The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Keystone’s Lampron is Golden Helmet winner
LB is Wildcats’ third player to capture honor in past 10 seasons
Keystone linebacker Gideon Lampron remembers when former teammate Jacob Shackelford won Lorain County’s Golden Helmet Award in 2019.
After the presentation, Shackelford’s father told Lampron he was “up next”.
Two years later, Shackelford was proven correct as Lampron was named the 2021 Golden Helmet Award winner at the Wildcats’ end-of-the-season banquet on Nov. 29.
“Back in my sophomore year when Jacob Shackelford won it, I was talking to his dad and he told me that I was up next,” Lampron said. “It’s something I had in the back of my mind while working. I wasn’t expecting any super crazy stats this year, I just wanted to win games. I’m super proud.“
The award was presented by Lorain Athletic Director Bryan Koury on behalf of Coca-Cola, the presenting sponsor of the award.
Lampron was the winner of the 2020 Matt Wilhelm Award given to the best player in The Morning Journal’s coverage area. As a junior, he ran for 1,608 yards and 19 touchdowns in just eight games leading
Keystone to the Lorain County League Championship.
His numbers in 2021 were down, but Lampron still made impressive plays every time he touched the ball. In 11 games, Lampron had 21 total touchdowns with 1,228 yards rushing. He also caught 22 passes for 311 yards receiving on 22 catches.
“I enjoy it so much playing every single down,” Lampron said. “Giving 100 percent on every snap is very hard, but it was a great experience.”
Lampron is the third Golden Helmet winner from Keystone in the past 10 years, joining Shackelford and former Kentucky
tight end CJ Conrad, who won the award in 2013.
“Woody Hayes said you win with people, and we’ve got really good people,” Keystone head coach Don Griswold said. “We have really great studentathletes and everything Bryan Koury said about Gideon Lampron is absolutely true.”
Lampron is widely respected by those inside and out of the Keystone program. Following a game against Columbia this past season, Columbia head coach Jason Ward called Lampron probably the best player he had ever coached against.
“We talk about leaving the jersey better than you found it and he’s the standard for that,” Griswold said. “That No. 4 jersey will never be the same again because of what he was able to do over the course of the last four years.”
The Golden Helmet wasn’t the only honor Lampron is taking home this postseason. The senior was also named Northeast Lakes District Offensive Player of the Year in Division V.
Lampron was also a first-team Morning Journal all-star as a linebacker,
where he was arguably the best player at that position in Lorain County. He had 132 tackles, 24 for loss and three sacks. He also had an interception, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
Lampron hasn’t decided on where he’s going to continue his education. Wherever it is, he plans on playing football.
“I have one Division I offer from Dayton. So I’m going down there to visit their football facilities next weekend,” he said. “I don’t know exactly where I’m going to college, but I know I’m going to play football. If I have to walk-on somewhere it doesn’t bother me, I’m willing to bet on myself because I’ve put in the work.”