History Of The NKY Jack Kaelin Freshman Regional Tournament

[Ballfan934]

3 hours ago, Hoopoop said:

Is there a draw yet?  Any favorites?

Highlands, Covington Catholic, and Cooper would be my picks. 

[FirstTimeLongTime]

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

PAST WINNERS:

1959 - Boone County
1960 - Newport Catholic
1961 - Newport
1962 - Boone County
1963 - Newport Catholic
1964 - John G. Carlisle
1965 - John G. Carlisle
1966 - Covington Catholic
1967 - Newport Catholic
1968 - Covington Catholic
1969 - Covington Holy Cross
1970 -
1971 - Covington Holy Cross
1972 - Covington Catholic
1973 - Covington Catholic
1974 - Newport Catholic
1975 - Covington Catholic
1976 - Twenhofel
1977 - Holmes
1978 - Simon Kenton
1979 -
1980 - Newport Catholic
1981 - Newport Catholic
1982 - Covington Catholic
1983 - Simon Kenton
1984 - Newport Central Catholic
1985 - Highlands
1986 - Simon Kenton
1987 -
1988 -
1989 - Covington Catholic
1990 - Covington Catholic
1991 - Covington Catholic
1992 - Covington Catholic
1993 - Covington Catholic
1994 - Covington Catholic
1995 - Highlands
1996 - Highlands
1997 - Covington Catholic
1998 - Boone County
1999 - Covington Catholic
2000 - Dixie Heights
2001 - Highlands
2002 - Covington Catholic
2003 - Covington Catholic
2004 - Covington Catholic
2005 - Covington Catholic
2006 - Ryle
2007 - Covington Catholic
2008 - Boone County
2009 - Boone County
2010 - Scott
2011 - Covington Catholic
2012 - Covington Catholic
2013 - Simon Kenton
2014 - Covington Catholic
2015 - Covington Catholic
2016 - Covington Holy Cross
2017 - Covington Catholic
2018 - Covington Catholic
2019 - Covington Catholic
2020 - Covington Catholic
2021 - Cooper
2022 - Cooper
2023 - Covington Catholic

[Voice of Reason]

8 minutes ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

PAST WINNERS:

1959 - Boone County
1960 -
1961 - Newport
1962 - Boone County
1963 - Newport Catholic
1964 - John G. Carlisle
1965 - John G. Carlisle
1966 - Covington Catholic
1967 - Newport Catholic
1968 - Covington Catholic
1969 - Covington Holy Cross
1970 -
1971 - Covington Holy Cross
1972 - Covington Catholic
1973 - Covington Catholic
1974 - Newport Catholic
1975 - Covington Catholic
1976 - Twenhofel
1977 - Holmes
1978 - Simon Kenton
1979 -
1980 - Newport Catholic
1981 - Newport Catholic
1982 - Covington Catholic
1983 - Simon Kenton
1984 - Newport Central Catholic
1985 - Highlands
1986 - Simon Kenton
1987 -
1988 -
1989 - Covington Catholic
1990 - Covington Catholic
1991 - Covington Catholic
1992 - Covington Catholic
1993 - Covington Catholic
1994 - Covington Catholic
1995 - Highlands
1996 - Highlands
1997 - Covington Catholic
1998 - Boone County
1999 - Covington Catholic
2000 - Dixie Heights
2001 - Highlands
2002 - Covington Catholic
2003 - Covington Catholic
2004 - Covington Catholic
2005 - Covington Catholic
2006 - Ryle
2007 - Covington Catholic
2008 - Boone County
2009 - Boone County
2010 - Scott
2011 - Covington Catholic
2012 - Covington Catholic
2013 - Simon Kenton
2014 - Covington Catholic
2015 - Covington Catholic
2016 - Covington Holy Cross
2017 - Covington Catholic
2018 - Covington Catholic
2019 - Covington Catholic
2020 - Covington Catholic
2021 - Cooper
2022 - Cooper
2023 - Covington Catholic

Why are there some years with no winner? No tournament those years? What happened?

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

3 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

Why are there some years with no winner? No tournament those years? What happened?

Working on figuring out who the winners were those years. I just learned in the last 5 minutes that Newport Catholic's freshman team beat Campbell County's junior high team to win the 1960 tournament.

[FrankNicodemus]

Should be a fun tournament this year, I might just have to attend some of these games!

#GOBIRDS!!

 

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

 

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

2024 Jack Kaelin NKY Freshman Invitational Tourney

2023 Jack Kaelin NKY Freshman Invitational Tourney

2022 Jack Kaelin NKY Freshman Invitational Tourney

2021 Jack Kaelin NKY Freshman Invitational Tourney

2020 Jack Kaelin NKY Freshman Invitational Tourney

2019 Jack Kaelin NKY Freshman Invitational Tourney

2018 Jack Kaelin NKY Freshman Invitational Tourney

2017 Jack Kaelin NKY Freshman Invitational Tourney

2015 Jack Kaelin NKY Freshman Invitational Tourney

2014 Jack Kaelin NKY Freshman Invitational Tourney

2013 NKY Freshman Invitational Tournament played at CovCath

2012 NKY Freshman Invitational Tournament played at CovCath

2010 NKY Freshman Invitational Tournament played at CovCath

2008 NKY Freshman Invitational Tournament played at CovCath

2006 NKY Freshman Invitational Tournament played at CovCath

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

PAST WINNERS:
1936 - Newport Junior High
1937 - Holmes Junior High
1938- Alexandria Junior High
1939 -  *
1940 - Holmes Junior High
1941 - John G. Carlisle Junior High
1942 - Dayton Junior High
1943 -  *
1944 -  *
1945 - John G. Carlisle Junior High
1946 - Dayton Junior High
1947 - Bellevue Junior High
1948 - Dixie Heights Freshman
1949 - Holmes Junior High
1950 - Highlands Freshman
1951 - Newport Catholic Freshman
1952 - John G. Carlisle Junior High
1953 - Newport Catholic Freshman
1954 - John G. Carlisle Junior High
1955 - Holmes Freshman
1956 - Newport Freshman
1957 - John G. Carlisle Junior High
1958 - Bellevue Junior High
1959 - Boone County Freshman
1960 - Newport Catholic Freshman
1961 - Newport Freshman
1962 - Boone County Freshman
1963 - Newport Catholic Freshman
1964 - Newport Catholic Freshman
1965 - John G. Carlisle Junior High
1966 - Covington Catholic Freshman
1967 - Newport Catholic Freshman
1968 - Covington Catholic Freshman
1969 - Holy Cross Freshman
1970 -  *
1971 - Holy Cross Freshman
1972 - Covington Catholic Freshman
1973 - Covington Catholic Freshman
1974 - Newport Catholic Freshman
1975 - Covington Catholic Freshman
1976 - Twenhofel Junior High
1977 - Holmes Freshman
1978 - Simon Kenton Freshman
1979 -  *
1980 - Newport Catholic Freshman
1981 - Newport Catholic Freshman
1982 - Covington Catholic Freshman
1983 - Simon Kenton Freshman
1984 - Newport Central Catholic Freshman
1985 - Highlands Freshman
1986 - Lloyd Memorial Freshman
1987 - Highlands Freshman
1988 -  Holmes Freshman
1989 - Covington Catholic Freshman
1990 - Covington Catholic Freshman
1991 - Covington Catholic Freshman
1992 - Covington Catholic Freshman
1993 - Covington Catholic Freshman
1994 - Covington Catholic Freshman
1995 - Highlands Freshman
1996 - Highlands Freshman
1997 - Covington Catholic Freshman
1998 - Boone County Freshman
1999 - Covington Catholic Freshman
2000 - Dixie Heights Freshman
2001 - Highlands Freshman
2002 - Covington Catholic Freshman
2003 - Covington Catholic Freshman
2004 - Covington Catholic Freshman
2005 - Covington Catholic Freshman
2006 - Ryle Freshman
2007 - Covington Catholic Freshman
2008 - Boone County Freshman
2009 - Boone County Freshman
2010 - Scott Freshman
2011 - Covington Catholic Freshman
2012 - Covington Catholic Freshman
2013 - Simon Kenton Freshman
2014 - Covington Catholic Freshman
2015 - Covington Catholic Freshman
2016 - Holy Cross Freshman
2017 - Covington Catholic Freshman
2018 - Covington Catholic Freshman
2019 - Covington Catholic Freshman
2020 - Covington Catholic Freshman
2021 - Cooper Freshman
2022 - Cooper Freshman
2023 - Covington Catholic Freshman

* Winner Not Known

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

Originally created in 1936, the Northern Kentucky Freshman Invitational Basketball Tournament began as the Northern Kentucky Junior High School Basketball Tournament, a conception of Newport High School basketball coach W. J. “Blue” Foster, who was also Newport’s football coach and the athletic director for Newport Independent Schools at the time. Drawings for the first NKJHSBT were held on Feb 18, 1936 and the tournament began the following day. Hosted in Newport High School’s gymnasium, the first and second round games were played using the small practice cross-courts, and then the semifinal and championship rounds were both played on the large court.

The thirteen teams in the inaugural tourney included Silver Grove Junior High, Holmes Junior High, Highlands Junior High, Campbell County Junior High, Newport Catholic Freshman, Southgate Junior High, Lloyd Memorial Freshman, Ludlow Junior High, Morgan Junior High (Pendleton Co), Newport Junior High, Bellevue Junior High, AJ Jolly Junior High, and Dayton Junior High. Rules for the tournament stated that teams could only be comprised of students currently in grades 7, 8 and 9. Falmouth High School was originally included as a 14th team in the tournament, but had misunderstood the rules by thinking they were able to field a team of 9th and 10th graders. Once Blue Foster set the record straight, Falmouth was forced to withdraw. Five days after the initial tipoff in the tournament, the finals were played on Feb 24, 1936 with Newport beating Holmes 18-15 and raising the first James Wallace Costigan American Legion Trophy.

Tournament organizer Blue Foster, a Texas native who came to Newport following his first coaching job in Harrisburg, IL, departed Newport for Henderson High School at the end of the 1942 school year, but then became head basketball coach at Miami University in Oxford, OH just days into the following school year. In Foster’s absence, organizational duties for the NKJHSBT were assumed by the Covington YMCA. The Y continued with Foster’s original scheme of participating teams alternating hosting honors year to year, in addition to volunteering the YMCA’s facility as a host-site for some of the early round games each year.

There have always been all-freshman teams participating in the tournament, with Dixie Heights becoming the first all-freshman team known to have won the tourney in 1948. As interscholastic athletics expanded in high schools, more of those high schools began fielding freshman basketball teams. As such, more freshman teams were requesting admittance to the Northern Kentucky tournament while many of the area junior high teams began declining invitations to participate. As the tournament began evolving into a predominantly freshman affair, the name of the tourney was initially changed to the YMCA Juniors Tournament during the mid-1950s, and by 1960 it had adopted a new name as the Northern Kentucky Freshman Basketball Tournament, while still clinging to its original rules to include teams comprised of 7th, 8th, and 9th graders.

Boone County High School opened for the 1954-55 school year, and the school’s large new gymnasium became one of the regular host sites for the 9th Region Tournament each year. Around that same time, with their home facility aging, the Covington YMCA expressed a desire to hand the Northern Kentucky Freshman Basketball Tournament over to the athletic directors of the high schools. Boone County High School then was elected as home site for the both the NKFBT and the 9th Region Tournament for several consecutive years during the mid-to-late 1960s.

Approaching the end of the 1960s, Boone County athletic director John Dorman had a conversation in passing with then-Covington Catholic assistant athletic director and friend, Jack Kaelin, during one of the freshman tournament games. In the brief conversation, Dorman and expressed a desire to take a break from organizing the freshman tournament after having spent a handful of years running both the freshman and 9th Region tourneys. Soon thereafter, Kaelin approached Covington Catholic AD Hep Cronin and proposed moving the tournament to their gymnasium for the following year. The tournament was moved to Cov Cath in 1970 and has been hosted there ever since. Jack Kaelin nearly single-handedly organized and hosted the tournament at Cov Cath from 1970 up until 2007, and the athletic directors of the participating schools elected to rename the tournament in Jack’s honor in 2013.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

I've spent a decent bit of time each year when tournament time rolls around looking into things and researching the tournament history, between newspaper archives and talking to old-timers. There's a world of difference between what I knew of the past winners list and tournament history when this thread initially started in 2018 and what I know now. I think the two posts above are about as complete as anyone realistically is going to come up with in terms of tournament history.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

Just was informed that Holmes beat Simon Kenton to win the 1988 finals.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

I also have someone who said they believe Highlands won in 1987.

Any Highlands folks who can confirm or deny that? @FrankNicodemus @Weasbird91 @Bluebird @BirdWatcher51 @Woody Hayes @THUNDERBIRDS @BirdDaddy @Bird Bath

[FrankNicodemus]

46 minutes ago, Colonels_Wear_Blue said:

I also have someone who said they believe Highlands won in 1987.

Any Highlands folks who can confirm or deny that? @FrankNicodemus @Weasbird91 @Bluebird @BirdWatcher51 @Woody Hayes @THUNDERBIRDS @BirdDaddy @Bird Bath

YES!!!  Just looked at my Highlander from that year.  FRESHMEN TAKE REGION is the headline for the Freshmen team page.  They defeated Simon Kenton, Conner and then Campbell County to hoist the trophy.  

The team was led by now UofL girls coach Jeff Walz and Jason Rapp as leading scorers.  Steve Hunt (of Troy College fame) led in assists.  Tom Roberts and Brian Egan were the leading rebounders.

Coach of the Freshmen team that year was none other than one of the Best ever Coaches, Coach John Messmer.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

12 minutes ago, FrankNicodemus said:

YES!!!  Just looked at my Highlander from that year.  FRESHMEN TAKE REGION is the headline for the Freshmen team page.  They defeated Simon Kenton, Conner and then Campbell County to hoist the trophy.  

The team was led by now UofL girls coach Jeff Walz and Jason Rapp as leading scorers.  Steve Hunt (of Troy College fame) led in assists.  Tom Roberts and Brian Egan were the leading rebounders.

Coach of the Freshmen team that year was none other than one of the Best ever Coaches, Coach John Messmer.

Awesome! Good info....thanks for checking that!