PsalmsG

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter They finished the regular season with an impressive win and set the new mark. The only surprising thing about it was how sound it came. The Highlands Ladybirds built a double-digit lead in the first quarter, pulled away in the second quarter and continually pulled away for a 56-34 non-region win over the Simon Kenton Lady Pioneers (22-4) on Friday on Senior Night. Highlands finished the regular season at 27-3. The Ladybirds eclipsed the mark for the most wins in a season since Jaime Walz-Richey became head coach in 2002. Highlands finished 26-8 when starters Brianna Adler and Haley Coffey were freshmen two years ago. That team lost to eventual state runner-up Notre Dame in the 9th Region title game at the Bank of Kentucky Center. Simon Kenton came into the game shorthanded as starter Madi Meier has not played the last couple games. Meijer averaged 11.9 points per game. Veteran Lady Pioneer Head Coach Jeffrey Stowers seemed so frustrated with the starters that he pulled them in the middle of the third quarter and let the reserves finish the game. But that allowed Highlands seniors Kristyn Lukjan and Whitney Quillen to do some memorable things in their final home games. They started along with fellow seniors Alex Combs and Lydia Graves. The two scored a bucket each and Lukjan had four rebounds. “All 14 of my girls are like family to me. They’re my daughters,” Walz-Richey said. “I want them on their special night to be able to get some playing time, especially Whitney and Kristyn who don’t get the amount of playing time that the other two do. That’s always a good thing on Senior Night.” The two played just more than 14 minutes each. Lukjan helped out in the rebounding cause as Highlands won that battle, 28-27. No one had more than three rebounds for Simon Kenton. “I thought it was real sweet,” Lukjan said. “The whole team tried to get me points because I struggle scoring, but it was a team effort. We came out and won. Rebounding was a key focus.” Graves and Combs had big games in their final time on the home floor. Graves had 11 points and four rebounds with Combs scoring 10 to go with five rebounds and four assists. Highlands used its balance to counter Simon Kenton’s tough man-to-man defense. Graves and Combs made two three-pointers each. “We rely on our three-pointers so they rely on me driving and kicking to (players like) Lydia, Brianna, Alex,” Coffey said. “When they play help defense like that, it really helps us. If they don’t (help out on defense), people like Zoie (Barth), Whitney (Quillen) and I can drive. If they do stop us, we have the deadly threes in the corners. It’s a good combination.” With Meier out, Highlands 6-foot-1-inch junior McKenzie Leigh created a mismatch in the paint. She scored 16 points and had three assists. Simon Kenton senior forward Maggi Bosse tried to equal her with a team-high nine points. But she picked up her fourth foul on a technical foul with 4:02 left in the third. It came along the sidelines when she and Leigh chased after a loose ball. “McKenzie really stepped up, played well and took advantage of the mismatch we had inside,” Walz-Richey said. “We executed the plays we wanted and she finished them.” Highlands contained freshman guard Allison Niece. She had just one point after entering the game averaging 16.1. The Ladybirds made 19-of-49 shots for 39 percent, including 7-of-23 three-point tries for 30 percent. They also made 11-of-13 free-throw tries for 85 percent. Highlands again forced a lot of turnovers. The Lady Pioneers had 21 turnovers to 11 for the Ladybirds. Highlands had 14 steals to four for Simon Kenton. The Lady Pioneers made 12-of-34 shots for 35 percent, including 2-of-7 three-point tries for 29 percent. They also made 8-of-12 free throws for 67 percent. Highlands distributed the ball better making 12 assists to two for Simon Kenton. The Ladybirds outscored the Lady Pioneers, 1.07-.66 in points per possession. Combs made a three-pointer to start the game before Simon Kenton scored five in a row to go up 5-3. That was the Lady Pioneers’ only lead as Highlands scored nine straight and finished the quarter with six in a row to go up 18-8. Highlands led 21-14 in the second quarter before going on a 9-0 run to go up 30-14 at halftime. Graves had a three-pointer and jumper in the left post during that run. Simon Kenton did cut the margin to 30-19 to start the third quarter. But Combs answered with a triple and Highlands went on a 9-0 run after Bosse’s technical to go up 44-20 with 2:30 left in the third. The Ladybirds led 48-23 entering the fourth quarter. Izzy Schultz made a three-pointer with 58 seconds left for Highlands. Highlands enters the postseason as the top seed in the 36th District Tournament. The Ladybirds take on either Bellevue or Dayton on Tuesday in the semifinals at Newport. Game time is 6 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Ladybirds leave impression on Senior Night

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbred girls basketball team finished off the regular season on the right note Friday. The defending 9th Region champions (18-11) held off the visiting Conner Lady Cougars, 54-49. It marked the final game on The Hill for five NewCath seniors in Loren Zimmerman, Michaela Ware, MiKayla Seibert, Sarah Neace and Hannah Daunt. Seibert played a little and scored three points after missing most of the season. Ware made a huge play down the stretch recording a steal and passing to Olivia Schalk for the score. Ware finished with 14 points. Loren Zimmerman finished with 13 for the Thoroughbreds. Shelby Frye finished with 14 points for the Lady Cougars (11-19). Conner went 0-6 in 33rd District play after making the 9th Region Tournament last year. NewCath faces host Newport in the 36th District semifinals on Tuesday. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: NewCath girls conclude regular season on good note

Basketball, Girls: Louisville Mercy 65, Newport Central Catholic 39: The Thoroughbreds (17-11) could not stop Mercy junior guard Jessica Laemmle in the loss on The Hill. She made five three-pointers on her way to 22 points. Malerie Martin added 13 for the Jaguars (21-7). Ansley Davenport led NewCath with 18 points. She made one three-pointer. NewCath concludes the regular season at home against Conner on Friday. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: NC Hoops Roundup: Thoroughbred winning streak hits 15

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds concluded the impressive regular season with a convincing 75-50 win at Conner on Thursday. NewCath (26-3 overall) finished the regular season with a 17-1 record against 9th Region opponents and a third straight All “A” State championship. NewCath’s only region loss came to defending state champion Covington Catholic on Jan. 15. The Thoroughbreds have won 15 straight since then. The Thoroughbreds enter the postseason aiming for their seventh straight district tournament championship and first region title since 2000. The Cougars (12-14) could not stop the top three scorers for the Thoroughbreds. Senior point guard Zack Pangallo made seven three-pointers on his way to 27 points. NewCath posts Drew McDonald and Fort Thomas resident Ben Weyer scored 20 and 10 respectively. Jacob Barnes led Conner with 17 points. Michael Scott followed with nine. The Thoroughbreds earned the top seed in the 36th District Tournament and take on either Highlands or Dayton in the semifinals on Wednesday at Newport. Game time is 6 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: NC Hoops Roundup: Thoroughbred winning streak hits 15

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter They’ve made the most of their opportunities this year. That has led to an even greater one Friday to conclude the regular season. The Highlands Ladybirds enter the game with a stellar 26-3 record and a win would mark the most wins in a season since Jaime Walz-Richey became the head coach in 2002. Junior Brianna Adler and Haley Coffey started on the team that set the mark two years ago of 26-8. Those two combined with seniors like Leah Schaefer, Jesse “Dirt” Daley, Emilie Parton, Ava Abner among others to finish 9th Region runner-up to eventual state runner-up Notre Dame marking the program’s deepest postseason run since finishing region runner-up in 2002. Highlands also won the 36th District Tournament that year for the first time since 2008. Highlands has won at least 23 games every season since Adler and Coffey’s class entered high school. The Ladybirds finished 23-8 last year losing to Notre Dame in the 9th Region quarterfinals. Highlands returned all but one senior from that squad this year and has made the most of the experience. Adler and Coffey have played with the likes of seniors Alex Combs, Lydia Graves, junior McKenzie Leigh, sophomore Kirsten Clukey and eighth grader Zoie Barth for at least a year. “We know who to get the ball to and when,” Adler said. “We know we have shooters and we try to get them open as much as possible. We know where people are going to be. It just helps a lot.” The Ladybirds will have to beat the Simon Kenton Lady Pioneers (22-3) to earn the huge win. They again close the season against the 8th Region contenders from Independence led by veteran Head Coach Jeffrey Stowers. Game time is 5:30 p.m. Friday. It was rescheduled from Thursday because of inclement weather. Senior activities begin at 5 p.m. and the Buckets for Brady (Walz) festivities will take place at halftime. “At the end of the year, I try to get out-of-region teams just to get us ready,” Walz-Richey said. “We had Walton-Verona on Saturday. That’s a good, physical team. We were able to play well. Coach Stowers is a great coach. They’re a great defensive team. I think that will help us get ready for the district and postseason tournaments.” Simon Kenton generally plays solid man-to-man defense. The Lady Pioneers have three players averaging in double figures. They are freshman guard Allison Niece, senior forward Maggi Bosse and sophomore center Madi Meier at 16.1, 15.3 and 11.9 points per game respectively. Highlands has won with balance all season. Adler leads the Ladybirds averaging 11.7 points per game and Graves averages 10.2. “They do a great job helping in a lot so we’re going to have to be able to execute on offense and take what they give us,” Walz-Richey said. “We feel like we have one of the deepest teams. If we have a mismatch, we have to make sure our girls see that, get them the ball and score.” Highlands saw Leigh return to the lineup recently after she missed five games. Coffey also expects to play Friday after missing the last two games. Leigh averages a team-high 6.2 rebounds per game. “We move the ball so well and we always take the best open shot we can,” Leigh said. “It’s pretty hard to defend. My return gives us a presence in the post. I can make a move or kick it back out for the open shots. All my teammates are great shooters so that helps out a lot.” Highlands is a few plays away from being undefeated. The three losses to Owensboro Catholic, Covington Holy Cross and Covington Holmes came by a combined six points. “We know these games are going to be close,” Adler said. “It’s a matter of who comes to play and who doesn’t. Any three of the teams have a chance. Whoever plays their hardest is going to win. We know we have to come and play no matter which game it is.” Highlands last won the region in 2001. The Ladybirds won it three straight years when Walz-Richey played including a state runner-up finish in 1994. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: Ladybirds aim for another big win

Basketball, Boys: Conner 78, Highlands 66: The Bluebirds fell to 6-16 with their eighth straight loss Saturday in Fort Thomas. Parker Harris put up a good game with 28 points. Mitch Cain and Kenny Ball followed with 14 and 13 respectively. Highlands plays host to Scott (15-11) on Tuesday. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Hoops Roundup: Ladybird win streak hits nine

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The Highlands Ladybirds basketball team stepped out of region for the last two games of the regular season. The Ladybirds (26-3 overall) tied the most wins in a season since Jaime Walz-Richey has been head coach with a 69-50 victory at Walton-Verona (14-12). Highlands also recorded its second win over the Lady Bearcats this season and won its ninth straight as a result. Highlands again saw three players reach double digits. Eighth grader Zoie Barth led the way with 24 points hitting 9-of-11 shots including both three-point tries and all four free throws. Ladybird posts Alex Combs and McKenzie Leigh also had big games. Combs made all five free throws on her way to 15 points and Leigh made 3-of-5 three-point shots for 11 points. Highlands had 14 assists to nine for Walton-Verona. Leigh and Lydia Graves had four each. The Ladybirds outscored the Lady Bearcats, 23-7 in points off turnovers. They had 12 steals off 16 Walton-Verona turnovers while yielding seven steals on 10 turnovers. Brianna Adler led Highlands with four thefts. Highlands made 23-of-42 shots for 55 percent, including 9-of-17 from downtown for 53 percent. The Ladybirds also hit 14-of-17 free throws for 82 percent. Walton-Verona made 17-of-44 shots for 39 percent, including 7-of-19 from three-point range for 37 percent. The Lady Bearcats made 9-of-16 free throws for 56 percent. Walton-Verona saw three players score in double figures. Morgan Simpson led the way with 17 points. Allie Mills and Hailey Ison followed with 15 each. Highlands finishes the regular season Thursday at home against another 32nd District opponent. The Ladybirds play host to Simon Kenton (22-3) at 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Hoops Roundup: Ladybird win streak hits nine

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The first half of the annual girl-boy doubleheader started off well for the visitors. The Highlands Ladybirds (25-3) won their eighth in a row dominating the Lloyd Memorial Lady Juggernauts, 83-39 on Friday. Highlands is one win shy of matching the win total of the 9th Region runner-up squad two years ago. Ladybird junior Brianna Adler continued her hot shooting with a career-high 27 points. She made a career-high nine three-pointers on 13 shots. Highlands saw 13 players score overall. Zoie Barth followed with 10 points and Emma Little came in and scored nine making three triples. Highlands made 30-of-61 shots for 49 percent, including 17-of-34 from three-point range for 50 percent. The Ladybirds also made 6-of-8 free throws for 75 percent. Lloyd Memorial saw just one player score in double figures. That was Devin Cheatum with 17 points. The Lady Juggernauts made 15-of-35 shots for 43 percent, including 5-of-15 three-point shots for 33 percent. They also made just 4-of-13 free-throw tries for 31 percent. Turnovers again made a huge difference in this game. Lloyd made 15 to two for Highlands. The Ladybirds outscored the Lady Juggernauts, 20-2 in points off turnovers. Highlands travels to Walton-Verona on Saturday. Game time is 4 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Highlands, Lloyd split girl-boy doubleheader

Basketball, Boys: Lloyd Memorial 54, Highlands 45: The losing streak for the Bluebirds (6-15) hit seven in a row with the road loss. Mitch Cain led Highlands with 13 points. Senior Parker Harris added 10. The Bluebirds play host to Conner on Saturday. Game time is 4 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Highlands, Lloyd split girl-boy doubleheader

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter Make that 29 in a row over 36th District opponents. The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbred boys basketball team (24-3 overall) finished its district schedule with a 78-39 thrashing of the host Bellevue Tigers (12-12) on Wednesday. The Thoroughbreds have won six consecutive district tournament championships. NewCath earned another top seed in the district tournament to be held at Newport this year with a 4-0 district record. Bellevue finished 2-2 in district play and will be the third seed and face the hosts in the tournament semifinals. Bellevue could not contain the NewCath posts in Drew McDonald and Ben Weyer. McDonald scored 19 points and Weyer had 14. Eleven different Thoroughbreds scored in the win. Sophomore Trey Wurtz added 10 for NewCath. Bellevue saw two players score in double figures. They were Austin Woodyard and Zach Barrett with 13 each. NewCath takes on Covington Holmes (20-6) at Northern Kentucky University on Friday. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: NC Hoops Roundup: Thoroughbreds win 13th straight

Basketball, Girls: Covington Holy Cross 58, Newport Central Catholic 51: NewCath (15-10) had no answer for Holy Cross senior Ally Mayhaus in the 9th Region loss. The 6-foot-1-inch post scored 24 points to lead the All “A” State champions (24-3). Mayhaus had help as Deja Turner scored 17. Holy Cross has won 13 in a row. Ansley Davenport and Michaela Ware led NewCath with 15 points each. Loren Zimmerman followed with nine. NewCath travels to St. Henry on Thursday. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: NC Hoops Roundup: Thoroughbreds win 13th straight

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The host Highlands Ladybirds basketball team pulled away from the Boone County Lady Rebels for a 66-47 9th Region victory Tuesday. Highlands played four games in five days and won all four contests. The Ladybirds have won seven in a row to move to 24-3 overall surpassing last year’s win total. Highlands has won four in a row against the Lady Rebels (15-11). The Ladybirds scored 1.2 points per possession to .87 for the Lady Rebels. Highlands put three players in double figures. Eighth grader Zoie Barth led the Ladybirds with 19 points making 6-of-8 free throws with Alex Combs and Brianna Adler scoring 15 each. Adler made all six free throws and 3-of-4 three-point tries. Highlands made its way to the free-throw line more making 13-of-15 attempts for 87 percent. Boone County hit 2-of-6 for 33 percent. The Ladybirds dished out more assists than the Lady Rebels, 12-1. Combs and Barth had three each to lead Highlands. The Ladybirds made 23-of-40 shots for 58 percent, including 7-of-16 from three-point range for 44 percent. The Lady Rebels hit 19-of-44 shots for 43 percent, including 7-of-17 from three-point land for 41 percent. Highlands controlled the rebounding, 27-19. Barth led the way with four. The Ladybirds did manage 11 steals to six for the Lady Rebels. Haley Coffey led Highlands in that department with four. Highlands takes on Lloyd Memorial on Friday. Game time is 6 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Highlands surpasses last year's win total

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The Highlands Ladybirds basketball team ventured across the Ohio River and handled a Greater Catholic League opponent Monday for its sixth straight win. Highlands (23-3 overall) beat the host Cincinnati St. Ursula Bulldogs, 56-24. The Ladybirds had not beaten an Ohio opponent since the 2010-11 season. Highlands recorded a 45-42 road win at Cincinnati Ursuline when Kelsey Dunn, Sydney Groneck and Allie Conner were seniors. Highlands outscored St. Ursula, .98-.42 in points per possession. Brianna Adler and Alex Combs scored 13 points each to lead the Ladybirds. Adler made 3-of-5 three-point tries. Highlands saw junior 6-foot-1-inch McKenzie Leigh return to action after missing the past five games. Leigh scored six points, grabbed two rebounds and blocked two shots. The Ladybirds made 19-of-49 shots for 39 percent, including 9-of-17 three-point tries for 53 percent. They also made 9-of-17 free throws. The Bulldogs made 9-of-59 shots for 15 percent, including 4-of-26 three-point tries for the same percentage. They also made just 2-of-4 free-throw tries for 50 percent. Highlands did a great job keeping out of foul trouble. The Ladybirds had just four fouls to 12 for the Bulldogs. Highlands plays host to Boone County (15-10) on Tuesday. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Ladybirds win in Leigh's return to action

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds girls basketball team won the 9th Region title game rematch Sunday at Thomas More College. NewCath (15-9 overall) downed the Notre Dame Pandas, 50-41 for its second win in three days. The Pandas (10-15) led 23-21 at halftime. The Thoroughbreds again won with balanced scoring. Loren Zimmerman led the way with 13 points. Ansley Davenport and Michaela Ware followed with 10 each. Ware hit the game-winning lay-up in overtime of the title game last year. Haylee Smith led the struggling Pandas with 15 points and Sydney Stallman scored 10. Notre Dame has lost two in a row and may not make it out of the 35th District this year after winning the 9th Region two years ago with the seasons that Covington Holy Cross (23-3) and Holmes (23-1) are having. Holy Cross won the All “A” State championship a week ago. NewCath travels to Holy Cross on Wednesday. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: NC girls wins rematch of last year's region title game

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbred boys basketball team had little trouble winning another battle against the in-county rival Bishop Brossart Mustangs. The Thoroughbreds (22-3 overall) ventured to Alexandria and won 66-40 for their 11th straight victory. NewCath has beaten Bishop Brossart four straight times dating back to a 65-61 loss on Dec. 28, 2011 in the Lloyd Memorial Tournament. The Thoroughbreds received another huge game from junior 6-foot-6-inch Ben Weyer with 21 points. Senior guards Grant Moeves and Zack Pangallo followed with 14 and 13 respectively. NewCath plays host to Beechwood (9-11) on Saturday. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: NewCath pounds Bishop Brossart

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The Highlands Ladybirds hit the 20-win plateau for the third straight season with a 71-45 victory over the visiting Bracken County Lady Bears (16-9) on Tuesday. Highlands (20-3 overall) has hit the 20-win mark five times since current Head Coach Jaime Walz-Richey took over in 2002. The Ladybirds hit 21 and 25 wins respectively in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. Senior Lydia Graves had another big night for Highlands scoring 19 points making an astounding 5-of-6 three-point tries. She made 7-of-8 shots total. Highlands received a career-high from senior Whitney Quillen with 12 points and 10 from Zoie Barth. She also had five rebounds. Bracken County junior guard Bailey Cummins broke the school’s all-time career scoring record with 23 points. Her record-breaking basket came with 14 second left in the game. The Ladybirds had 35 defensive stops to 23 for Bracken County. That led to 1.31 points per possession to .81 for the Lady Bears. Highlands again outscored the visitors, 29-4 in points off turnovers. The Ladybirds had 12 steals on 17 Lady Bear turnovers while yielding two steals on nine turnovers. Alex Combs led the Ladybirds in that category with four steals. Highlands also won the rebounding battle, 26-21. Combs led the Ladybirds with eight rebounds and eight points. Highlands hit 28-of-50 shots for 56 percent, including 11-of-20 from outside for 55 percent. The Ladybirds also made 4-of-7 free throws for 57 percent. Bracken County made 15-of-40 shots for 38 percent. The Lady Bears also made 5-of-13 three-point shots for 39 percent and 10-of-11 free throws for 91 percent. Highlands play host to Beechwood (8-13) on Friday. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Hoops Roundup: Ladybirds hit 20 wins for third straight year

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The Highlands Ladybirds basketball team recorded an impressive home victory Monday after surviving a rough performance Saturday. Highlands moved to 19-3 overall with a 61-34 win over the Scott Lady Eagles (15-7) in Fort Thomas. The Ladybirds have won two in a row as a result. Both wins came without junior post McKenzie Leigh, who is still recovering from a tough fall in Thursday’s loss to Holmes. Senior Lydia Graves had another big game with a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds. She made all three three-point tries and 7-of-9 shots total to go with two assists. Zoie Barth added 15 points with Alex Combs and Brianna Adler scoring nine each for the Ladybirds. Barth made all four free-throw tries. Scott saw just one player reach double figures. That was Alexis Stapleton with 12 points. Highlands had 11 assists to two for Scott. Adler led the Ladybirds with three assists. Scott also had 16 turnovers to nine for Highlands. The Ladybirds had 13 steals led by five from Combs to just four for the Lady Eagles. Highlands outscored Scott, 21-2 in points off turnovers. Highlands made 22-of-50 shots for 44 percent, including 7-of-14 for 50 percent from three-point land. The Ladybirds also made 10-of-14 free throws for 71 percent. Scott hit just 13-of-45 shots for 29 percent, including 2-of-13 three-point tries for 15 percent. The Lady Eagles also hit 6-of-9 free throws for 67 percent. Highlands plays host to Bracken County on Tuesday. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Points off turnovers come in huge in Highlands win

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter FRANKFORT – After receiving a scare Saturday, they put the petal to the medal and made history. The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds became the first boys team in All “A” Tournament history to win three straight state championships Sunday. The Thoroughbreds displayed why they had more experience, size and quickness than the Monroe County Falcons in a 78-36 victory at the Frankfort Convention Center. “It was one of our goals,” said Ron Dawn, NewCath Head Coach. “I didn’t think it was going to be like this. I anticipated it being tough, but we played about as well as we can play.” NewCath (20-3) hit the 20-win plateau for the fifth straight year as a result. The Thoroughbreds have four All “A” State championships, which is second behind University Heights’ eight crowns. NewCath also won the tournament in 2000. The Thoroughbreds also have 13 appearances in tournament history good for third-most in tournament history only behind University Heights (20) and Somerset (15) and an overall record of 27-9 in the tournament good for the second-most wins in tournament history behind University Heights’ 47-12 mark. On the other hand, this marked just the second appearance in the tournament for Monroe County (22-3). The Falcons also appeared in the tournament in 2003 losing to eventual runner-up Rose Hill Christian Academy out of Ashland and former Southern Cal Trojan O.J. Mayo, 69-64 in the quarterfinals. NewCath’s domination again started with their three returning starters. Junior post Ben Weyer dominated with 26 points and seven rebounds to go with two steals and two blocked shots. He also made 2-of-3 three-point tries and 6-of-7 free-throw attempts to go with two dunks. Weyer took over in the second quarter scoring 13 points after fellow post Drew McDonald picked up his second foul with 53.8 seconds left in the first quarter and did not play the entire second quarter. McDonald still finished with 19 points and nine rebounds. Weyer also contained Monroe County forward Dillon Geralds. He finished with 12 points and Skyler Geralds had 13 to lead the Falcons. “(Dillon Geralds) can shoot and drive. I knew he was going to try to do both,” Weyer said. “He did hit some shots, but I feel like I contested. He’s going to hit those shots so there’s not much I can do. But if you can limit that, I like our chances.” NewCath point guard and Tournament Most Valuable Player Zack Pangallo had a magnificent game scoring and distributing the ball. He scored 12 points and dished off 12 assists to go with two steals. NewCath had 21 assists to five for Monroe County. Pangallo also won the tournament’s MVP honors last year. Fellow guard Grant Moeves also made the all-tournament team with Weyer and McDonald. Moeves had five assists in the win. The Thoroughbreds dominated the boards, 40-17 including 32-10 on the defensive side. After Weyer, McDonald and Moeves, Pangallo and Brian Anderson nabbed three rebounds each. The four had some help in the winning effort. NewCath junior John Ludwig made a triple and three free throws drawing a foul on a three-point shot in the second quarter that helped the Thoroughbreds pull away on his way to nine points. “When Drew goes out of the game, it’s really hard to get (the ball) down low so it opens things up outside,” Ludwig said. “I stepped up and hit a couple big shots. If you think too much about it, it’s not going to go in.” NewCath made 29-of-46 shots for an amazing 63 percent, including 9-of-21 from outside for 43 percent. The Thoroughbreds also made 11-of-13 free throws for 85 percent. Weyer made 9-of-12 shots and McDonald hit 8-of-9. McDonald also made 2-of-3 from outside. Monroe County made just 13-of-48 shots for 27 percent, including 2-of-21 from outside for 10 percent. The Falcons made 8-of-14 free-throw tries for 57 percent. The Thoroughbreds scored the game’s first five points and never looked back. Pangallo made a triple and Weyer scored from the right post in transition prompting a quick Monroe County timeout just a minute into the game. The Thoroughbreds led 18-12 after one quarter. They used an 8-0 run in the second to go up 26-14 with 4:41 left I the half. Weyer scored five straight during that run. Weyer scored five straight later in the period to give NewCath a 37-20 advantage. He made a three-pointer and two free throws during that run. NewCath led 39-23 at halftime then put the game away in the third quarter with McDonald back in the lineup. The Thoroughbreds scored 14 of the half’s first 17 points including another Weyer dunk to go up 53-26 with 2:56 left in the quarter. NewCath led 59-32 entering the fourth quarter and enforced the running clock with 6:23 left in the game. McDonald’s second three-pointer gave the Thoroughbreds a 67-32 advantage at that point and the reserves played the rest of the game. The Falcons did not score a field goal in the fourth quarter. NewCath travels to St. Henry on Tuesday. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: NewCath hits goal of All "A" Three-Peat

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter FRANKFORT – The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbred boys basketball team was not kidding when it said opponents would not let them blaze through the tournament. After winning the first two games by an average of 33.5 points, the Thoroughbreds ran into a determined team that hung with them until the very end. But the two-time defending All “A” State champions came through at the end with a 55-51 win over the Lexington Christian Academy Eagles (17-7) in the tournament semifinals. NewCath (19-3) faces Monroe County (22-2) for the championship at 2:30 p.m. Sunday back at the Frankfort Convention Center. “We have to play well again,” said Ron Dawn, NewCath Head Coach. “It’s not going to be easy, but we’ll be ready to go.” Lexington Christian came into the game wanting to play better after what happened in last year’s semifinals. The Thoroughbreds ran all over the Eagles in a 78-49 route. But NewCath took advantage of every little play in this one. Neither team turned the ball over much. The Eagles had seven to five for the Thoroughbreds. But NewCath had five steals to none for Lexington Christian. That led to 13 points off turnovers for the Thoroughbreds to six for the Eagles. Grant Moeves led NewCath with two steals. Zack Pangallo had another big game for NewCath against Lexington Christian with 21 points. He made 3-of-6 three-pointers. “We knew when we came down here we had to play hard and play tough because we had the target on our backs,” Pangallo said. “We had to play under control and play our game, especially keeping them off the boards because that was one of the better things they do. I think we did a good job limiting them to one shot.” Posts Drew McDonald and Ben Weyer did their damage inside. McDonald had a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds and Weyer had 10 points and six rebounds. Weyer also rejected four Lexington Christian shots. “Drew is a load (in the paint),” Dawn said. “His footwork is great and he has good hands. It helped us a ton.” The Eagles had some size to match up with the Thoroughbreds. Matt Rose and Drew Trimble led Lexington Christian with 14 points each and Kyle Rode had 11. Rose added 10 rebounds for a double-double. Lexington Christian shot the ball slightly better making 21-of-45 shots for 47 percent, including 6-of-18 from outside for 33 percent to 19-of-42 for 45 percent, including 5-of-17 from outside for 29 percent for NewCath. But the Thoroughbreds took 18 free-throw attempts to four for Lexington Christian. The Thoroughbreds made 12 for 67 percent and the Eagles hit three for 75 percent. Rose came out hot for Lexington Christian. He scored on a back-door cut and gave the Eagles a 7-1 lead with 5:45 left in the first. But McDonald and Pangallo warmed up and helped NewCath grab the lead for good. The Thoroughbreds led 15-14 after the first period before scoring the first 14 points of the second quarter to go up 29-14. Pangallo and Weyer led that run. Moeves started the run with a fast-break three-point play and Weyer had a steal and dunk. The Thoroughbreds led 32-25 at halftime after the Eagles scored six straight points. Lexington Christian did cut the lead to four once in the third quarter. But Pangallo hit a lay-up with five seconds left in the frame to give NewCath a 49-39 advantage. The Thoroughbreds still won despite not making a field goal in the fourth quarter. They did it making 6-of-9 free throws. Rode and Trimble made consecutive offensive rebounds to trim the margin to 49-45 with 4:35 left in the quarter before Pangallo made two free throws. NewCath led 51-48 with 1:13 remaining before Pangallo hit another free throw. After Rose made a three-pointer at the other end, the Thoroughbreds missed the front end of a one-and-one, but McDonald tracked down the offensive rebound and made two free throws to give NewCath a 54-51 lead. “I thought we contested well,” Dawn said of Rose’s shot. “He’s going to his weak hand off the dribble and pull up for a three. He just elevates so high that there’s not much we can do. We had a few lapses early where we let him get away, but for the most part, did a good job on him.” Lexington Christian called timeout with 19.4 seconds left. That’s when Erik Anderson came up big for NewCath deflecting the inbound pass to Moeves. Moeves passed it to Weyer and Weyer made 1-of-2 free throws with 11.9 seconds left in the game. “I thought they’d be going to Rose because they’d been going to him all night,” Anderson said. “I just kind of lunged (left) and knocked it off my hands and (Moeves) got it.” NewCath is seeking its fourth title overall. On the other hand, Monroe County is making its first championship game appearance. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: NewCath outlasts Lexington Christian

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The Highlands Ladybirds basketball team went to overtime on the road in 9th Region play for a second straight Saturday. But unlike last week’s tough 40-39 doubled overtime loss, Highlands (18-3 overall) came away with a 39-38 victory over the host Conner Lady Cougars (9-14). Highlands outscored Conner, 4-3 in the extra session. Both teams took exactly 50 shots in the game. Highlands made 14 for 28 percent including 5-of-19 from three-point range for 26 percent and Conner made 16 for 32 percent. The Lady Cougars made 3-of-14 from beyond the arc for 21 percent. Highlands saw just one player reach double figures in Lydia Graves with 17. She made 4-of-9 three-point tries. The Ladybirds again played without 6-foot-1-inch junior McKenzie Leigh. She missed most of Thursday’s game against Holmes going up for a score then falling hard to the ground. Conner also saw just one player score in double figures. That was Savannah Jordan with 10. The Lady Cougars won the rebounding battle, 41-31. Shelby Frye led Conner with eight and Zoie Barth had seven to lead the Ladybirds. Highlands plays host to Scott on Monday. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: GIRLS HOOPS ROUNDUP: Highlands survives Conner; NC drops tough one

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds boys basketball team had no problem taking care of its first-round opponent to start the All “A” State Tournament on Thursday. NewCath (17-3 overall) put away the 3rd Region champion Hancock County Hornets, 67-31 with huge runs at the Frankfort Civic Center. The Thoroughbreds outscored the Hornets (12-8), 44-8 in the second and third quarters combined to run away. They led 57-20 entering the fourth quarter after leading just 13-12 following the first quarter. NewCath is making its third straight appearance in the tournament and 11th in the previous 16 seasons. The Thoroughbreds have only lost in the first round twice during that time in 2001 and 2007. They’ve been to the All “A” State Tournament 13 times total and own three state championships in 2000 and the previous two years. On the other side, Hancock County had not been to the tournament since 2000. The Hornets have been to the state tournament seven times with a runner-up finish in 1992. Grant Moeves, Ben Weyer and John Ludwig scored 12 points each for the Thoroughbreds. Senior post Drew McDonald had a near double-double of 10 points and nine rebounds for NewCath. Ty Ogle was the lone player for the Hornets to reach double digits in scoring with 11. No one else had more than four points. Hancock County turned the ball over 16 times to just four for NewCath. The Thoroughbred had nine steals to one for the Hornets. Erik Anderson led NewCath with three steals and Zack Pangallo had two. The Thoroughbreds had 16 assists to four for Hancock County. Pangallo led NewCath with four assists with Anderson and McDonald making three each. NewCath unsurprisingly controlled the rebounding, 31-23. After McDonald, Weyer nabbed six rebounds. The Thoroughbreds made 28-of-54 shots for 52 percent including 8-of-19 from downtown for 42 percent. They did struggle at the free-throw line hitting just 3-of-9 for 33 percent. Hancock County hit just 11-of-34 shots for 32 percent including 3-of-9 three-point tries for 33 percent. The Hornets also made 6-of-12 free-throw tries for 50 percent. NewCath plays again Friday at 6:30 p.m. The Thoroughbreds take on 16th Region champion Elliott County (15-4). Fort Thomas Matters Sports: NewCath pulls away from Hancock County

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter It’s been a challenge they’ve handled the past two years and it is one they hope to do again and enter the history books. The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds boys basketball team (16-3 overall) has won consecutive All “A” State championships after beating 36th District rival Highlands the Tuesday leading up to it. That means they would again play five games in six days. The tournament expanded to its current format in 1990. Since then, no team has three-peated as state champions. University Heights of Hopkinsville has the most state championships with eight. The Blazers have repeated twice in 1990 and 1991 before doing it again in 1998 and 1999. They’ve lost in the opening round the previous two years. “There’s a reason for that because it’s a great tournament,” said Drew McDonald, NewCath senior post. “With small schools, you only need five on the basketball court so you need to find five good players and they’re going to be good. Everyone is projecting us to roll through it, but that’s not going to be the case. We have to work hard. We have to take one game at a time and see what happens after that.” NewCath enters the tournament on a five-game winning streak since losing 58-48 to Covington Catholic on Jan. 16 at the Bank of Kentucky Center at Northern Kentucky University. The Thoroughbreds beat the Bluebirds, 83-43 Tuesday in Fort Thomas. “Our guys are in great shape,” said Ron Dawn, NewCath Head Coach. “Our schedule has prepared us for that.” Aside from Covington Catholic, the other two losses for NewCath came to Louisville Ballard and Louisville Doss in the King of the Bluegrass Tournament. The Thoroughbreds beat St. Louis Christian Academy (Mo.) on Jan. 3. NewCath opens the tournament Thursday against the Hancock County Hornets (12-7) from the 3rd Region. Game time is 11:30 a.m. at the Frankfort Convention Center. The winner faces either Kentucky Country Day (10-9) or Elliott County on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Hancock County has two players averaging in double figures. They are junior guard Ty Ogle and Garrett Pate at 13.8 and 11.6 points per game respectively. Dawn and McDonald listed several teams who could challenge for the state title. Lexington Christian appears to be the biggest obstacle toward getting back to the title game. The Eagles (15-6) have size in senior 6-foot-7-inch Matt Rose and 6-8 Drew Trimble. The other side of the bracket features several teams with two or fewer losses. Williamsburg is undefeated at 17-0. But Owen County (19-2) could also be in the mix along with Monroe County (19-2). McDonald and junior post Ben Weyer average 17.9 and 16.1 points per game to lead the Thoroughbreds. Their size and versatility have given opponents fits all season. The two are not afraid to step out on the perimeter and make three-point shots. Senior point guard Zack Pangallo averages 10.7 a game. Players like John Ludwig, Erik Anderson and Grant Moeves have had some big games as well. The Thoroughbreds are aiming for their fourth All “A” State Championship overall. In addition to the previous two years, NewCath also won the tournament in 2000. FORT THOMAS MATTERS: NewCath aims for history in All "A" State Tournament

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The visitors wanted to maintain their superiority in the 36th District and the hosts hoped to show they’ve closed the gap. The game was not out of reach in the first quarter. But in the second quarter, the Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds (16-3 overall, 3-0 district) sped up the tempo and pulled away for a convincing 83-43 win Tuesday in Fort Thomas over the Bluebirds (6-11, 1-2). NewCath has won 28 straight against district opponents dating back to a 42-39 loss to Newport in the All “A” 9th Region Tournament title game on Jan. 23, 2010 at Dayton. The Thoroughbreds have five straight wins while the Bluebirds have dropped three in a row. NewCath has also won six consecutive district tournament championships and 10 in a row in the series. Highlands last beat NewCath, 58-44 on The Hill Jan. 9, 2010. The Thoroughbreds can now focus on preparing for the All “A” State Tournament. They’ve won it two years in a row and are hoping to become the first team to win it three straight years. The first game is Thursday at 11:30 a.m. against Hancock County. “It’s tough to schedule games around the All ‘A’ Tournament,” said Ron Dawn, NewCath Head Coach. “Schools have been real cooperative with us.” Highlands had no answer for the NewCath size. Posts Drew McDonald and Ben Weyer recorded double-doubles. McDonald had 21 points and 11 rebounds and Ben Weyer recorded 15 points and 12 rebounds. That size allowed NewCath dominate the inside winning the rebounding battle, 39-19. That included 15-5 on the offensive glass. The Thoroughbred either scored or drew fouls on the second-chance opportunities. “(NewCath) creates a lot of (match-up) problems for a lot of teams,” said Kevin Listerman, Highlands Head Coach. “Their record and the scores reflect that. I told the kids we wanted to compete and keep our composure. We really wanted to concentrate and I thought we did a good job with those things. We didn’t make it easy for them.” Highlands doubled and even triple-teamed Weyer and McDonald inside. That opened things up for guards Zack Pangallo and Grant Moeves outside. Pangallo made two three-pointers on his way to 13 points and Moves scored 11. Moeves also had five assists. “Drew is obviously the best big in the (9th) Region so a lot of teams are going to double and triple team him,” Moeves said. “If the shooters move around to the open area, Drew will find you. He’s a great passer.” NewCath hit 29-of-54 shots for 54 percent and 18-of-24 free throws for 75 percent. Highlands made just 14-of-42 shots for 33 percent and 12-of-19 free throws for 63 percent. Highlands still tried to attack the basket offensively. Parker Harris led the way with 10 points. NewCath scored the first six points of the game and never looked back. The Thoroughbreds led 10-2 before Kenny Ball hit a three-pointer for Highlands with 3:30 left in the first quarter. NewCath led 11-7 at that point. The Thoroughbreds went on a 7-0 run that concluded with Weyer recording a steal and dunk with 1:09 left in the quarter. NewCath led 18-9 after one period. “I didn’t think we shot that well in the first quarter,” Dawn said. “Luckily, Drew bailed us out.” NewCath put the pedal to the metal in the second quarter. The Thoroughbreds put the game away with a 15-0 run. McDonald scored eight points during the run. NewCath led 46-19 at halftime and 67-31 entering the final quarter allowing both teams to play the reserves. The game hit the running clock in the third quarter. “We know that’s what teams are going to do to us,” Listerman said of opponents speeding up the tempo. “We’ve handled it at times. Certainly, we can handle it better. I thought we did a good job in the second half of not turning the ball over. We have to continue to improve and get back to work.” Highlands plays host to Bellevue on Friday. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: NewCath pulls away for 10th straight against Highlands

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The Highlands Ladybirds basketball team quickly put to rest the bad taste from Saturday. Highlands (17-2 overall) handled the host St. Henry Lady Crusaders, 61-42 on Monday in Erlanger. The Ladybirds fell 40-39 in double overtime at Covington Holy Cross on Saturday. The Ladybirds saw junior Brianna Adler score her 1,000th career point making 4-of-8 shots including 2-of-5 from three-point range and all five free-throw attempts on her way to 15 points. She needed 11 entering the game to hit the mark. Highlands displayed its usual balance in the win. McKenzie Leigh led the way with 16 points and Lydia Graves scored 10. Leigh made 3-of-5 from three-point range. The Ladybirds played solid defense forcing 25 turnovers while committing just six. Highlands had 18 steals and allowed just two. Haley Coffey and Zoie Barth recorded four thefts each. St. Henry (11-9) saw just one player score in double figures. That was Jordan Miller with 12 points. Highlands made 20-of-54 shots for 37 percent including 8-of-21 from three-point range for 38 percent. The Ladybirds also made 13-of-26 free-throw tries for 50 percent. St. Henry took 12 fewer shots than Highlands. The Lady Crusaders made 17 for 41 percent and 3-of-15 three-point tries for 20 percent. They also made just 5-of-10 free-throw tries for 50 percent. Highlands plays host to Covington Holmes (20-1) in a 9th Region showdown Thursday in Fort Thomas. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: Adler scores 1000th career point as Highlands tops St. Henry

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbred girls put up a good fight against one-loss Covington Holmes on Monday. But Holmes (20-1) came away with a 61-59 victory. NewCath (12-8) handled the Holmes press and made seven three-pointers. Ansley Davenport continued her strong play making two three-pointers on her way to 23 points and Michaela Ware scored 13. Holmes had balanced scoring led by Amori Gulley with 14 points. Jaynice Stovall and Tyrah McClendon-Englemon scored 11 each. The Thoroughbreds take on host Bellevue on Wednesday. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Fort Thomas Matters Sports: One-loss Holmes edges NewCath