Whether he’s plying his craft at a big school or a small school, Ludlow High School’s Aaron Stamm has been one of Northern Kentucky’s most successful basketball coaches. No matter if he is coaching boys or girls, Stamm always seems to get the most out of his teams. The 1996 Ludlow graduate has 2021 enshrinement in the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame to back it up.
But this isn’t another inspirational story about yet another Ludlow student-athlete who came back to the high school and paid it all back in spades by helping Ludlow kids who are just like Stamm was when he was in school.
It’s another inspirational story about the Ludlow kids of today and how they make it happen in sports despite all the obstacles that beset small public schools like Ludlow.
Even so, the Panthers are lucky to have around a man like Stamm, someone who can empathize with them because he’s been in their shoes. There was a day in the not-too-distant past when Stamm was one of them and trying to make his way through life while playing sports.
Stamm played football, basketball and baseball at Ludlow. As a senior, he led the basketball team in scoring and was one of the top 3-point shooters in the area. He made up for lack of height and ideal quickness by outhustling opponents and being one step ahead of them because he was so smart.
He sees a lot of himself in his players while marveling at their superior athletic ability. He’s amazed he can draw upon such talent from a small student body with annually low enrollment.
“Our kids demonstrate good character, and that’s important,” Stamm said. “For these kids, basketball isn’t the only important thing. They’ve got family, school, other sports, work and life. They’re busy. Some of them have to overcome a lot and they still succeed. It’s impressive.”
What’s also impressive is Ludlow’s record against schools its own size. The Panthers are 19-1 over the last two seasons against Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference Division III teams. The Panthers are 9-1 against their conference peers this season. They placed first in the NKAC D-3 standings, earning the No. 1 seed in this week’s NKAC Classic featuring six of the conference’s smallest schools. The event began Tuesday.
Host Ludlow (13-11) received a first-round bye and opens play Friday against Heritage Academy in a 6 p.m. semifinal. A win advances the Panthers to Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. championship game. Ludlow is defending tournament champion, beating Bellevue in last year’s final. Bellevue is this year’s No. 2 seed.
“The senior class laid the ground work for this,” Stamm said. “I’ve got five seniors. Most have been with me since I started after coaching the girls. They gave me the opportunity as juniors to lay the foundation. They are great examples of what we’ve been given by this school.”
Senior co-captains Elijah Perrin and Ethan Powell and fellow senior Matt Wolfinbarger are key cogs in the regular rotation of seven. Perrin (17.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg), junior Spencer Brandenburg (17.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and Powell (14.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg) represent 80% of the scoring. No less important are juniors Joseph Scott (6.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg), Byron Conley and Matt Brock. None of the seven missed more than two games this season.
“Wolfinbarger didn’t play basketball for a few years and gave us a chance,” Stamm said. “He’s been a great addition.”
Perrin is a 6-foot-3 forward. He averaged 10 points and 7.4 rebounds per game last season, so his averages are way up.
“A lot of athleticism with Elijah. He runs the floor like a deer,” Stamm said. “He worked hard and he’s really improved. He’s one of the guys who really bought in to what we wanted to do and helped us out.”
Perrin credits his coach and his teammates’ attitudes for his success all over the hardwood.
“I like how we get after it,” Perrin said. “We’re gritty and we play hard. I feel like by the time we have our game, we have our minds right.”
Powell, a 6-foot-1 point forward, also makes his mark on both ends of the court.
“He’s our best on-ball defender,” Stamm said. “He’s tough and athletic. He made a commitment to play football at Mount St. Joseph University last week.”
Brandenburg, a 6-foot point guard, runs the offense. His scoring average is up too, from last season’s 14 points per game.
“We want him to understand that he can still be a scorer from that position,” Stamm said. “He’s done a nice job.”
It hasn’t been easy. One of the adjustments Stamm has had to make while coaching boys basketball at Ludlow, instead of girls basketball at big-school Conner, is dealing with the reality of low enrollment while managing the beginning of the season. He admits it’s a challenge to navigate the early going as the team awaits arrivals from the ever more successful Ludlow football team.
This season, more than half the basketball roster, including the top three scorers and four of five seniors, contained Ludlow football players who played the last of three playoff games Nov. 17. The basketball season started Nov. 30. Basketball practice began Nov. 15.
“One thing I’ve learned is how to balance a successful football team with the beginning of the basketball season. They did really well,” Stamm said of Ludlow grad Woody McMillen’s football squad. “I expect that to continue so I’ve learned how to deal with the organizational stuff.”
It’s proven to be a solid relationship between the two squads. Stamm knows the football team almost as well as the basketball team. He was the internet broadcaster for the football team last fall.
In his 20 years in coaching, Stamm has now coached 11 years at Ludlow, nine at Conner. He’s coached Ludlow and Conner girls basketball for a combined 18 years, Ludlow in two separate stints. He began his career coaching the Ludlow girls. He returned to the Ludlow girls in 2019 after his girls stint at Conner. Everywhere he’s coached he’s demonstrated the ability to rack up around 20 wins and often many more.
Even so, he guesses he’s probably learned just as much about himself as a coach in his two years helming the Ludlow boys, who finished last season with a record of 19-12, despite all the obstacles.
“A successful football team really helps our athletic department,” Stamm said. “It’s great to have players with that kind of momentum coming into the season but I’ve had to learn how to coach that.”
The more he watches his squad, the better he likes it.
“We’re pretty good at getting to the rim,” Stamm said. “We have a lot of athletes for a small school. We play together.”
The deep-seated togetherness is what Powell likes most about this Ludlow team.
“I’ve got to give a shout-out to Conley and Brock. They bring energy off the bench,” Powell said. “Miles Garrett, he’s heart over height. He’s not very tall (5-5) but he really helps us. It’s his first year at Ludlow (after transferring from Cooper).”
Brandenburg supports Powell’s assertions.
“Oh, yeah,” Brandenburg said. “We need everybody to beat these small schools. Coach is doing a great job. He grew up here. It’s nice to have a coach like that.”