NKY Girls Basketball Top 10 (2/20)

[The Double Deuce]

Welcome to the Final Top 10 of the year for Northern Kentucky Girls' High School basketball -- this area has seldom been better than it is this year (3 of the top 10 teams in KY by nearly every ranking service)!!  It has been a pleasure covering the girls' hoops in the area and trying to fairly rank them (and their nearest chasers) each week, and I appreciate those of you that have read along with us.  I also want to thank @Runcible Owlwho often posts games before I can get to them, and I'm incredibly thankful for him doing that!  Thanks R.O.!!

With all of that said, the post-season has arrived, so below you'll find our FINAL Top 10, along with the 4 "others", as well as how they enter the post-season and what they have coming up.  Hopefully we see many of these teams over the next several weeks!  Good luck to everyone in the post-season, stay healthy, have fun, and stay focused on your task at hand even as your AAU coaches are pestering you about upcoming practices and tournaments.  😎 

1.  Cooper (24-3) -- went 1-0 last week and enters the post-season having won 22 of their last 23 (only a loss vs #2 Manual during that run).  The Lady Jags went 9-0 in the 9th Region this year, beating their nearest chasers by 24 (Holy Cross), 5 (Ryle), and 31 (Dixie).  Just a dominant regular season.  They play on Tuesday night, at home, versus Boone County.  They'll likely play for the 33rd Championship on Thursday versus either Ryle or Conner, whomever survives Tuesday night's Main Event!! 

2.  Holy Cross (24-6) -- went 1-1 last week, losing at home to KY #5 Mercy, and enter the post-season having won 11 of 12.  Holy Cross went 10-2 in the 9th, losing at Dixie and at Cooper.  They knocked off KY #4 McCracken County at the Queen of the Commonwealth, "only" lost to KY #2 Manual by 10, and won the Kentucky All A Classic state championship at EKU in January.  Ted Arlinghaus was a deserved winner of the 9th Region Coach of the Year.  They get a bye in the 35th semis with Holmes' withdrawal, so they'll play on Thursday, versus the winner of the Notre Dame vs Beechwood game, at Notre Dame, for the 35th District Title.  That will be a great game, Notre Dame will battle (especially on their home floor), and winning the 35th provides a HUGE advantage over entering the 9th Region Tourney as a runner-up.

3.  Ryle (21-7) -- went 1-0 last week, beating Notre Dame in Union, and enters the post-season having won 4 straight.  We all know what we're getting with Ryle, four HIGH level high school basketball players, a veteran in Meredith Snider coming back from injury, and some talented young players learning the ropes at this level.  Talented enough to beat anyone on a given night, but susceptible to the occasional head-scratching losses as well, as thin teams are occasionally known to be.  This is Holtman and Johnson's last go of it in the post-season, after two amazing high school careers, so you know they'll not go quietly into that good night.  They play #4 Conner on Tuesday night in the 2nd game of the evening, at Cooper High School, in an amazing elimination game right out of the gate.

4.  Conner (18-7) -- went 2-0 last week, and enter the post-season having won 12 of 14 games.  We all remember last year, they entered the 33rd District Tournament with a lot of momentum only to lose in rather lopsided fashion to Cooper in the district semis in a game thought, at least, to have been a toss-up.  I know Coach Gambrel and the Lady Cougs remember that evening in Union all too well.  They get a chance to redeem themselves and punch a ticket to the 9th Region Tournament on Tuesday night at Cooper vs Coach Haitz and the Lady Raiders of Ryle.  I hope the crowd is as packed and as energetic for that game as it deserves -- I bet it will be.

5.  Dixie (23-7) -- went 2-0 last week and enter the post-season having won 10 of their last 11 games.  Coach Steczynski and his Colonels had a very solid, albeit kind of quiet, regular season; if that is possible winning 23 times.  They had good wins vs Holy Cross, Highlands and Notre Dame, but no other marquee wins outside the 9th.  They open the post-season on Tuesday vs either Ludlow or Villa, at St. Henry, and then likely get the Lady Crusaders on Thursday back on St. Henry's campus.  They should enter the 9th Region as a district winner, so they'll have every chance in the world to play deep into the week at NKU.  This is the last trip through this tourney for Sammy Berman and Ella Steczynski (I must have missed that Reese Smith left the team mid-season, apologies), and Sammy already plays with a lot of emotion, so I know you'll see their best efforts each and every night trying to prolong this experience.

6.  Highlands (21-8) -- went 2-0 last week and enter the second season winners of 5 straight.  There has been much said about this young roster this year, anchored in the middle by uber-prospect Marissa Green, and all for good reason.  Jamie, and Bert of course, have done a great job with this young team and have weathered some ups and downs to have, overall, an outstanding 21 win season...with more to come.  Highlands will be on the rise for the next couple of years, but they'll try and make a little noise in March this year to remind folks what is to come.  They play either Bellevue or Dayton on Tuesday night in Fort Thomas, and then get (likely) NewCath on Thursday for the 36th District Championship.  I expect HHS will grab two wins this week, at home, and enter the 9th at 23-8 and as a district winner.

7.  Notre Dame (16-10) -- went 0-2 last week, losing at GRC and at Ryle, certainly ending the regular season with two great tests.  They enter the post-season having lost 4 of their last 7, but against some very good competition.  Notre Dame went a shocking 4-5 in the 9th Region this year, and played their normal cast of tough teams from around KY and Cincinnati, but I still believe they are better than their record and are a dangerous opponent every night.  Coach Murphy is well-proven, and his grind-it-out style will make things hard, even as they figure things out in their back-court, to go along with their terrific front court of Noelle Hubert (NKU signee), Maya Lawrie (my favorite player in the region, truth be told, she plays SO HARD all of the time, all with a big smile on her face), and a great 5 in Sophia Gibson who keeps getting better and better.  This may not be a "normal" Kes-coached NDA team, but you're going to know you've been in the ring if you play them.  They get Beechwood on Tuesday night, in Park Hills, for the right to play #2 Holy Cross on Thursday night for the 35th District Title.  I actually am smelling a Notre Dame District Championship, on their home floor, and if that occurs (big if, I get it, but you can't just go all-chalk all of the time) it will really shake up the 9th Region Tournament draw.

8.  Bishop Brossart (19-11) -- went 0-1 last week, losing at Conner, and they limp into the post-season having lost 5 of their last 6 (albeit against plenty of competition).  They are coached by 10th Region Coach of the Year, Steve Brown, and assisted ably by NKY veteran Bob Rowe.  The Lady Stangs get Campbell County on Monday night, at Campbell County, for the right to play Scott on Wednesday night for the 37th District Championship.  Yes, I know the Lady Camels nipped them in a rock-fight back in December, and yes I know they are limping a little into the 37th Tourney, but I see B.B. winning two this week and heading to the 10th Region Tournament with the benefit of a winners' draw.

9.  NewCath (16-9) -- went 1-0 last week and ended the season having won 6 of their last 7.  Coach Ralph Meyer has another dominant player to work with, Caroline Eaglin, a sophomore, and ended up going 9-6 in the 9th Region; with 8 of those wins coming against teams who will not make the 9th Region Tournament.  NewCath is another team that will just get better and better over the next two years, so this post-season will be about Coach Meyer getting them some much needed experience with bigger expectations looming in 2024 and 2025.  They play Newport on Tuesday night in Fort Thomas and will then get another shot at the Birds for the 36th District Championship on Thursday night in the land of cake and honey.  They'll likely get a runner-up draw into the 9th so they'll need their level best, and then some, to win a game at NKU next week.

10. St. Henry (17-11) -- went 2-0 last week and end the season having won 4 of 5.  The Lady Cru have started to find the bottom of the basket with a little more regularity as the season has unfolded, so they will be live this week and next, and will make their opponents work to get wins over them during this fortnight.  St. Henry last advanced to the 9th Region Tournament in 2018, under Steve Brown, having missed the last 4 tournaments during the Jenna Lillard era at Ludlow, so I'm sure Coach Smart and his Lady Crusaders are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead this week.  They'll be hosting the 34th District Tournament, just to make it all the sweeter, and they open on Tuesday versus Lloyd with the golden 9th Region ticket hanging in the balance.  Dixie is likely to win the 34th at St. Henry on Thursday night, but that won't much dampen the excitement around the program as they'll begin practicing on Friday for their upcoming trip to NKU and the vaunted 9th Region Tourney!!!

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*  Pendleton County (19-7) -- went 0-1 last week, losing a home game to the Lady Camels, although they'll enter the post-season having won 8 of 9.  No surprise, the veteran coach Patrick Kelsch, would turn around the Lady Cats so dramatically in his first year at the helm.  In fact, they went 13-4 in the 10th Region this year, and 5-1 against their peers in the 38th.  They didn't play as tough a schedule as some of their fellow 10th region teams, but I expect Coach Kelsch will toughen things up for them in the years to come as he builds the foundation for his new program.  They open on Monday vs Robertson County, at Harrison County, in the 38th District semi-finals.  I look for the Lady Cats to get that one, and the subsequent 38th Championship, and advance to the 10th Region tourney carrying a district winner badge along with them for the draw.

*  Grant County (17-10) -- went 1-0 last week, and have won 3 of 4 to end the season.  The Lady Braves of Shawn West have developed a reputation of a tough-minded, hard-nosed, team, and one that can give anyone fits on a given night.  They went 6-2 against the 8th Region this year and 4-3 against the 9th, so they certainly have represented themselves and their very proud fan-base very well thus far in 2022-23.  They have a bye in the 32nd District semis, so they'll await the winner of the WAR on Monday versus Walton Verona and Simon Kenton, played out in Independence.  The 32nd District Finals will be Thursday at Simon Kenton, with both participants moving on to the 8th Region tourney.

*  Simon Kenton (15-13) -- went 0-2 last week, with losses at Highlands and vs Holy Cross in Independence.  They have gone 3-3 in their last 6, but have played a really tough schedule to end the year.  The Brenden Stowers' led Lady Pioneers may be the youngest team in NKY, so the future is definitely bright out in south Kenton County!!  They have had some fits of greatness (wins over Notre Dame and Ryle), and some moments of head-scratching frustration (losses to Scott and St. Henry), and everything in-between.  All of that said, they are probably ahead of schedule, and get the explosive but equally up-and-down Lady Bearcats on Monday on their home floor with a chance to extend their season; what more could you ask for?  I expect S.K. to get a good win on Monday, play Grant County closely on Thursday and then just edge them out in the 4th to claim the 37th District Championship, and enter the 8th as a district winner.  They are a team to watch closely in 24 and 25.

*  Scott (14-14) -- went 1-1 last week, with a home loss to Walton Verona, and end the year having lost 5 of 7.  The Lady Eagles of Coach Pouncy have been another team tough to predict, and they have been mostly frustrating since the calendar flipped, going 7-10 since January 1st; you would have expected a team with 10 seniors to be less susceptible to the peaks and valleys, but you just never know.  Scott won the benefit of the draw in the 37th so they'll await the winner of Brossart and Campbell County on Monday night, and will play that winner on Wednesday at Campbell County to determine who goes into the 10th as a district champion, and who goes in as a runner-up.  I expect Scott to fall to Brossart on Wednesday, but as I've said with these Lady Eagles, you just never know.  What I do know is they'll be playing in 2 weeks in the 10th Region Tourney, so good luck moving forward to Eric and his hard-working Lady Eagles in the post-season.

[1992Rebel]

On 2/19/2023 at 1:25 PM, The Double Deuce said:

Welcome to the Final Top 10 of the year for Northern Kentucky Girls' High School basketball -- this area has seldom been better than it is this year (3 of the top 10 teams in KY by nearly every ranking service)!!  It has been a pleasure covering the girls' hoops in the area and trying to fairly rank them (and their nearest chasers) each week, and I appreciate those of you that have read along with us.  I also want to thank @Runcible Owlwho often posts games before I can get to them, and I'm incredibly thankful for him doing that!  Thanks R.O.!!

With all of that said, the post-season has arrived, so below you'll find our FINAL Top 10, along with the 4 "others", as well as how they enter the post-season and what they have coming up.  Hopefully we see many of these teams over the next several weeks!  Good luck to everyone in the post-season, stay healthy, have fun, and stay focused on your task at hand even as your AAU coaches are pestering you about upcoming practices and tournaments.  😎 

1.  Cooper (24-3) -- went 1-0 last week and enters the post-season having won 22 of their last 23 (only a loss vs #2 Manual during that run).  The Lady Jags went 9-0 in the 9th Region this year, beating their nearest chasers by 24 (Holy Cross), 5 (Ryle), and 31 (Dixie).  Just a dominant regular season.  They play on Tuesday night, at home, versus Boone County.  They'll likely play for the 33rd Championship on Thursday versus either Ryle or Conner, whomever survives Tuesday night's Main Event!! 

2.  Holy Cross (24-6) -- went 1-1 last week, losing at home to KY #5 Mercy, and enter the post-season having won 11 of 12.  Holy Cross went 10-2 in the 9th, losing at Dixie and at Cooper.  They knocked off KY #4 McCracken County at the Queen of the Commonwealth, "only" lost to KY #2 Manual by 10, and won the Kentucky All A Classic state championship at EKU in January.  Ted Arlinghaus was a deserved winner of the 9th Region Coach of the Year.  They get a bye in the 35th semis with Holmes' withdrawal, so they'll play on Thursday, versus the winner of the Notre Dame vs Beechwood game, at Notre Dame, for the 35th District Title.  That will be a great game, Notre Dame will battle (especially on their home floor), and winning the 35th provides a HUGE advantage over entering the 9th Region Tourney as a runner-up.

3.  Ryle (21-7) -- went 1-0 last week, beating Notre Dame in Union, and enters the post-season having won 4 straight.  We all know what we're getting with Ryle, four HIGH level high school basketball players, a veteran in Meredith Snider coming back from injury, and some talented young players learning the ropes at this level.  Talented enough to beat anyone on a given night, but susceptible to the occasional head-scratching losses as well, as thin teams are occasionally known to be.  This is Holtman and Johnson's last go of it in the post-season, after two amazing high school careers, so you know they'll not go quietly into that good night.  They play #4 Conner on Tuesday night in the 2nd game of the evening, at Cooper High School, in an amazing elimination game right out of the gate.

4.  Conner (18-7) -- went 2-0 last week, and enter the post-season having won 12 of 14 games.  We all remember last year, they entered the 33rd District Tournament with a lot of momentum only to lose in rather lopsided fashion to Cooper in the district semis in a game thought, at least, to have been a toss-up.  I know Coach Gambrel and the Lady Cougs remember that evening in Union all too well.  They get a chance to redeem themselves and punch a ticket to the 9th Region Tournament on Tuesday night at Cooper vs Coach Haitz and the Lady Raiders of Ryle.  I hope the crowd is as packed and as energetic for that game as it deserves -- I bet it will be.

5.  Dixie (23-7) -- went 2-0 last week and enter the post-season having won 10 of their last 11 games.  Coach Steczynski and his Colonels had a very solid, albeit kind of quiet, regular season; if that is possible winning 23 times.  They had good wins vs Holy Cross, Highlands and Notre Dame, but no other marquee wins outside the 9th.  They open the post-season on Tuesday vs either Ludlow or Villa, at St. Henry, and then likely get the Lady Crusaders on Thursday back on St. Henry's campus.  They should enter the 9th Region as a district winner, so they'll have every chance in the world to play deep into the week at NKU.  This is the last trip through this tourney for Sammy Berman and Ella Steczynski (I must have missed that Reese Smith left the team mid-season, apologies), and Sammy already plays with a lot of emotion, so I know you'll see their best efforts each and every night trying to prolong this experience.

6.  Highlands (21-8) -- went 2-0 last week and enter the second season winners of 5 straight.  There has been much said about this young roster this year, anchored in the middle by uber-prospect Marissa Green, and all for good reason.  Jamie, and Bert of course, have done a great job with this young team and have weathered some ups and downs to have, overall, an outstanding 21 win season...with more to come.  Highlands will be on the rise for the next couple of years, but they'll try and make a little noise in March this year to remind folks what is to come.  They play either Bellevue or Dayton on Tuesday night in Fort Thomas, and then get (likely) NewCath on Thursday for the 36th District Championship.  I expect HHS will grab two wins this week, at home, and enter the 9th at 23-8 and as a district winner.

7.  Notre Dame (16-10) -- went 0-2 last week, losing at GRC and at Ryle, certainly ending the regular season with two great tests.  They enter the post-season having lost 4 of their last 7, but against some very good competition.  Notre Dame went a shocking 4-5 in the 9th Region this year, and played their normal cast of tough teams from around KY and Cincinnati, but I still believe they are better than their record and are a dangerous opponent every night.  Coach Murphy is well-proven, and his grind-it-out style will make things hard, even as they figure things out in their back-court, to go along with their terrific front court of Noelle Hubert (NKU signee), Maya Lawrie (my favorite player in the region, truth be told, she plays SO HARD all of the time, all with a big smile on her face), and a great 5 in Sophia Gibson who keeps getting better and better.  This may not be a "normal" Kes-coached NDA team, but you're going to know you've been in the ring if you play them.  They get Beechwood on Tuesday night, in Park Hills, for the right to play #2 Holy Cross on Thursday night for the 35th District Title.  I actually am smelling a Notre Dame District Championship, on their home floor, and if that occurs (big if, I get it, but you can't just go all-chalk all of the time) it will really shake up the 9th Region Tournament draw.

8.  Bishop Brossart (19-11) -- went 0-1 last week, losing at Conner, and they limp into the post-season having lost 5 of their last 6 (albeit against plenty of competition).  They are coached by 10th Region Coach of the Year, Steve Brown, and assisted ably by NKY veteran Bob Rowe.  The Lady Stangs get Campbell County on Monday night, at Campbell County, for the right to play Scott on Wednesday night for the 37th District Championship.  Yes, I know the Lady Camels nipped them in a rock-fight back in December, and yes I know they are limping a little into the 37th Tourney, but I see B.B. winning two this week and heading to the 10th Region Tournament with the benefit of a winners' draw.

9.  NewCath (16-9) -- went 1-0 last week and ended the season having won 6 of their last 7.  Coach Ralph Meyer has another dominant player to work with, Caroline Eaglin, a sophomore, and ended up going 9-6 in the 9th Region; with 8 of those wins coming against teams who will not make the 9th Region Tournament.  NewCath is another team that will just get better and better over the next two years, so this post-season will be about Coach Meyer getting them some much needed experience with bigger expectations looming in 2024 and 2025.  They play Newport on Tuesday night in Fort Thomas and will then get another shot at the Birds for the 36th District Championship on Thursday night in the land of cake and honey.  They'll likely get a runner-up draw into the 9th so they'll need their level best, and then some, to win a game at NKU next week.

10. St. Henry (17-11) -- went 2-0 last week and end the season having won 4 of 5.  The Lady Cru have started to find the bottom of the basket with a little more regularity as the season has unfolded, so they will be live this week and next, and will make their opponents work to get wins over them during this fortnight.  St. Henry last advanced to the 9th Region Tournament in 2018, under Steve Brown, having missed the last 4 tournaments during the Jenna Lillard era at Ludlow, so I'm sure Coach Smart and his Lady Crusaders are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead this week.  They'll be hosting the 34th District Tournament, just to make it all the sweeter, and they open on Tuesday versus Lloyd with the golden 9th Region ticket hanging in the balance.  Dixie is likely to win the 34th at St. Henry on Thursday night, but that won't much dampen the excitement around the program as they'll begin practicing on Friday for their upcoming trip to NKU and the vaunted 9th Region Tourney!!!

========================================

*  Pendleton County (19-7) -- went 0-1 last week, losing a home game to the Lady Camels, although they'll enter the post-season having won 8 of 9.  No surprise, the veteran coach Patrick Kelsch, would turn around the Lady Cats so dramatically in his first year at the helm.  In fact, they went 13-4 in the 10th Region this year, and 5-1 against their peers in the 38th.  They didn't play as tough a schedule as some of their fellow 10th region teams, but I expect Coach Kelsch will toughen things up for them in the years to come as he builds the foundation for his new program.  They open on Monday vs Robertson County, at Harrison County, in the 38th District semi-finals.  I look for the Lady Cats to get that one, and the subsequent 38th Championship, and advance to the 10th Region tourney carrying a district winner badge along with them for the draw.

*  Grant County (17-10) -- went 1-0 last week, and have won 3 of 4 to end the season.  The Lady Braves of Shawn West have developed a reputation of a tough-minded, hard-nosed, team, and one that can give anyone fits on a given night.  They went 6-2 against the 8th Region this year and 4-3 against the 9th, so they certainly have represented themselves and their very proud fan-base very well thus far in 2022-23.  They have a bye in the 32nd District semis, so they'll await the winner of the WAR on Monday versus Walton Verona and Simon Kenton, played out in Independence.  The 32nd District Finals will be Thursday at Simon Kenton, with both participants moving on to the 8th Region tourney.

*  Simon Kenton (15-13) -- went 0-2 last week, with losses at Highlands and vs Holy Cross in Independence.  They have gone 3-3 in their last 6, but have played a really tough schedule to end the year.  The Brenden Stowers' led Lady Pioneers may be the youngest team in NKY, so the future is definitely bright out in south Kenton County!!  They have had some fits of greatness (wins over Notre Dame and Ryle), and some moments of head-scratching frustration (losses to Scott and St. Henry), and everything in-between.  All of that said, they are probably ahead of schedule, and get the explosive but equally up-and-down Lady Bearcats on Monday on their home floor with a chance to extend their season; what more could you ask for?  I expect S.K. to get a good win on Monday, play Grant County closely on Thursday and then just edge them out in the 4th to claim the 37th District Championship, and enter the 8th as a district winner.  They are a team to watch closely in 24 and 25.

*  Scott (14-14) -- went 1-1 last week, with a home loss to Walton Verona, and end the year having lost 5 of 7.  The Lady Eagles of Coach Pouncy have been another team tough to predict, and they have been mostly frustrating since the calendar flipped, going 7-10 since January 1st; you would have expected a team with 10 seniors to be less susceptible to the peaks and valleys, but you just never know.  Scott won the benefit of the draw in the 37th so they'll await the winner of Brossart and Campbell County on Monday night, and will play that winner on Wednesday at Campbell County to determine who goes into the 10th as a district champion, and who goes in as a runner-up.  I expect Scott to fall to Brossart on Wednesday, but as I've said with these Lady Eagles, you just never know.  What I do know is they'll be playing in 2 weeks in the 10th Region Tourney, so good luck moving forward to Eric and his hard-working Lady Eagles in the post-season.

This is a fantastic write up DD. Thanks for all you do!

[The Double Deuce]

#8 Brossart marches on.  

[The Double Deuce]

#13 Simon Kenton advances.  

[The Double Deuce]

#11 Pendleton County advances as well.

[The Double Deuce]

So it looks like, of our Top 10+, err...14 teams, the only one that will fail to advance to their Region Tournament is the loser of tonight's Super-Semi between #3 Ryle and #4 Conner at Cooper.  On one hand, very impressive and well done by our teams winning some big games last night to keep playing (Brossart, SK, Pendleton Co.), on the other hand, as has been said many times, how about that 33rd?  Just a brutal district to get out of, and sadly, one of those two teams will be done tonight.

I expect Cooper's gym will be packed for this nightcap, as it should be, and may the best team win!!

[Baseball Nut 24]

On 2/19/2023 at 1:25 PM, The Double Deuce said:

Welcome to the Final Top 10 of the year for Northern Kentucky Girls' High School basketball -- this area has seldom been better than it is this year (3 of the top 10 teams in KY by nearly every ranking service)!!  It has been a pleasure covering the girls' hoops in the area and trying to fairly rank them (and their nearest chasers) each week, and I appreciate those of you that have read along with us.  I also want to thank @Runcible Owlwho often posts games before I can get to them, and I'm incredibly thankful for him doing that!  Thanks R.O.!!

With all of that said, the post-season has arrived, so below you'll find our FINAL Top 10, along with the 4 "others", as well as how they enter the post-season and what they have coming up.  Hopefully we see many of these teams over the next several weeks!  Good luck to everyone in the post-season, stay healthy, have fun, and stay focused on your task at hand even as your AAU coaches are pestering you about upcoming practices and tournaments.  😎 

1.  Cooper (24-3) -- went 1-0 last week and enters the post-season having won 22 of their last 23 (only a loss vs #2 Manual during that run).  The Lady Jags went 9-0 in the 9th Region this year, beating their nearest chasers by 24 (Holy Cross), 5 (Ryle), and 31 (Dixie).  Just a dominant regular season.  They play on Tuesday night, at home, versus Boone County.  They'll likely play for the 33rd Championship on Thursday versus either Ryle or Conner, whomever survives Tuesday night's Main Event!! 

2.  Holy Cross (24-6) -- went 1-1 last week, losing at home to KY #5 Mercy, and enter the post-season having won 11 of 12.  Holy Cross went 10-2 in the 9th, losing at Dixie and at Cooper.  They knocked off KY #4 McCracken County at the Queen of the Commonwealth, "only" lost to KY #2 Manual by 10, and won the Kentucky All A Classic state championship at EKU in January.  Ted Arlinghaus was a deserved winner of the 9th Region Coach of the Year.  They get a bye in the 35th semis with Holmes' withdrawal, so they'll play on Thursday, versus the winner of the Notre Dame vs Beechwood game, at Notre Dame, for the 35th District Title.  That will be a great game, Notre Dame will battle (especially on their home floor), and winning the 35th provides a HUGE advantage over entering the 9th Region Tourney as a runner-up.

3.  Ryle (21-7) -- went 1-0 last week, beating Notre Dame in Union, and enters the post-season having won 4 straight.  We all know what we're getting with Ryle, four HIGH level high school basketball players, a veteran in Meredith Snider coming back from injury, and some talented young players learning the ropes at this level.  Talented enough to beat anyone on a given night, but susceptible to the occasional head-scratching losses as well, as thin teams are occasionally known to be.  This is Holtman and Johnson's last go of it in the post-season, after two amazing high school careers, so you know they'll not go quietly into that good night.  They play #4 Conner on Tuesday night in the 2nd game of the evening, at Cooper High School, in an amazing elimination game right out of the gate.

4.  Conner (18-7) -- went 2-0 last week, and enter the post-season having won 12 of 14 games.  We all remember last year, they entered the 33rd District Tournament with a lot of momentum only to lose in rather lopsided fashion to Cooper in the district semis in a game thought, at least, to have been a toss-up.  I know Coach Gambrel and the Lady Cougs remember that evening in Union all too well.  They get a chance to redeem themselves and punch a ticket to the 9th Region Tournament on Tuesday night at Cooper vs Coach Haitz and the Lady Raiders of Ryle.  I hope the crowd is as packed and as energetic for that game as it deserves -- I bet it will be.

5.  Dixie (23-7) -- went 2-0 last week and enter the post-season having won 10 of their last 11 games.  Coach Steczynski and his Colonels had a very solid, albeit kind of quiet, regular season; if that is possible winning 23 times.  They had good wins vs Holy Cross, Highlands and Notre Dame, but no other marquee wins outside the 9th.  They open the post-season on Tuesday vs either Ludlow or Villa, at St. Henry, and then likely get the Lady Crusaders on Thursday back on St. Henry's campus.  They should enter the 9th Region as a district winner, so they'll have every chance in the world to play deep into the week at NKU.  This is the last trip through this tourney for Sammy Berman and Ella Steczynski (I must have missed that Reese Smith left the team mid-season, apologies), and Sammy already plays with a lot of emotion, so I know you'll see their best efforts each and every night trying to prolong this experience.

6.  Highlands (21-8) -- went 2-0 last week and enter the second season winners of 5 straight.  There has been much said about this young roster this year, anchored in the middle by uber-prospect Marissa Green, and all for good reason.  Jamie, and Bert of course, have done a great job with this young team and have weathered some ups and downs to have, overall, an outstanding 21 win season...with more to come.  Highlands will be on the rise for the next couple of years, but they'll try and make a little noise in March this year to remind folks what is to come.  They play either Bellevue or Dayton on Tuesday night in Fort Thomas, and then get (likely) NewCath on Thursday for the 36th District Championship.  I expect HHS will grab two wins this week, at home, and enter the 9th at 23-8 and as a district winner.

7.  Notre Dame (16-10) -- went 0-2 last week, losing at GRC and at Ryle, certainly ending the regular season with two great tests.  They enter the post-season having lost 4 of their last 7, but against some very good competition.  Notre Dame went a shocking 4-5 in the 9th Region this year, and played their normal cast of tough teams from around KY and Cincinnati, but I still believe they are better than their record and are a dangerous opponent every night.  Coach Murphy is well-proven, and his grind-it-out style will make things hard, even as they figure things out in their back-court, to go along with their terrific front court of Noelle Hubert (NKU signee), Maya Lawrie (my favorite player in the region, truth be told, she plays SO HARD all of the time, all with a big smile on her face), and a great 5 in Sophia Gibson who keeps getting better and better.  This may not be a "normal" Kes-coached NDA team, but you're going to know you've been in the ring if you play them.  They get Beechwood on Tuesday night, in Park Hills, for the right to play #2 Holy Cross on Thursday night for the 35th District Title.  I actually am smelling a Notre Dame District Championship, on their home floor, and if that occurs (big if, I get it, but you can't just go all-chalk all of the time) it will really shake up the 9th Region Tournament draw.

8.  Bishop Brossart (19-11) -- went 0-1 last week, losing at Conner, and they limp into the post-season having lost 5 of their last 6 (albeit against plenty of competition).  They are coached by 10th Region Coach of the Year, Steve Brown, and assisted ably by NKY veteran Bob Rowe.  The Lady Stangs get Campbell County on Monday night, at Campbell County, for the right to play Scott on Wednesday night for the 37th District Championship.  Yes, I know the Lady Camels nipped them in a rock-fight back in December, and yes I know they are limping a little into the 37th Tourney, but I see B.B. winning two this week and heading to the 10th Region Tournament with the benefit of a winners' draw.

9.  NewCath (16-9) -- went 1-0 last week and ended the season having won 6 of their last 7.  Coach Ralph Meyer has another dominant player to work with, Caroline Eaglin, a sophomore, and ended up going 9-6 in the 9th Region; with 8 of those wins coming against teams who will not make the 9th Region Tournament.  NewCath is another team that will just get better and better over the next two years, so this post-season will be about Coach Meyer getting them some much needed experience with bigger expectations looming in 2024 and 2025.  They play Newport on Tuesday night in Fort Thomas and will then get another shot at the Birds for the 36th District Championship on Thursday night in the land of cake and honey.  They'll likely get a runner-up draw into the 9th so they'll need their level best, and then some, to win a game at NKU next week.

10. St. Henry (17-11) -- went 2-0 last week and end the season having won 4 of 5.  The Lady Cru have started to find the bottom of the basket with a little more regularity as the season has unfolded, so they will be live this week and next, and will make their opponents work to get wins over them during this fortnight.  St. Henry last advanced to the 9th Region Tournament in 2018, under Steve Brown, having missed the last 4 tournaments during the Jenna Lillard era at Ludlow, so I'm sure Coach Smart and his Lady Crusaders are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead this week.  They'll be hosting the 34th District Tournament, just to make it all the sweeter, and they open on Tuesday versus Lloyd with the golden 9th Region ticket hanging in the balance.  Dixie is likely to win the 34th at St. Henry on Thursday night, but that won't much dampen the excitement around the program as they'll begin practicing on Friday for their upcoming trip to NKU and the vaunted 9th Region Tourney!!!

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*  Pendleton County (19-7) -- went 0-1 last week, losing a home game to the Lady Camels, although they'll enter the post-season having won 8 of 9.  No surprise, the veteran coach Patrick Kelsch, would turn around the Lady Cats so dramatically in his first year at the helm.  In fact, they went 13-4 in the 10th Region this year, and 5-1 against their peers in the 38th.  They didn't play as tough a schedule as some of their fellow 10th region teams, but I expect Coach Kelsch will toughen things up for them in the years to come as he builds the foundation for his new program.  They open on Monday vs Robertson County, at Harrison County, in the 38th District semi-finals.  I look for the Lady Cats to get that one, and the subsequent 38th Championship, and advance to the 10th Region tourney carrying a district winner badge along with them for the draw.

*  Grant County (17-10) -- went 1-0 last week, and have won 3 of 4 to end the season.  The Lady Braves of Shawn West have developed a reputation of a tough-minded, hard-nosed, team, and one that can give anyone fits on a given night.  They went 6-2 against the 8th Region this year and 4-3 against the 9th, so they certainly have represented themselves and their very proud fan-base very well thus far in 2022-23.  They have a bye in the 32nd District semis, so they'll await the winner of the WAR on Monday versus Walton Verona and Simon Kenton, played out in Independence.  The 32nd District Finals will be Thursday at Simon Kenton, with both participants moving on to the 8th Region tourney.

*  Simon Kenton (15-13) -- went 0-2 last week, with losses at Highlands and vs Holy Cross in Independence.  They have gone 3-3 in their last 6, but have played a really tough schedule to end the year.  The Brenden Stowers' led Lady Pioneers may be the youngest team in NKY, so the future is definitely bright out in south Kenton County!!  They have had some fits of greatness (wins over Notre Dame and Ryle), and some moments of head-scratching frustration (losses to Scott and St. Henry), and everything in-between.  All of that said, they are probably ahead of schedule, and get the explosive but equally up-and-down Lady Bearcats on Monday on their home floor with a chance to extend their season; what more could you ask for?  I expect S.K. to get a good win on Monday, play Grant County closely on Thursday and then just edge them out in the 4th to claim the 37th District Championship, and enter the 8th as a district winner.  They are a team to watch closely in 24 and 25.

*  Scott (14-14) -- went 1-1 last week, with a home loss to Walton Verona, and end the year having lost 5 of 7.  The Lady Eagles of Coach Pouncy have been another team tough to predict, and they have been mostly frustrating since the calendar flipped, going 7-10 since January 1st; you would have expected a team with 10 seniors to be less susceptible to the peaks and valleys, but you just never know.  Scott won the benefit of the draw in the 37th so they'll await the winner of Brossart and Campbell County on Monday night, and will play that winner on Wednesday at Campbell County to determine who goes into the 10th as a district champion, and who goes in as a runner-up.  I expect Scott to fall to Brossart on Wednesday, but as I've said with these Lady Eagles, you just never know.  What I do know is they'll be playing in 2 weeks in the 10th Region Tourney, so good luck moving forward to Eric and his hard-working Lady Eagles in the post-season.

Great write up DD and thanks for all the work all year long. Well Done!

[The Double Deuce]

Cooper, Dixie, Highlands, and Notre Dame enter the 9th as Champions for today's 4:00 draw at Holmes.

Holy Cross, Ryle, NewCath, and St. Henry enter the 9th as Runners-up.

Conner was eliminated in the brutal 33rd District.

Brossart and Pendleton County enter the 10th Region Tournament (got those two right above) as Champions.

Scott heads into the 10th Region Tournament as a Runner-Up.

Grant County enters the 8th Region tournament as a Champion (missed that one above, sorry Braves, thought Lady Neers would get you).

Simon Kenton enters the 8th Region Tournament as a runner-up.

Congrats to all of our Top 10 (and others) on an outstanding season, and to the 13 of you still playing, good luck next week, have fun, stay healthy, and leave it all out there.  AAU season (and coaches) can wait a while!