here it is

 

Was sitting in the first row of the endzone for that game...just a little kid...cried like a baby.

That is the ball coming out of the basket...it had already been in the net.

Charles Hurt also threw in a 15 footer at horn to send game into OT.

Still remember Beal hitting one of his patented rainbow top of the key jumpers to stake the Bulldogs to a lead late.

 

Love this thread.

Beal came off the bench almost the entire year, certainly the entire regular season and District, behind Dave Derkson. He made the District All Tourney team without even starting a game.

 

Davis was a junior and was an outstanding player. Later played at the same Arkansas school where Scottie Pippen played. I couldn't say for certain they played together but the timing works out where they could have (Davis out of high school in 79, Pippen in 82 or 83).

 

To tie a couple of other comments in this thread together, Holmes was VERY fortunate to get out of the District in 78; they trailed Holy Cross by 14 with 5 minutes to play, and it was primarily the full court pressure of Davis and Beal that brought them back.

 

I have heard the story of that game re-told by Kenny Shields - the guy has great recall considering how many games he has seen, and for that one he was just a spectator.

THere has not been a team that executed the fast break in the 9th Region, like those Holmes teams in 79 and 80. Beal, Davis, Whatley and Derkson were unreal.

Would love to hear more stories of the 50's and 60's if anybody's got some. How about when Danny and Roger Tieman were playing? What kind of teams did CovCath have then? Didn't Newport have some great teams way back when? Does anyone remember any details of stuff like that?:confused: I guess going back too far would be a stretch. I wonder where I'd find a good history of the 9th Region. Has there ever been a comprehensive all inclusive type book written or stats that can be viewed that go way back? That would be cool if there were. Believe it or not, my dad played for CovCath back in 1936 and 1937 when they had a jump ball after every made shot.

Would love to hear more stories of the 50's and 60's if anybody's got some. How about when Danny and Roger Tieman were playing? What kind of teams did CovCath have then? Didn't Newport have some great teams way back when? Does anyone remember any details of stuff like that?:confused: I guess going back too far would be a stretch. I wonder where I'd find a good history of the 9th Region. Has there ever been a comprehensive all inclusive type book written or stats that can be viewed that go way back? That would be cool if there were. Believe it or not, my dad played for CovCath back in 1936 and 1937 when they had a jump ball after every made shot.

 

I agree B-ball fan. I would love to read about the history of 9th Region basketball and we should start a thread possibly regarding this and allow eveyrone to post the years they remember and best players. As far as the 50's and 60's I cant go back that far. I do know Newport had some very good teams though back then with Dick Vories and John Turner. Vories was the best shooter in the state I hear and John Turner went on to play at Louisville.

 

I heard that Mel Webster was compiling data and going to put something out but not sure if true or not.

Top 3

78 Holmes

81 SK

97 Highlands

 

My personal favorite is 79 Highlands

Jim Malone

Dave Malone

Mike Vories

Danny Sullivan

Bob "Tree" Muntis

Jeff Fischer

Beat a star studded Holmes team at Holmes to go to Rupp.

Won 1st round over Louisville Westport, only to go down to

Christian County in quarters. Pretty good Lex. Lafeyette team took the title that year.

 

 

I agree, even at 8 yrs old I remember going to a few of the Highlands games to watch and remember Vories running the point. He had awesome ball skills and could get in the lane very quick. Muntis was just huge on the blocks and I remember Danny Sullivan and his patented wing shot that never missed.

Didn't Voskul's son play at UConn a few years ago?

 

Yes, and he was the starting center on their NCAA National Championship team.

I was very young in 81 when SK won.

I do know that W-V gave them all they wanted. Wasn't there a terrible call in that game that gave SK the win? Anyone know?

I will throw the 81 team of W-V in there. :thumb:

THere has not been a team that executed the fast break in the 9th Region, like those Holmes teams in 79 and 80. Beal, Davis, Whatley and Derkson were unreal.

 

Couldn't agree more about the fast break. Actually I think the 3 pointer has killed that kind of basketball.

 

A couple more names, though. Mark Elmer and Kevin Sebastian, who were the starters with Beal, Walton and Simpson in 80. To stay within the confines of this thread, I would say the 80 team may or may not have been the "best" team from N. Ky., but I don't think there can be much argument that they were the most exciting or high scoring (they AVERAGED over 80 points a game before the 3 pointer!)

The good ole days.

Holmes beat Highlands that year at Highlands, but I want to say that one of their better players missed the game. May have been Muntis. Didn't they used to call him the "Praying" Muntis?

Holmes had lead going into 4th quarter, but Reynolds went to stall game way too early, Highlands got mighty mo on their side and upset the Dawgs.

 

I have heard Mike Listerman (than an assistant at Highlands) tell the story of that regional final and he called it a great upset, but I always thought they were pretty even, maybe even would have given Highlands the edge. Holmes beat them twice during the regular season, but one was at home with Beal hitting a 25 footer to win it and the other was at Highlands when, as you mentioned, the Bluebirds were without Muntis.

 

That 79 Highlands team was quality - Vories was steady and money from the line.

I agree, even at 8 yrs old I remember going to a few of the Highlands games to watch and remember Vories running the point. He had awesome ball skills and could get in the lane very quick. Muntis was just huge on the blocks and I remember Danny Sullivan and his patented wing shot that never missed.

 

Hey, that wing shot that you say Danny Sullivan had that never misssed. Guess what, He still don't miss it. :dancingpa

When he shoots :fire:

Couldn't agree more about the fast break. Actually I think the 3 pointer has killed that kind of basketball.

 

A couple more names, though. Mark Elmer and Kevin Sebastian, who were the starters with Beal, Walton and Simpson in 80. To stay within the confines of this thread, I would say the 80 team may or may not have been the "best" team from N. Ky., but I don't think there can be much argument that they were the most exciting or high scoring (they AVERAGED over 80 points a game before the 3 pointer!)

Mark Elmer was a dynamite little left handed guard.

Kevin Sebastian's offspring was not too bad either...he is the father of, former Ms. Kentucky Basketball, Erica Hallman.

The 80 was good...Im not sure, but Todd Whatley was on one of those teams and he was a solid player.

 

The 90 team of Holmes does get overlooked. That team was as high scoring as any. Mike Flynn's team went over 100 points, something like 7 or more times that season.

Mark Elmer was a dynamite little left handed guard.

Kevin Sebastian's offspring was not too bad either...he is the father of, former Ms. Kentucky Basketball, Erica Hallman.

The 80 was good...Im not sure, but Todd Whatley was on one of those teams and he was a solid player.

 

The 90 team of Holmes does get overlooked. That team was as high scoring as any. Mike Flynn's team went over 100 points, something like 7 or more times that season.

 

Todd Whatley was a quality player and a good guy. He was killed tragically on I-75 a couple of years ago. He was a major component on that 80 team - in fact he hit big FT's to seal the triple overtime quarterfinal game against Ashland - still probably one of the greatest Sweet 16 games ever played - that went until like 11:30 or midnight and left Holmes with tired legs the next morning against Owensboro.

 

As for the 90 team, any team that gets to the finals has to be given some consideration as the best from N.Ky., simply because there haven't been that many. Had they not run into a loaded Fairdale team in the finals, and if Anthony Hughes had not had an AWFUL, AWFUL night shooting, we might be debating them vs. SK 81 as the only champs. Too much speculation, I know, but that's mostly what this thread is.

 

But it's fun!

Now that's funny no matter where you're from:laugh::laugh:...here's your card. :banana:

 

You have no idea what you are talking about. I grew up playing with and against those kids and I know who the best point guard was. As we grew up, he was one of the best point guards in the area. In Freshman basketball, again, same thing. He wound up being around 6'0" and was athletic enough to start center field for their baseball regional championship team that coming spring, so he wasn't a middle school phenom. He was a very crafty lefty who ran the offense very well. I like Randy very much, but he was not the point guard that Spears was. To this day, I have no idea why he didn't play.

Great stuff guys. :thumb: Keep'em coming. It's really awesome to be going down 9th Region memory lane.:thumb: Thanks to everyone for all of their great stories.

I agree B-ball fan. I would love to read about the history of 9th Region basketball and we should start a thread possibly regarding this and allow eveyrone to post the years they remember and best players. As far as the 50's and 60's I cant go back that far. I do know Newport had some very good teams though back then with Dick Vories and John Turner. Vories was the best shooter in the state I hear and John Turner went on to play at Louisville.

 

I heard that Mel Webster was compiling data and going to put something out but not sure if true or not.

 

The Bishop Brossart athletic director, who's working on a book about Ninth Region basketball history, gives us the top five boys' basketball teams ever to play in the Ninth Region:

 

http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20080218/SPT0302/802180390/