LC Head Coach Kavon Lacey Recognized as One of the 25 Most Impactful Athletes in 25 Years

Hearst newspapers, The Telegraph and The Intelligencer, combined to present 25 of the most impactful athletes in 25 years.

Lee Bennett's stay as Alton Redbirds boys basketball coach produced a 100-27 record that stands as the most successful four-year stretch in the program's 121-year history.

Perhaps not coincidentally, that span from 2003-07 also covered Kavon Lacey's stay as an Alton Redbird.

"He has been a big part of it and people have taken notice of it," Bennett said of Lacey after the final of three successive 27-win seasons in 2007. "Kavon's good at everything he does and he's a versatile player. He was such a valuable asset to the program. … He plays with no visible ego and he wants to win. Other guys can say they're going to play team ball, but deep down inside, they're thinking, 'I, I, I.' Kavon's just not like that."

No, Kavon is thinking, 'W, W, W.' He just wins, wins, wins.

Along with his four Redbirds basketball seasons that left Lacey with 1,499 career points that still stand as Alton's school record, he was a three-year starter for Redbirds football bringing a 20-10 record and three playoff appearances. That is the winningest three-year stretch for Alton football since a 23-7 record from 1969-71.

The Lacey legacy – that adds "25 Athletes In 25 Years" recognition -- starts with basketball. That sport took him to college, as first a player, then a coach. But football was the first to reach Lacey at age 5.

Read the full article at https://www.thetelegraph.com/sports/article/25-athletes-25-years-kavon-lacey-alton-20402828.php

Article by Greg Shashack, Hearst Illinois (August 4, 2025)