Lampe to shift Irish into the fast lane.

Byline: Steve Mims The Register-Guard

Ron Lampe is bringing his full-court brand of basketball to Sheldon.

Lampe, who coached Creswell to the OSAA Class 3A title in 2000 and 2004, has been hired as the new boys basketball coach for the Irish.

"It's a great opportunity for me to coach the style of basketball I like to coach at a higher level," Lampe said. "We've had a lot of success at a small school doing it and being the small dog in the league, and now I get the opportunity to do that at one of the biggest schools in the area."

Lampe, 43, graduated from Creswell in 1980 and has been a teacher at Creswell Middle School for the past 19 years. He will move to Sheldon to teach math and physical education.

"I've been pretty loyal to stay here as long as I have and I'm not really a mover. I'm not looking to get other jobs," Lampe said. "I've had opportunities and not even applied, but this allows me to stay in the area."

Lampe will be Sheldon's third coach in the past three seasons and he replaces his own former high school coach, Doug Orton, who stepped aside after one season due to health reasons.

"There has not been a lot of stability with four coaches in five years and three straight years with a new coach, but I plan to end my career at Sheldon," Lampe said.

Lampe won two state titles at Creswell with two different styles beginning in 2000 when the Bulldogs slowed the pace to take advantage of Luke Jackson and the mismatches he could create. Creswell defeated Philomath 56-40 in the championship game

Four years later, the Bulldogs ran at a frantic pace most of the season and averaged nearly 75 points per game while compiling a 26-2 record. Creswell defeated league rival Junction City 57-39 for the state title.

"The way we played in 2004 is the way I want to play," Lampe said. "There are a lot of good athletes and good kids at Sheldon and it will be easier to fit that style of game. We want to push the ball and pressure on defense and get after it. You play more kids that way and it is easier to keep them motivated and easy to fill the stands because it is fun to watch. In 2004, if you didn't get to our junior varsity game you were not watching the varsity game because there were packed gyms everywhere we went."

Sheldon finished tied for fourth in the Midwestern League this year at 9-7 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. The Irish have a solid group of returnees, as junior Blake Poole led the league in scoring at 20.8 points per game while 6-foot-6 junior Brent McKee earned second-team all-league honors, and junior guard Alex Besaw earned honorable mention.

"We were very pleased to get a coach of Ron's caliber," Sheldon athletic director Brent Walsh said. "We think he can take us to the next level."

Lampe coached for 15 years at Creswell, including the last 12 as head coach.

"I felt like we did not start a tradition at Creswell but tried to continue one and the program is in good shape," Lampe said. "There is a great group of younger kids that should be successful. We kind of gave them the blueprint of what it takes to be successful. The 2004 kids watched in 2000 and saw how they were successful, and I hope this group learns from the group that was ahead of them. Creswell is a basketball town, and that will not change."