run by Jason Meadows, a drive setup by a Lexington fumble. The Bears made it 14-12 late in the first half. A 42-yard pass from Kerry Mashburn to John Wayne Masonia was the big play that setup the Ron Toner touchdown.

After Toner left with an injury early in the third quarter, the Lions put together an 11-play, 54-yard drive to ice the game. Charlie Meyers hauled in a 24-yard pass on third down to keep the drive alive, then scored on a 4-yard pass to make the final margin 21-12.

Note: This was the 13th straight meeting between the Bears and Lions, and the 8th straight as the season opener. The series began when Brooks High School opened in 1969. But the series would take a 4-year hiatus after this game when the 1982-83 reclassification created an 11-team 3A Area 13. That reclassification also paused the Bears' rivalries with Lauderdale County and Rogers.

08/27/2026

Thursday, August 27, 1981 - The Times-Daily highlighted the two Thursday night games kicking off the 1981 season in the Shoals area. Central would travel to Deshler, and Lexington was hosting Brooks. Central's Benny Burns, and Lexington's Garner Ezell were both making their head coaching debuts.

08/26/2026

Published Sunday, August 24, 1986, this is the Times-Daily's preview of the 1986 Lexington Golden Bears, the fourth season for Head Coach Billy Snider.

08/26/2026

Published Sunday, August 23, 1981, this was the Times-Daily's preview of the 1981 Lexington Golden Bears, Coach Garner Ezell's first season as head coach.

08/20/2026

Get you a big orange drink tonight. And you might have to yell at those convicts some.

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupWhat It Was, Was Foot...

08/20/2026

Once again this football season, we will be highlighting two of the top teams in LHS history. This season, we will go back 40 and 45 years to look at the 1986 and 1981 Bears.

Tied with the 2005 team for the second best record in school history, Coach Billy Snider's 1986 team finished 11-2, won the 3A Area 13 championship, and advanced to the third round of the state playoffs.

Coach Garner Ezell's 1981 team (his first as head coach) finished 7-3. They won the 2A Area 13 championship, which earned the Bears their third straight playoff appearance.

As usual, look for game recaps to be posted on Fridays as close to the original game dates as possible. Recaps will begin next week! Hope you enjoy this season's look back.

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