This is a huge day for Newport basketball and I think it would be pretty cool to talk about some of their best teams over the past 60 yrs. I have heard stories of the days when John Turner and Dick Vories played and how good those teams were back then. I know in 1985 they had a very good team with Tony Commodore but lost to David Dinn and the Boone Co Rebels.

 

Who are some of the best teams and how far did they advance?

How many times have they made it to the Sweet 16?

How many times have they made it to the Sweet 16?

 

From my post in another thread!

 

From the KHSAA

 

Trips to the Sweet Sixteen 12

Sweet Sixteen Championships won -0-

Semi-finals 2/3

Quarter finals 5/2

First round 7/5

Misc Games 0/1 (have no idea?)

Over All record 14/13

First visit to the Sweet Sixteen 1920

Last visit to the Sweet Sixteen 1962

 

Years in which they went to the sweet sixteen

1. 1920 10th Region

2. 1925 10th Region

3. 1932 10th Region

4. 1935 10th Region

5. 1936 10th Region

6. 1937 9th Region

7. 1940 9th Region

8. 1950 9th Region

9. 1952 9th Region

10. 1954 9th Region

11. 1955 9th Region

12. 1962 9th Region

Great idea for a thread. I'm looking forward to hearing some of the stories.

Wow!!! Nearly 50 years since they made their last trip to the Sweet 16. They have to be excited. Congrats to them.:thumb:

 

The closest my school has been to winning the region was a couple of runner-up finishes in the 1980's. If we ever do make it all but a very few of Owsley County's 4500 people will probably be there. Turn out the lights, we'll see ya on Sunday.

12 Appearances

2 State Second Place (1935, 1954)

1 State Fourth Place (1955)

14-13 Overall State Tournament Record

 

1920 - Covington (Lost, 42-12)

1925 - Henderson (Won 29-17); Owensboro (W, 33-22); Manual (L, 24-10)

1932 - Corydon (W, 28-16); Waco (W, 21-16); Hazard (L, 28-24)

1935 - Frankfort (W, 30-20); Maysville (W, 23-18); Danville (W, 22-13); St. Xavier (L, 32-18)

1936 - LaGrange (W, 30-28); Paris (L, 20-7)

1937 - Carrollton (W, 43-19); Hazard (L, 33-20)

1940 - Ashland (L, 39-29)

1950 - Clark County (L, 58-47)

1952 - Hindman (L, 53-51)

1954 - Lafayette (W, 50-45); Bourbon Vocational (W, 58-46); Ashland (W, 73-69); Inez (L, 66-55)

1955 - Olive Hill (W, 70-51); St. Xavier (W, 58-54); Hazard (L, 72-62); Henderson (L, 88-62)

1962 - Ashland (L, 61-57)

I still remember sitting in the first row for the '85 finals at Cambell. I remember Commodore being a very good player and they also had Steve Kowolanek, who was a bruising Rb on the gridiron. My father graduated from Dixie in '57 and he always talked highly of Newport legend John Turner. I don't know if he still is a member of BGP but PatVeep posted a few years back about those teams from the mid/late '50's. Turner went on to play at UL and I believe has his number retired at UL.

Did they ever have a player in the late 70s or early 80s named Slaughter?

Leonard Slaughter maybe???

From my post in another thread!

 

From the KHSAA

 

Trips to the Sweet Sixteen 12

Sweet Sixteen Championships won -0-

Semi-finals 2/3

Quarter finals 5/2

First round 7/5

Misc Games 0/1 (have no idea?)

Over All record 14/13

First visit to the Sweet Sixteen 1920

Last visit to the Sweet Sixteen 1962

 

I suspect that was a loss in the consolation game that used to be played.

Did they ever have a player in the late 70s or early 80s named Slaughter?

Leonard Slaughter maybe???

 

 

My boss just informed me that Slaughter played on the 1977 team with Mitch McIntosh and Darrel "Bean" Befford. That was when Doug Schloemer beat them with a shot at the buzzer for a 77-76 win.

 

That game was also Bob Vanderpool's final game as head coach of the Wildcats as he retired shortly after the season was over.

Its great to read about stuff in this thread. Im a guy that started following KY HS bball when I was about a 7th or 8th grader. I don't know much about the history Newport. My dad tells me that Newport used to always be one of the top teams.

 

I do remember when I first started paying attention to HS bball, a pretty good Newport team that had Johnny Bonner and Pete Green on it. But Im not sure how they faired in Regional play since NCC, Highlands, SK, and CCH were all very good back then.

 

I also played against a very good Newport alum. I was talking to a former teammate of mine today and trying to recall his name. Thomas Petty I believe???

 

But keep this up, reading this stuff from the "Golden Days" really helps me with the tradition of this program.

This is a comment directly from a Newport alum as he wanted me to post this.....

 

 

 

"The 1976-77 Newport team won 24 games and featured 6-6 center Mitch McIntosh, who was the dominant big man in the 9th Region. Newport also had guards Leonard Slaughter and Darrell “Bean” Bedford, a quick backcourt duo. The Wildcats other key players were David Schlosser, Clint Miller and Billy Weir. Newport beat Lexington Lafayette with Dirk Minniefield and Tony Wilson that year. Newport also knocked off NewCath in the district and eventually lost to Holmes by one point, 77-76 in the 9th Region championship game. Doug Schloemer hit a shot with one second remaining to give Holmes the win. Newport had beaten Holmes twice in the regular season and many thought the Wildcats could win the state. It was Bob Vanderpool’s last season as head coach for Newport."

This is a comment directly from a Newport alum as he wanted me to post this.....

 

 

 

"The 1976-77 Newport team won 24 games and featured 6-6 center Mitch McIntosh, who was the dominant big man in the 9th Region. Newport also had guards Leonard Slaughter and Darrell “Bean” Bedford, a quick backcourt duo. The Wildcats other key players were David Schlosser, Clint Miller and Billy Weir. Newport beat Lexington Lafayette with Dirk Minniefield and Tony Wilson that year. Newport also knocked off NewCath in the district and eventually lost to Holmes by one point, 77-76 in the 9th Region championship game. Doug Schloemer hit a shot with one second remaining to give Holmes the win. Newport had beaten Holmes twice in the regular season and many thought the Wildcats could win the state. It was Bob Vanderpool’s last season as head coach for Newport."

I played against Mitch his sophomore and Junior years and he was as good aw we had in the post in those days. I also played against Steve Fields. Wow! what a player. I believe he even won the Kehoe Award in 1974.

Does anyone remember the starting 5 on that 1985 Regional Runner up team? Commodore, Basey?, Kowolonek, ??? Catbird maybe you can help us here. I remember playing against the Cats in 1986 but I was just a freshman. I remember they had a good shooter in Steve Wayman and a tough defender in Orlando Conrad. Sadly enough both Tony Commodore and Orlando Conrad had their lives cut short shortly after high school. Commodore I believe died in a car wreck and Conrad was shot.

Its great to read about stuff in this thread. Im a guy that started following KY HS bball when I was about a 7th or 8th grader. I don't know much about the history Newport. My dad tells me that Newport used to always be one of the top teams.

 

I do remember when I first started paying attention to HS bball, a pretty good Newport team that had Johnny Bonner and Pete Green on it. But Im not sure how they faired in Regional play since NCC, Highlands, SK, and CCH were all very good back then.

 

I also played against a very good Newport alum. I was talking to a former teammate of mine today and trying to recall his name. Thomas Petty I believe???

 

But keep this up, reading this stuff from the "Golden Days" really helps me with the tradition of this program.

 

He graduated in 01 I believe and he was the best player on that team so yeah thats probably who your thinking of.