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Softball: Highlands 4, Rockcastle County 0: The Ladybirds moved to 8-4 with the win in the Jaguar Classic at East Jessamine. Highlands scored three in the first and never looked back. The Ladybirds scored another in the fourth. Ladybird sophomore pitcher Bailey Spencer threw a complete game. She walked none and struck out five in the shutout. The Ladybirds outhit the Lady Rockets, 5-3. Shelby Graybill led Highlands at the plate going 2-for-3 with a double and two runs batted in. Whitney Quillen, Brooke Dill and Haley Coffey all had stolen bases for Highlands. Highlands battles host East Jessamine to continue the tournament on Saturday. Game time is 9 a.m. Fort Thomas Sports: Friday Sports Briefs

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter They were not going to be denied this year. The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds softball team (7-3) claimed its first All “A” 9th Region crown since 2011. The Thoroughbreds beat St. Henry, 8-2 in the title game and run-ruled Lloyd Memorial, 10-0 in five innings in the semifinals. Freshman pitcher Haley Meyers threw a three-hitter for NewCath. She struck out seven in the championship game. The Thoroughbreds recorded 11 hits in the win. Loren Zimmerman led the way going 4-for-4 with a double and three runs batted in and Michaela Ware had two hits including a double. Casey Kohls and Molly Mertle added two hits each. In the semifinals, Meyers threw a one-hit shutout. She struck out eight. The Thoroughbreds recorded 11 hits. Ware, Kristen Schreiber and Zimmerman recorded two hits each. Schreiber had three runs batted in. Casey Kohls had a triple and three RBI with Morgan Martini adding two RBI. The Thoroughbreds take on Conner on Tuesday. Game time is 5 p.m. Fort Thomas Sports: Friday Sports Briefs

Baseball: Beechwood 6, Newport Central Catholic 2: The Thoroughbreds (5-6) will not be able to defend their All “A” State championship after losing in the All “A” 9th Region title game at Florence Field. The Tigers outhit the Thoroughbreds, 9-6. Spencer Pangallo led NewCath with a double. Jake Schmidt, Ethan Stringer, Jason Suchanek and Brayden Combs had two hits each for the Tigers. Schmidt had a double. Kyle Fieger picked up the pitching win for Beechwood. He struck out five and walked three in six innings pitched. Grant Moeves took the loss for the Thoroughbreds. He struck out four and walked one in five innings pitched. NewCath plays in the Doc Morris Invitational starting Thursday. The Thoroughbreds take on Campbell County at 6 p.m. at Covington Holy Cross. Fort Thomas Sports: Wednesday Sports Briefs

Newport Central Catholic 14, Dayton 1: The Thoroughbreds (5-3) advanced to the All “A” 9th Region semifinals with a huge win Wednesday. NewCath garnered 17 hits. Loren Zimmerman led the way going 2-for-4 with a triple and five runs batted in. Michaela Ware and Taylor Burkart went 3-for-4 each. Burkart had a run batted in. Also for the Thoroughbreds, Morgan Martini, Casey Kohls and Kennedy Bin had two hits each. Martini added two runs batted in. Freshman Haley Meyers pitched another gem on the mound for NewCath. She struck out six and allowed two hits. The Thoroughbreds take on Lloyd Memorial in the semifinals. They advanced to the title game last year before losing to St. Henry. Fort Thomas Sports: Wednesday Sports Briefs

Softball: Highlands 4, Bishop Brossart 3: The Ladybirds (7-4) won in their first game in nearly a week and a half Wednesday. Highlands outhit Bishop Brossart, 7-4 and drew one walk. The Lady Mustangs had just three walks. Payton Leighty led Highlands with two hits. Teammate Shelby Graybill had a double and two runs batted in. Orth had two hits for the Lady Mustangs. Teammate Kremer added two runs batted in. Bailey Spencer took the pitching win for Highlands and Shackleford had the loss for Bishop Brossart. Spencer struck out six. Bishop Brossart scored its three runs in the bottom of the third before Highlands tied it in the fifth. The Ladybirds took the lead for good in the seventh. Spencer singled and Brooke Dill came in to run for her. Rachel Gabbard bunted Dill to second. Dill then moved to third on a Leighty single before scoring on a sacrifice fly to right by Ashley Grosser. Highlands plays in the Jaguar Classic at East Jessamine starting Friday. The Ladybirds battle Rockcastle County at 9:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Sports: Wednesday Sports Briefs

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter Things started off well for the Highlands Bluebirds baseball team Thursday. But they did not stay that way as the Ashland Tomcats rallied for a 10-6 victory in the Cal Ripken Experience at Myrtle Beach (S.C.). The Bluebirds fell to 6-3 with the loss. Highlands outhit Ashland, 13-8. Brady Murray, Jake Whitford and Kenny Ball had two hits each for the Bluebirds. Whitford had two runs batted in and scored twice and Ball had a two-run double. Jared Slone, Austin Kelley and Matt Vincent had two hits each to lead Ashland. Cameron Fritz led the Tomcats with three runs batted in. Highlands jumped out to a 3-0 advantage in the first inning. Evan Allen started the scoring. He reached on a fielder’s choice, moved to second on a wild pitch, took third when Todd Ramey singled and scored when Ben Vermeil singled. Highlands scored its other two runs in that inning with the bases loaded. Ramey scored when Luke Hennigan was hit by a pitch and Whitford came home when Joseph Martin hit a sacrifice fly to right field. Ashland came back to score once in the bottom of the first. Slone walked, stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Slone then scored when Aaron Elam grounded out to first. The Bluebirds came back to score one in the top of the second. Whitford singled home Murray. Highlands led 4-1 at this point. But the Tomcats came back and scored five in the bottom of the second to go up 6-4. Drew O’Bryan scored on a fielder’s choice and Kelley scored when Slone hit a sacrifice fly to left. Fritz then hit a three-run double scoring Elam, Casey Clark and Evan Cox. Ashland added three in the bottom of the third to go up 9-4. Ashland added another run in the fifth to extend the lead to 10-4. Vincent scored when Clark hit a sacrifice fly to left. But Highlands did not give up. Ball doubled home Whitford and Vermeil to make the final score. Highlands plays one final game in South Carolina on Friday. The Bluebirds take on Fordham Preparatory (New York) at 3 p.m. Fort Thomas Sports: Thursday Sports Briefs

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter It’s the football position that garners a lot of attention, especially in a balanced offense. Many great names and NCAA Division I recruits have lined up behind center for the Highlands Bluebirds over the years. That list includes Roger Walz, Jared Lorenzen, Gino Guidugli, Will Bardo and Patrick Towles. For the last couple years, the senior has started with the junior and sophomore serving as back-up and third string respectively. Rising senior Beau Hoge and rising junior Austin Hergott are next in line at the instrumental position after they backed up Drew Houliston last year. Houliston will take his talents to NCAA Division III Wittenberg University in Springfield (Ohio) after he helped lead Highlands to a 13-2 record and Class 4A runner-up finish. Houliston put up big numbers completing 231-of-339 passes for 4,045 yards, 50 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Highlands averaged 50.6 points and 444.5 yards per game last year. “I looked up to Drew, especially last year,” Hoge said. “We got really close. I was with him every day. I got to learn how he prepared for certain situations in games and the type of reads he made.” Hoge hopes to have a similar season this year after serving as a wide receiver last year. Hoge had 21 receptions for 354 yards and three touchdowns last year and completed 36-of-56 passes for 735 yards and 11 touchdowns. He started for the injured Houliston in Highlands’ 71-69 shoot-out win over Warren Central and completed 19-of-31 passes for 417 yards and four touchdowns. “I’m just looking to make the most of every game,” Hoge said. “I focus on every play and try to make them all count. I’ll try to lead by example as much as I can. But if I need to speak up, I’m not afraid to.” Hoge has an extra advantage in his father Merril Hoge. Merril Hoge played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and currently serves as a National Football League analyst for ESPN. “I’ll definitely take some advice from my Dad whenever I can get it,” Beau Hoge said. “He knows a lot more than I do. I can always learn from him, but I like to do my own thing as well. I wouldn’t know what it’s like not to have that pressure.” Highlands historically gears its offense around the quarterback’s talents. Last year, Highlands employed a one-back spread look to take advantage of the depth at wide receiver. In 2011, the Bluebirds often put two running backs in the backfield to take advantage of the running talents of quarterback Donovan McCoy in addition to running backs Colin “Frog” Seidl. Highlands Head Coach Brian Weinrich has mostly worked with the offense in the spring after spending many years as Defensive Coordinator. “We don’t want to overcoach them too much,” Weinrich said. “They’re quarterbacks for a reason. They have great instincts and talent. We don’t have a stopwatch on them. We’re going to let them get used to running around.” Beau Hoge and Hergott have shown the ability to make plays when things break down. Hergott completed 9-of-24 passes for 142 yards, a touchdown and one interception. Hergott had a long touchdown run against Covington Holmes. But they prefer to stand in the pocket and find a teammate. Hergott said he does not plan to play wide receiver like McCoy and Hoge did their junior years. Hergott helped the Highlands junior varsity to a 6-1 mark last year. “I’m just trying to get better each and every day,” Hergott said. “It’s a matter of doing whatever it takes. The position brings a lot of pressure. Junior varsity is a little more lenient. That lets me relax and focus on my game and get ready for varsity when my time comes.” Of all the greats that played quarterback, Hergott said he mostly looks up to Towles. Towles currently plays at the University of Kentucky. Hegott stands 6-feet-5-inches like Towles does. “That’s when I started following (Highlands) football,” Hergott said. “My style is similar to him. I can pretty much contact him whenever I want.” The Bluebirds just finished spring practice and open the season on Aug. 29 at Campbell County. They scrimmage Louisville Trinity and Cincinnati St. Xavier prior to opening the season. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Hoge, Hergott prepare for time as Highlands signal-callers

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter It turned into their second win in two days in the Palmetto State. But this one was more convincing. The Highlands Bluebirds baseball team handled the Johnson Central Golden Eagles, 11-1 in six innings at the Cal Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach. Highlands moved to 6-1 with the win and Johnson Central fell to 9-3. Lou Bunning picked up the pitching win for Highlands. At the plate for the Bluebirds, Jake Whitford went 2-for-2 with a double and Brady Murray tripled. Todd Ramey, Kenny Ball and Jacob Noe had two runs batted in each. Highlands resumes action down south at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The Bluebirds face Glen Ellyn (Illinois). Fort Thomas Sports: Tuesday Sports Briefs

Softball: NewCath drops two: The Thoroughbreds fell to 3-3 with doubleheader losses to Louisville Presentation (8-6) and Walton-Verona (17-1) in six innings at University of Cincinnati Medical Center Stadium on Tuesday. NewCath had five hits against Presentation. Sarah Neace led the way going 3-for-3 with two walks. The Thoroughbreds play host to Boone County on Wednesday. Game time is 5 p.m. Fort Thomas Sports: Tuesday Sports Briefs

Baseball: Beechwood 13, Newport Central Catholic 2: The Thoroughbreds fell to 2-5 with the 9th Region loss Monday. Beechwood (3-0) outhit NewCath, 12-6. Brayden Combs led the Tigers going 4-for-5 with a double, four runs batted in and three runs scored. Blake Hamilton followed going 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Kyle Fieger picked up the pitching win for Beechwood and Leo Barth took the loss for NewCath. Fieger pitched six innings striking out four and walking two. Jake Pangallo and Grant Moeves had two hits each to lead the Thoroughbreds. Moeves had a double. NewCath returns to action against Cooper on Tuesday at Northern Kentucky University as part of the Cincinnati Reds Futures High School Showcase. Game time is 5 p.m. Fort Thomas Sports: Monday Sports Briefs

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The annual trip south started off well for the Blue and White. The Highlands Bluebirds edged Painesville (Ohio) Riverside located east of Cleveland, 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh. Mitch Gesenhues hit a fly ball to left. It was misplayed allowing Jake Whitford to score the game-winning run from second. Highlands outhit Riverside, 8-6. The Bluebirds won despite committing five errors to two for Riverside. Ben Vermeil pitched the seventh to pick up the win for Highlands. He allowed one hit. Vermeil and Evan Allen had two hits each for Highlands. Vermeil had a double and run batted in. The Bluebirds (5-1) take on Johnson Central in the second game of the Ripken Experience at Myrtle Beach (S.C.). Game time is 3 p.m. Fort Thomas Sports: Monday Sports Briefs

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The Highlands Bluebirds baseball team rallied past the Cooper Jaguars, 4-3 for its second straight 9th Region win in as many games to start the year. Highlands (2-0) opened the season Friday with a 3-1 win at Boone County. Both opponents came from the 33rd District. The Bluebirds won despite being outhit 11-4. They scored all four runs in the bottom of the fifth to erase a 3-0 deficit. Ben Vermeil (1-0) picked up the win for Highlands. He threw the last three innings of the game. Vermeil struck out two, walked two and allowed five hits and two earned runs. Joseph Martin started the Highlands rally with a single in the first and advanced to second when Mitch Gesenhues reached on an error. Vermeil then singled in Martin to cut the Cooper lead to 3-1. Grayson Heck ran for Vermeil and took second on a wild pitch. With one out, Cooper intentionally walked Evan Allen to load the bases. That is when Todd Ramey stepped to the plate and doubled in Gesenhues and Heck to tie the game at 3-3. Allen then scored on a fielder’s choice to give the Bluebirds the lead. Highlands returns to action Monday. The Bluebirds face Scott at 5 p.m. Fort Thomas Sports: Highlands rallies past Cooper, 4-3

Ryle 5, Highlands 1: The Ladybirds (2-1) lost for the first time this year at Tower Park. Head Coach Rob Coffey said it was because Highlands made too many errors. Highlands returns to action Monday at Harrison (Ohio). Game time is 5 p.m. Fort Thomas Sports: Highlands baseball, NC softball record wins; Ryle beat Highlands softball

Softball: Newport Central Catholic 5, Dayton 3: The Thoroughbreds moved to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in 36th District action on Friday. Freshman Haley Meyers pitched a complete game for NewCath. She allowed just two hits and stranded the tieing runs on base in the seventh inning. Alex Burkart and Lexi Potts led NewCath at the plate. They had two runs batted in each. The Thoroughbreds travel to Beechwood on Monday. Game time is 5 p.m. Fort Thomas Sports: Highlands baseball, NC softball record wins; Ryle beat Highlands softball

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The Highlands Bluebirds baseball team opened the season on a high note Friday. Highlands traveled to Florence and beat the 1-1 Boone County Rebels, 3-1. Bluebird pitchers Lou Bunning, Joseph Martin and Joey Cochran combined to throw a one-hitter and strike out four. Martin (1-0) picked up the win and Cochran recorded the save. Highlands recorded eight hits. Alex Veneman led the way with a double. Grayson Heck and Evan Allen had two-out RBI singles. The Bluebirds play host to Cooper on Saturday. Game time is 11 a.m. Fort Thomas Sports: Highlands baseball, NC softball record wins; Ryle beat Highlands softball

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter This softball game was originally supposed to open up the new diamond at Winkler Field. But the Highlands Ladybirds will not be able to play on their new field for a few weeks so the game took place at Tower Park. Highlands (2-0) shut out the rival Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds, 6-0 Thursday in a non-seeding game. Both teams virtually the same cast from last year. “The number one thing it is going to take for us is to believe,” said Rob Coffey, second-year Highlands Head Coach. “We have to cut down on our mistakes, execute and attack in the box. If we can put those things together like we have so far this year, this year could be our year.” Highlands returns everyone from last year’s 18-12 squad that lost in the 9th Region semifinals to Notre Dame and NewCath (1-1) graduated just senior outfielders Christine Enzweller and Madison Ballard. The Thoroughbreds finished 15-14 last year losing to Dixie Heights in eight innings in the first round of the 9th Region Tournament after winning their second straight 36th District title. Both teams played without some starters. Highlands sophomore Haley Coffey did not play because she is recovering from a concussion in the 9th Region basketball semifinals against Notre Dame. NewCath juniors Loren Zimmerman, Michaela Ware and pitcher Sarah Neace will take the field Monday. They needed some rest after the Thoroughbred basketball team won the 9th Region Tournament. Bailey Spencer (2-0) pitched a two-hit shutout for the Ladybirds. She also led Highlands at the plate with two singles. Molly Mertle had both NewCath singles. “What I was proud of is they swung the bats against a pretty good pitcher,” said Denny Barnes, NewCath Head Coach. “That’s going to help us out in the future. We’d had a practice game and a real game. We don’t even have a batting cage so we’re going to be behind. We make the best of it.” Highlands scored three times in the bottom of the first with two outs and never looked back. Sophomore Shelby Graybill started things off with a single to left. Brennah Dutcher and Kendall Turner followed with RBI doubles and Spencer scored Turner on a single to right. Highlands added one run in the second, third and fourth innings to pull away. Aside from making it back to the region tournament, the next goal for both teams is competing consistently with the region’s elite squads. Ryle dominated the tournament for years with a state championship in 2006 until Notre Dame won it last year. Conner has also consistently been in the mix for the region crown. Highlands has three seniors on the squad. They are Turner, Ashley Grosser and KC Broering. The two juniors are Whitney Quillen and Payton Leighty. Graybill, Spencer, Dutcher, Haley Coffey, Emily Johncox and Kaitlyn Ketchem make up a loaded sophomore class. “You can tell we’ve improved since last season,” Turner said. “We wanted to beat these good teams. But Coach (Coffey) wanted us to show it. Hustling on the field is a way of showing that we want to be tops in the region this year.” The Ladybirds wanted to develop some depth. They used seventh-grader Morgan Coffey as a pinch runner Thursday. Freshmen Taylor Baioni and Brooke Dill along with eighth-graders Josie Daley and Miranda Mason along with seventh-grader Rachel Gabbard among others could help out there. Gabbard has started at second base the last two games. “Last year, we had nine pretty solid players, but if one of those players did not have a good game, we didn’t have a lot of options,” Coach Coffey said. “We have more and more girls playing summer ball, which we’ve encouraged. They’re getting great experience there. We’re having fall and winter workouts.” The new field will help the Ladybirds in many ways. They will not have to share a field that the football team uses for drills any longer like they did in the valley. “The weather was just not cooperative this year,” Coach Coffey said. “It is going to be beautiful. When you have nice facilities, it is going to draw girls to the program. When we played in the valley, no one wants to go down there. You have to be hard core to play in the mud.” Juniors and freshmen mostly make up the NewCath roster. The only two seniors are Mertle and Taylor Burkart and the lone sophomore is Amber Gries. The other three juniors are Casey Kohls, Morgan Martini and Kristen Schreiber. A number of freshmen saw playing time against Highlands. They are Kennedy Bin, Alex Burkart, Becca Collopy, Audrey Giesler, Meg Martin, Haley Meyers, Lexi Potts and Katherine Schreiber. Meyers and Taylor Burkart pitched Thursday. “At one time, we had four freshmen and a sophomore out there,” Barnes said. “I really look for this team to gel in about another month. We’ll be there at the end.” Both teams resume action today. Highlands plays host to Ryle at 5:30 p.m. and Newport Central Catholic will take on Dayton. Fort Thomas Sports: Highlands, NC softball hope to catch 9th elite teams

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds softball team opened the year with a win Tuesday. Host NewCath downed the Bracken County Polar Bears, 3-1. The Thoroughbreds outhit the visitors, 5-2. Freshman Haley Meyers picked up the win for NewCath. She struck out 12 in the complete game. Three starters did not play for NewCath. They were juniors Sarah Neace at pitcher, Loren Zimmerman at third base and Michaela Ware at shortstop. NewCath scored the only two runs needed in the fifth inning. The Thoroughbreds scored the only runs they needed in the fourth inning. Junior catcher Kristen Schreiber doubled and moved to third when left fielder Taylor Burkart singled. Katherine Schreiber ran for Burkart and stole second and on a full count, Meyers grounded out to second scoring Kristen Schreiber. Then Molly Mertle singled to right scoring Katherine Schreiber. NewCath scored one more in the fifth. Casey Kohls scored when Kristen Schreiber batted her in. The Thoroughbreds open 36th District action Wednesday. They travel to Dayton for a 5 p.m. game. Fort Thomas Sports: NC softball opens with victory

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The Highlands Ladybirds softball team opened the season with an impressive 17-3 five-inning win Monday over the host St. Henry Lady Crusaders. Highlands outhit St. Henry, 12-10. Sophomore Bailey Spencer threw a complete game for Highlands. She struck out seven and walked just one. Shelby Graybill went 3-for-3 with four runs batted in and two runs scored to lead Highlands. She had a home run and double. Seventh-grader Rachel Gabbard and Ashley Grosser also had two hits each for Highlands. Grosser had a double and two runs batted in and Gabbard scored once and plated a run. Kendall Turner followed with a home run and three RBIs with Whitney Quillen tripling in two. Payton Leighty added two runs batted in for the Ladybirds. Teresa Urban, Carlie Roark, Molly Dietz and Carlie Townsend had two hits each for the Lady Crusaders. Kramer took the pitching loss. Highlands does not play again until Thursday. The Ladybirds face Newport Central Catholic on their new field at 6 p.m. Fort Thomas Sports: Highlands softball opens year with bang

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter They came so close to that elusive state tournament win. But free-throw shooting ended up hurting the 9th Region champion Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds basketball team when the dust settled. They fell short by a 54-52 count in the first round of the state tournament to the 6th Region champion Louisville Butler Bearettes. The game took place at Western Kentucky University’s E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green. “We actually played pretty well,” said George Stoll, NewCath Head Coach. “We executed the game plan. We took care of the ball okay against their press. We could have done a little better job. We hung in there with them. There were some people who didn’t think we had a shot.” NewCath (29-5) hit just 6-of-16 free-throw tries for 38 percent. Butler (29-3) made 11-of-17 attempts for 65 percent. “We have to make free throws in a big game like that,” Stoll said. “You can’t leave points on the board against the Number two team in the state.” The Thoroughbreds shot better from the field making 22-of-46 attempts for 48 percent including 2-of-8 from three-point land for 25 percent. The Bearettes hit 18-of-49 shots for 37 percent, including 7-of-15 from three-point range for 47 percent. Nikki Kiernan and Michaela Ware led NewCath offensively. Kiernan finished an outstanding career with a double-double of 19 points and 15 rebounds to go with three blocked shots and three steals. Ware had 15 points recording two steals. Kiernan finished her career with 1,869 points and 1,139 rebounds. “She’s going to go down as one of the best players in Newport Central Catholic history,” Stoll said of Kiernan. “She’ll go down as the all-time leader in blocked shots. She’s a special player. I was glad she was able to get back down here her senior year. She’s had an outstanding career.” Danielle Lawrence led Butler with 19 points and seven rebounds. Teammate Fontasia Jeffries followed with 11 and Jaelynn Penn scored nine. Lawrence, an Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis signee, and Jeffries made two three-pointers each. “She’s quick to the basket and has good strength,” Stoll said of Lawrence. “(NewCath senior) forward Stephanie Lewis draws a lot of tough assignments and that was definitely one of the tougher ones. They have a lot of depth. They’re a really good team.” Stoll said Butler likes to use its quickness to throttle teams. The Thoroughbreds had 17 turnovers and eight steals. The Bearettes had just 14 turnovers and five steals. The game did not start out well for NewCath. Butler led 8-2 early after a Lawrence three-pointer. But the Thoroughbreds fought back and trimmed the margin to 17-15 with 1:18 left in the first quarter after a Loren Zimmerman three-pointer. Butler led 20-17 entering the second quarter. NewCath came within one point three times in the second quarter before tieing the game. That came with 1:05 left in the half when MiKayla Seibert made a triple. The teams entered the halftime locker tied at 26. Alexus Mayes started off the second half with a jumper to put NewCath up 28-26. After Breia Torrens hit a triple for Butler, Mayes and Ansley Davenport scored to give NewCath a 32-29 lead with 6:01 left in the third. But Butler scored eight in a row to go up 37-32 with 4:02 left in the third. But Kiernan scored to end that drought and Lewis then scored with 2:26 left in the quarter to trim the margin to 37-36. Kiernan scored with 1:18 left to put NewCath up 38-37. But Lawrence scored four straight points to end the quarter and give Butler a 41-38 advantage. Butler started to pull away in the fourth quarter scoring six straight. But Ware recorded a steal and score with 5:04 left in the game. NewCath trailed 47-40 at that point. But Kiernan hit two free throws and Ware made a lay-up to make it 47-44 Butler with 4:11 left. The Thoroughbreds had to start fouling after Ware scored again with 2:45 left and trailed 49-46. Lawrence hit two free throws with 1:38 remaining to put Butler up 52-46. Kiernan hit a jumper with 43 seconds left to cut the lead to 52-48. Butler led 53-50 with 19 seconds left and NewCath had the ball following a Bearette turnover. But the Thoroughbreds missed a jump shot and Lawrence made a free throw to put Butler up 54-50 with seven seconds remaining. Ware hit the lay-up with three seconds left to make the final score. NewCath graduates three seniors from this team. They are Kiernan, Lewis and Chelsea Schack. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Butler edges NewCath, 54-52

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter They came into the season as a 9th Region contender and succeeded at that goal for the fourth time since 2003. The goal is doing something the previous three teams did not. That’s win a game in the girls basketball state tournament. The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds also claimed region crowns in 2003, 2005 and 2011. Those teams lost to eventual state champion Louisville Sacred Heart (62-44), Paducah Tilghman (54-52) and Calloway County (62-57) in overtime in the first round of the state tournament respectively. But the Thoroughbreds (29-4) play perhaps their biggest challenge of the year to open the tournament. They face the 6th Region champion Louisville Butler Bearettes (28-3) on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. EST at Western Kentucky University’s E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green. “We had a good practice (Tuesday),” said George Stoll, NewCath Head Coach. “We went an hour and a half and watched film. We had two very physical games so we gave them the day off Monday. We’ll be ready. We’ll take it a day at a time, a game at a time and a possession at a time. If we play like we’re capable, we’ll be alright.” Butler and NewCath have two similar opponents in Sacred Heart and Notre Dame. The Thoroughbreds went 1-2 against them while the Bearettes beat Notre Dame (58-28) and Sacred Heart (50-49) in consecutive nights at the Louisville Invitational. Butler enters the tournament on a 16-game winning streak. Stoll said the Bearettes have speed similar to Danville and length similar to Notre Dame. They are led by senior guard-forward Danielle Lawerence. She averages 14.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. “We get an arm’s length away from (quick players) just giving them a step,” said MiKayla Seibert, NewCath junior. “You have to sit down and guard them. You know they have a quick step so you have to watch where their hips move and their body language. You try to tell where they’re going before they can get there.” Butler has used balanced scoring most of the season. Freshman Jaelynn Penn averages 11.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest. Seibert said Butler likes to pressure the ball the way the Thoroughbreds have done for years. The Bearettes emply traps out of their 2-1-2 defense. “We have to make sure we take care of the basketball,” Stoll said. “That’s the biggest key. We also have to make sure we box them out because they do a good job on the offensive boards.” But while Ms. Basketball candidate Nikki Kiernan has carried the Thoroughbreds all year averaging 16.6 points and 9.9 rebounds a game, NewCath has had others step forward recently. Junior post Alexus Mayes averages 10 points a game. Kiernan has created match-up problems with her versatility all year. Thoroughbred point guard Michaela Ware scored the game-winning lay-up in the 9th Region title game over Notre Dame. Ansley Davenport, Sarah Neace and Stephanie Lewis scored some big points in the region tournament. Lewis averages 4.9 rebounds per game. The Thoroughbreds are beating teams by an average of about 57-42. They’ve made 693-of-1,757 shots for about 39 percent including 135-of-455 three-point tries for about 30 percent. NewCath has made 373-of-597 free-throw attempts for about 63 percent. On the other side, Butler is beating teams by an average of 67-42. The Bearettes have hit 773-of-1,798 shots for 43 percent including 107-of-389 from three-point range for about 28 percent. Butler has made 412-of-595 free-throw tries for 69 percent. The Thoroughbreds have three seniors in Kiernan, Lewis and Chelsea Schack. The reserves may not see as much playing time as they’d like. But they still contribute in many ways. “Hannah Daunt and myself definitely cheer the team on,” Schack said. “We keep them happy and pepped up.” NewCath owns a 2-2 record against teams in the tournament. The Thoroughbreds beat Glasgow and Ashland Blazer on their way to the Gateway Holiday Classic title at Montgomery County in December. They lost to Danville in the All “A” State semifinals and Sacred Heart. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: NewCath ready for challenge against Butler

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter HIGHLAND HEIGHTS – If the script sounds familiar, it’s because it has happened before. It’s just bigger this time because it led to a 9th Region girls basketball championship. Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbred junior point guard Michaela Ware dribbles to the right of the paint, a teammate sets a huge pick near the free-throw line and Ware hits the game-winning lay-up in the waning seconds before taller players can slide over and block the shot. She did it again in Sunday’s 9th Region championship in overtime with about a second left to lift NewCath to a 48-46 win over the defending champion Notre Dame Pandas (22-9). Teammate Alexus Mayes set the huge pick. The Thoroughbreds (29-4) won their fourth region title since 2003 as a result at the Bank of Kentucky Center on the Northern Kentucky University campus. The other three came in 2003, 2005 and 2011. NewCath also avenged a 39-26 loss to the Pandas on Feb. 13 on The Hill. Ware has a lot of experience hitting game-winning lay-ups. She did it with three seconds left in the All “A” 9th Region semifinals against Covington Holy Cross and at Highlands last year. “I knew I had to be strong, because even if I drew a foul, (the Panda players) were bigger than me,” Ware said. “Having that feeling before, I was obviously used to it. But it’s still nerve-racking. I just focused on finishing.” NewCath Head Coach George Stoll served as an assistant to Ron Dawn on the 2011 team. That team lost to Calloway County, 62-57 in the first round of the state tournament. The Thoroughbreds snapped a three-game losing streak to the Pandas dating back to the 2011 region tournament. “We went into this feeling like we should win the tournament,” Stoll said. “But I’m sure Notre Dame felt the exact same way. We were able to overcome that last hump at the end. I’m so happy for them. They deserved this.” Ware finished with 13 points. She scored nine of them in the fourth quarter and in overtime. Two buckets pulled NewCath to within one in the final 2:45 in regulation and another tied the game at 44 with 50.3 second left. Ware also had five assists. “It’s a high ball screen,” Stoll said. “It gives you a chance to make a play. It’s not about any certain thing coming open. We had a shooter in the corner and she was able to make a play.” The Thoroughbreds had a chance to win it in regulation. But NewCath could not get off a clean shot with 1.5 seconds left. Tournament Most Valuable Player Nikki Kiernan again carried the Thoroughbreds with 20 points and 16 rebounds for a double-double. She also had two assists, three steals and two blocked shots. “I’m very happy for (my teammates) to experience this since I got to experience it as a freshman,” Kiernan said. “It’s just an unbelievable feeling.” Paige Kellam and Elly Ogle had great games to lead Notre Dame. Kellam had 22 points and Ogle, a Louisiana State volleyball commit, had 12. Kellam hit a jumper with 2:48 in overtime to give Notre Dame a 46-44 advantage. “Most of Ogle’s scoring was lay-ups,” Stoll said. “It was us not boxing out or playing good on-ball defense. We didn’t make any real adjustments. We got down, guarded, boxed out and did a better job on her.” NewCath tied the game again with 1:08 remaining. Stephanie Lewis drew a foul and made both free throws. The Thoroughbreds shot free throws better than they did in the semifinals against Holy Cross making 13-of-17 for 76 percent while Notre Dame made just 7-of-14 for 50 percent. NewCath made 17-of-40 shots for 43 percent compared to 19-of-46 for 41 percent. Notre Dame did have some offensive putbacks. The Pandas won the rebounding battle, 31-29 including 12-9 on the offensive glass. The Pandas led a good majority of the game. They led 12-6 at one point in the first quarter. An Ogle offensive putback gave them a 14-9 lead entering the second quarter. But the Thoroughbreds fought back and tied the game at 14. Kiernan made a triple from the right wing with 5:50 remaining. Kellam hit a free throw and lay-up to put Notre Dame up 17-14 before Lewis hit a jumper. Ogle scored two more times. Those scores sandwiched an Ansley Davenport jumper. The Pandas led 21-18 at halftime. The Thoroughbreds scored the first six points of the third quarter to go up 24-21. Davenport, Ware and Kiernan scored during that time. But Notre Dame scored the next seven points to go up 28-24. Kiernan hit a jumper to trim the margin to 28-26 entering the fourth quarter. The Pandas tried to pull away. Kellam made two free throws with 4:55 remaining to put Notre Dame up 34-29. But Kiernan hit two free throws and recorded a steal and score to cut the margin to 34-33 with 4:15 remaining. Notre Dame did go up 39-35 after a Carlee Clemons offensive putback. But Ware recorded a three-point play with 2:45 left to trim the margin to 39-38. “I just had to have confidence in my shot,” Ware said. “I’d been struggling with my shot previously. I had to see it go in.” NewCath takes on 6th Region champion Louisville Butler (28-3) at 7:30 p.m. EST in the first round of the state tournament Wednesday at E.A. Diddle Arena at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. Butler beat Notre Dame, 58-28 on Jan. 31 in the Louisville Invitational Tournament. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Ware's lay-up lifts NC girls to region crown

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter HIGHLAND HEIGHTS – Only a few teams in the 9th Region had the depth and tenacity to match them. Unfortunately for the Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds, they met one of them in the semifinals Sunday in the Covington Catholic Colonels. The Colonels made their free throws and limited the Thoroughbreds in the paint on their way to a 51-43 victory. The Colonels (28-2) moved on to the title game. It takes place Monday at 7 p.m. Covington Catholic made 14-of-15 free throws for 93 percent compared to 5-of-16 for NewCath for 31 percent. Nick Ruthsatz led the Colonels with 20 points making all nine free throws and Bo Schuh had 12. Schuh made 3-of-4 free throws and led CovCath with eight rebounds. “(Nick Ruthsatz) is a heck of a player,” said Ron Dawn, NewCath Head Coach. “He made two tough shots. On the one three, we didn’t get out on him as well as we had to then he knocks his free throws down, which we knew he could do that.” The Colonels played 10 players and NewCath played eight. The Thoroughbred went six deep most of the year with Mac Franzen adding a seventh late in the season. “That was definitely our game plan going in,” said Scott Ruthsatz, CovCath Head Coach. “We wanted to get up and down the big floor. Typically, I don’t sub much in the first quarter. We subbed in a lot (Sunday).” The Thoroughbreds normally had at least two players in double-figures. They had just one in Tanner Moeves with 15 with Zack Pangallo following with eight. The three 6-foot-5-inch Throughbreds and above in Drew McDonald, Jake Schulte and Ben Weyer combined to score just 16 points. Weyer grabbed nine rebounds. NewCath generally scores a lot of second-chance points. The Thoroughbreds had just three to five for the Colonels. “We had a lot of opportunities inside,” said Ron Dawn, NewCath Head Coach. “There were a couple close calls that could have gone either way that didn’t go our way. We just missed too many easy shots inside.” Coach Ruthsatz said CovCath wanted to make someone other than Pangallo start the offense. The Thoroughbreds had just three assists after recording 20 against St. Henry in the quarterfinals. The Colonels had nine assists with Nick Ruthsatz and Mark Schult making two each. The game stayed tight with neither team leading by more than six points until the very end. CovCath led 14-9 in the first quarter before NewCath finished it with a 7-0 run to go up 16-14. Franzen made a triple with two seconds left to give the Thoroughbreds that lead. The Colonels led 24-22 at halftime. Mark Schult hit a three-pointer with 1:15 left in the quarter to give CovCath that lead. NewCath did lead for part of the third quarter. Schulte and Pangallo buckets gave the Thoroughbreds a 29-26 advantage with 6:35 left in the quarter. CovCath came back and took a 34-30 lead when Ben Heppler made a three with 4:32 left. But Tanner Moeves made another three with 3:56 left and the Colonels led just 34-33 entering the fourth quarter. Both teams struggled for seven minutes before Nick Ruthsatz made a shot with 4:31 left. Schulte scored at the other end to make it 36-35 with 4:12 left. The Colonels then came through with a mini-run to pull away. Nick Ruthsatz made a three and Schuh made a fast-break lay-up to give CovCath a 41-35 advantage with 3:27 left in the game. The Thoroughbreds did come back. Tanner Moeves made two three-pointers with the last one trimming the deficit to 45-43 with 49.8 seconds left. But the Colonels made all six free throws down the stretch to pull away. NewCath graduates five seniors including two starters. They are Schulte, Franzen, Tanner Moeves, Josh Verkamp and Tyler Rawe. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: CovCath ends magnificant NewCath season

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter HIGHLAND HEIGHTS – The third meeting would either be another charm or go the other way depending on the side. It turned out to be another charm for the Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds girls basketball team by a narrow 54-52 count. The Thoroughbreds (28-4) defeated the Covington Holy Cross Lady Indians (21-8) for the third time this season in the 9th Region semifinals Saturday at the Bank of Kentucky Center on the Northern Kentucky University campus. NewCath also edged Holy Cross, 39-37 in the 9th Region All “A” semifinals on Jan. 17 on a Michaela Ware lay-up in the final seconds and 62-43 on The Hill on Feb. 8. “That’s the reason why we play the tough schedule we play,” said George Stoll, NewCath Head Coach. “We’ve been in a few games like that this year. It prepares us for these type of situations so we’re not overwhelmed when we get here. Credit the girls. They didn’t panic when we got down. They kept playing and executed their sets there at the end.” The Thoroughbreds battle defending champion Notre Dame (22-8) for the region crown at 6 p.m. Sunday. NewCath is seeking its first title since 2011. Notre Dame won the regular-season game, 39-26 on Feb. 13 on The Hill. NewCath could not pull away despite getting the 6-foot-1-inch junior twins Cessie and Ally Mayhaus to foul out allowing posts Nikki Kiernan and Alexus Mayes have big nights. Kiernan had a double-double of 24 points and 13 rebounds with Mayes scoring 11. NewCath won the rebounding battle, 31-29. “We didn’t do a good enough job attacking when (the Mayhaus twins) were out,” Stoll said. “But we made key baskets down the stretch. That’s what we needed to do. It’s not easy to beat a good team three times.” Kiernan has 1,830 points for her career. The Thoroughbreds needed the three free throws she hit in the game’s final 11.8 seconds to get there to win the game. The first two came with NewCath trailing 52-51. After a Holy Cross miss, Kiernan grabbed the rebound and made 1-of-2 with 2.8 seconds left to make the final score as Holy Cross’ desperation heave missed. “I was really confident knowing the first two were going in,” Kiernan said. “With the second two, I was happy I made one of them. We all bring something to the team. I encourage them to keep pushing throughout the whole game.” Dajah McClendon put Holy Cross on her back and scored 25 points giving the Lady Indians a chance. The sophomore made 9-of-13 free throws. Cessie Mayhaus added 13 points for Holy Cross and her sister had four. The twins had to sit most of the second half picking up their third and fourth fouls early in the second half. “We go against each other in practice,” Mayes said. “We will bring in taller people to go against in practice. Coach Stoll has friends who play basketball who are tall. He’ll ask them to come in and we’ll practice against them. That gets us prepared mentally.” Missed free throws also didn’t help NewCath’s cause. The Thoroughbreds made just 17-of-33 attempts for 52 percent compared to 14-of-21 for 67 percent for the Lady Indians. Holy Cross had 21 fouls and NewCath had 19 with one player in Loren Zimmerman fouling out compared to the two for Holy Cross. “We played well,” said Kes Murphy, Holy Cross Head Coach. “We had our chances late. The kids that got minutes stepped up. They made their shots late.” NewCath shot a little better from the field. The Thoroughbreds hit 18-of-42 shots for 43 percent compared to 18-of-43 for 42 percent for the Lady Indians. The turnovers were also about even at 12 for Holy Cross and 11 for NewCath. But the Thoroughbreds recorded 11 steals to four for the Lady Indians. NewCath point guard Michaela Ware again had a big game with four steals. She also led the Thoroughbreds with seven assists. NewCath had 16 assists to four for Holy Cross. The Thoroughbreds started the game off strong. They finished the quarter with an 11-0 run to go up 15-7 after the first quarter. Kiernan scored six during that run and Stephanie Lewis had four. But Holy Cross fought back and tied the game when Cessie Mayhaus hit a three-point play with 4:03 remaining. The Lady Indians finished the first half with a 14-1 run to go up 28-20 at halftime. Cessie Mayhaus and McClendon had nine each in the second quarter. But NewCath came out stronger in the third quarter scoring the first 15 points of the half. Mayes led the run with seven points as the Thoroughbreds built a 35-28 lead. But Holy Cross rallied again behind McClendon. She hit a three-point play to tie the game at 39 with 17.8 seconds left in the quarter before Kiernan’s offensive rebound gave NewCath a 41-39 lead with two seconds left in the third. “(McClendon) absolutely killed us,” Stoll said. “She’s a great basketball player. In tournament time, that’s what great players do. They step up. We were fortunate to get the last punch.” The game stayed tight in the fourth quarter with neither team leading by more than two points. A Kiernan score gave NewCath a 48-47 advantage with about two 2:30 remaining before McClendon hit two free throws. The Thoroughbreds led 50-49 when Kiernan passed to Ware out of a double-team and she hit a jumper. Ware then hit a free throw with 55.1 seconds remaining to put the Thoroughbreds up 51-49. Holy Cross came down and took the lead again. Michelle Hungler hit the second of two three-pointers from the left corner to put the Lady Indians up 52-51 with 40 seconds remaining setting up Kiernan’s heroics. Holy Cross should be a region contender again as just three seniors graduate. They are Hungler, Kristen Stanley and Kendall Sebastian. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Thoroughbreds edge Lady Indians, 54-52

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter HIGHLAND HEIGHTS – It was a matter of breaking what some may perceive as a hex to advance to the title game for the second straight year. But it didn’t happen. The Notre Dame Pandas used their size and length to defeat the Highlands Ladybirds for the third straight year in all three rounds of the 9th Region Tournament, 46-39 Saturday in the semifinals. Notre Dame (22-8) has also beaten Highlands (23-8) seven straight times. “We told the girls we thought we played our hearts out,” said Jaime Walz-Richey, Highlands Head Coach. “We rebounded the best we’ve done all year. We just missed some opportunities on the offensive end that on Monday night we were able to execute. I thought we did a good job offensively. I couldn’t be more prouder of this group after losing six seniors and making it to the semifinals.” Highlands tried playing through sophomore post McKenzie Leigh. She put together another outstanding game scoring 20 points and nabbing nine rebounds to go with a blocked shot. Leigh made 9-of-11 free-throw attempts. Teammate Alex Combs followed with 10 points and nine rebounds. But the Ladybirds made just 11-of-41 shots for 27 percent including 2-of-10 three-point shots for 20 percent. The Pandas hit 16-of-40 shots for 40 percent including 2-of-12 three-point tries for 17 percent. “We felt we had some great looks in the first half – lay-ups,” Richey said. “We all have to do a better job. When your two leading scorers only score two and we lose by seven, that shows how we’re a team. It’s not about one individual. We’re such a tough team to guard because we’re a team-oriented team.” Both teams shot free throws well. Notre Dame hit 12-of-16 for 75 percent and Highlands made 15-of-21 for 71 percent. “We pulled each of the kids aside individually and did different things with how we approached the free-throw line,” said Wyatt Faust, Notre Dame Head Coach. “We were probably shooting 50 percent there through Christmas. We knew that to win in the postseason, that had to change. We shot about 300 more a practice after Christmas.” The Pandas saw two players hit double-digits as well in Sydney Stallman and Haylee Smith with 10 each. Elly Ogle and Paige Kellam followed with nine and eight respectively. Highlands won the rebounding battle, 33-28. Notre Dame outscored Highlands, 6-5 in second-chance points. Notre Dame led from start to finish. Stallman scored just 18 seconds into the game and the Pandas never looked back. They led 7-1 to start the game before Combs made a three-pointer and Leigh hit a lay-up in the center. Following two more Notre Dame scores, Combs hit another lay-up. The Pandas led 11-8 after the first quarter. The game stayed within five points in the second quarter. Carlee Clemons hit an offensive rebound to give Notre Dame a 13-8 advantage before Leigh hit one of her own. Following a Smith offensive putback, Lydia Graves made two free throws and Leigh hit a jumper on the left post to bring Highlands within one at 15-14 with 2:10 remaining. After Smith scored, Leigh hit another free throw. That made the halftime score 17-15 in Notre Dame’s favor. The Pandas scored the second half’s first two buckets before Leigh made a three-pointer to trim the margin to 21-18. Then after a Stallman triple, Highland made 5-of-6 free throws to pull within one at 24-23 with four minutes remaining. Notre Dame led just 29-26 entering the fourth quarter. Following an Avery Henderson score and Stallman triple, Leigh made an old-fashioned three-point play. The Pandas pulled away to start the fourth quarter with two quick buckets. They made four free throws following two Leigh free throws to go up 37-28 with 2:26 left in the game. “I thought (the officials) let a lot go,” Faust said. “They called a lot of things off the drive. But on the ball and on cuts, there weren’t a lot. We had to be tough with the basketball there. We were trying to find a really good shot while playing through what we felt like were fouls. The kids continued to play hard and didn’t complain.” Highlands didn’t make its first field goal of the quarter until 1:59 remained in the game. Haley Coffey made a lay-up and Highlands trailed 41-32 at that point. The Ladybirds appear in good shape to be a region contender next year as well as everyone returns except Tomi Blanton. Brianna Adler and Haley Coffey have started these last two seasons. “We were really young this year,” Coffey said. “Next year, we’ll have another year under our belt so we’re going to get a lot more experience. (Coming this far) was great because no one thought we could do it.” On the other side, Notre Dame graduates five seniors. They are Louisiana State volleyball commit Ogle, Clemons, Henderson, Kellam and Jacqueline Schuh. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Notre Dame extends winning streak to seven against Highlands

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter HIGHLAND HEIGHTS – They may have hit their main goal playing on this floor. But the Highlands Bluebirds basketball team hoped to take another step and upset a 9th Region contender in the quarterfinals at the Bank of Kentucky Center on the Northern Kentucky University campus. It was not meant to happen as the Holmes Bulldogs pulled away for a 60-41 victory Friday. “Our kids definitely played their basketball at the end of the year,” said Kevin Listerman, Highlands Head Coach. “It was very, very satisfying. It took me a long time to figure out what we do best and how to use the pieces. Once we did and the kids got comfortable, we looked like a completely different ball club.” The Bluebirds (9-15) decided to spread teams out and attack from all angles. But Holmes (27-5) had the size and speed to make things tough, especially near the rim. Parker Harris was the lone Highlands player to reach double-digits. He finished with 13 points and Brandon Hergott finished with nine. “We started to get going then we struggled because we were outmatched at times,” Hergott said. “But we still found ways to get it done this season. We couldn’t jump with (the Bulldogs) down low.” This marked the last game for six Highlands seniors. They are Hergott, Drew Houliston, Alex Shepherd, Brendan Buten, Ryan Greene and Luke Brockett. “We hope we were good role models and I think the foundation is down for the effort that we gave,” Houliston said. “We hope the program keeps getting better and the younger guys get back here and get a win here. We laid it all out there for each other. I’ll miss these guys a lot.” Holmes saw three players reach double-digits. Junior point guard James “Beetle” Bolden led the way with 19 points making three three-pointers. Posts Marcus Hill and Quinton Chames followed with 16 and 10 respectively. “Our bigs are playing very well,” said Jason Booher, Holmes Head Coach. “In the month of February, they didn’t play like this. A lot of teams we play don’t play above the rim like they do. That’s an advantage there with their athleticism.” The Bulldogs won the rebounding battle, 34-19. Chames led everyone with 13 for a double-double and Hill had eight. “They’re tremendous on the glass and we knew that,” Listerman said. “We knew that was one of our weaknesses. We battled, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap. It’s a matter of us getting basketball-better over the next five, six months and we’ll do that.” Holmes made 22-of-49 shots for 45 percent including five three-pointers compared to 12-of-37 for 32 percent for Highlands. The Bluebirds made just three triples all in the second half. “We knew they were going to try to dribble-drive or kick it out to shoot the three,” Booher said. “I thought if they shot 23 threes and made nine or 10 of them, they’d have a shot at beating us. The good thing at halftime is they were 0-for-3 in three-pointers. I told them we guarded the perimeter the way we wanted.” Highlands did shoot free throws better. The Bluebirds made 14-of-20 for 70 percent compared to 9-of-15 for 60 percent for the Bulldogs. The game stayed close for most of the first half. Bolden hit a three-pointer to start the game. Highlands pulled within a point three times including 10-9 with 1:43 remaining in the first quarter when Hergott hit a jumper. Following another Bolden triple, Buten hit a jumper in the center with two seconds left. Holmes led 13-11 after the first quarter. Harris had an offensive putback to tie the game at 13 to start the third quarter before Daequan Glover made a three to give Holmes the lead for good. Highlands trimmed the margin to one twice in the second quarter that saw a Harris dunk. Hergott hit two free throws to make the score 23-19 in favor of Highlands with 3:43 remaining in the half. But Holmes finished the half with an 8-0 run to go up 31-19 at halftime. Hill scored four points during that run. “They are a very difficult team to match up with,” Listerman said. “They have weapons all over the place. They handle the ball so well and are very athletic. You have to pick your battles.” The teams stayed even in the third quarter scoring eight each. Highlands trimmed the lead to 10 twice in the fourth quarter. Justin Weyer hit a jumper with 4:15 left trimming the Holmes lead to 47-37. But the Bulldogs hit their free throws to pull away after that. The Bulldogs advanced to the semifinals to face Dixie Heights. Game time is 1:30 p.m. Sunday. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Highlands gives valiant effort in loss to Holmes