Pete Mitchell

Berry's line: 14 points, 10 rebounds, 12 minutes. Dang.

Cognitive ability was so impaired secondary to multiple severe concussions that she was unable to keep pace with a very heavy AP load. At this point, whether she ever plays basketball again or not isn't even what we are debating. She went from 4.8 GPA and straight As to being unable to read or concentrate without debilitating dizziness and migraines after just a few minutes. We are hoping that the battery of doctors who are treating her are correct and that the temporary rest, removal of stress and intense therapy she undergoes will allow her to regain her full cognitive function. If that is the case, whether she plays any contact sport again will be seriously debated, because the likelihood of more serious and irreversible injury increases dramatically with recurring concussions. This is probably more detail than anyone wanted, but it is heartbreaking - although we've been very lucky and in the big scheme of things the end of basketball is a minor concern if she can otherwise recover - because she and her Highlands team ended the season last year going in the right direction, looking like the favorite to win a regional after beating Notre Dame and pushing Ryle in the regional. She began having symptoms early in the year, and played through it as long as she could until the middle of the summer season, when she'd gotten to the big stage and was playing well with the 17U INDY GYM RATS EYBL, but vision and optical damage caused such bad dizziness and headaches that she could not continue. I have known disappointment on the basketball court many times, but I don't think I've ever felt as at a loss and powerless as I did when, in the middle of 17U EYBL tournament games, when she is playing well in front of dozens of college coaches, she is reduced to tears with her head in her hands on the bench trying to find some kind of relief for an intense migraine. Whether she plays basketball becomes a non-consideration at that point. She started the academic year at Highlands and, to the Ft. Thomas Independent Schools' credit, they attempted to provide every accommodation to allow her to continue her rigorous schedule, but when she was brought to tears by the intensity of a migraine after just a few minutes of reading and concentrating, we felt it was medically necessary to remove, temporarily we hope, the stressors aggravating the physical problems. So we will see. We hope her Highlands teammates have the success that last year foretold, and she would love to be contributing, but sometimes physical limitations and frailties that you never could have foreseen frustrate the best laid plans.

Yep. In head to head games against the top 4 opponents, she outscored Scherr, Crittendon, Lockard, Drummonds, Pelphrey, equaled Bradshaw, was outscored by Murphy while her team went 3-1 against them. Passes, handles and steals, also.

Everybody has their own perspective .... mine is that Highlands was the second best team in the region (beat Conner, NDA, Dixie, played Ryle closer than anyone else) and their leading scorer (Macke), who got face guarded and a lot of attention in every one of those games, out scored everyone from those teams on this list, except for Murphy, head to head. No one gave her or Highlands any credit all year, even after they beat NDA, Conner, Dixie, and Walton and lost to Butler by a point and played with Ryle the entire game. Objectively I say she belongs on the first team. My perspective.

Thanks. SK always seemed to be way out on the fringe when they were in the 9th, but still that only meant a 20-30 minute drive to us. I was just curious. Carry on.

Seems strange to me that two teams of that caliber in the same region don't play each during the regular season. I know the size of the schools is way different, but Anderson is clearly good enough to compete with SK. Is there something I'm missing?

All tourney team/MVP?

I already posted this regarding jumping the gun on Ludlow; perhaps you didn’t see it. Turns out you were very, very correct. Ludlow and St. Henry were very evenly matched. In fact the way Dixie has played of late, is there any chance Ludlow cuts down nets? Asking for a friend. “St. Henry/Ludlow point taken. Any possibility Lloyd competes as well? Really like Jayla Labordeaux, didn’t know what the results of those matchups have been this year.“

Question has been asked many times I think, but I don't recall the answer. Do all Coaches vote on all 3 divisions, or do you just vote within your division?

That’s a great post. Always cool to look backward 3 years to see how kids have developed .... well done.

Will there be radio coverage?

Highlands will be trying to keep CovCath from a 4th straight, while Highlands will be trying to win its first since 2001. Enjoy this boys … its the best freshman tournament (probably the best non-varsity tournament) in the state. 1959 - Boone County 1960 - 1961 - 1962 - Boone County 1963 - Newport Catholic 1964 - Newport Catholic 1965 - John G. Carlisle 1966 - Covington Catholic 1967 - Newport Catholic 1968 - Covington Catholic 1969 - Covington Holy Cross 1970 - 1971 - Covington Holy Cross 1972 - Covington Catholic 1973 - Covington Catholic 1974 - 1975 - Covington Catholic 1976 - Twenhofel 1977 - Holmes 1978 - Simon Kenton 1979 - 1980 - Newport Catholic 1981 - Newport Catholic 1982 - Covington Catholic 1983 - 1984 - Newport Central Catholic 1985 - Highlands 1986 - Simon Kenton 1987 - 1988 - 1989 - Covington Catholic 1990 - 1991 - Covington Catholic 1992 - Covington Catholic 1993 - Covington Catholic 1994 - Covington Catholic 1995 - Highlands 1996 - Highlands 1997 - Covington Catholic 1998 - 1999 - Covington Catholic 2000 - Dixie Heights 2001 - Highlands 2002 - Covington Catholic 2003 - Covington Catholic 2004 - Covington Catholic 2005 - Covington Catholic 2006 - Ryle 2007 - Covington Catholic 2008 - Boone County 2009 - Boone County 2010 - Scott 2011 - Covington Catholic 2012 - Covington Catholic 2013 - Simon Kenton 2014 - Covington Catholic 2015 - Covington Catholic 2016 - Covington Holy Cross 2017 - Covington Catholic 2018 - Covington Catholic 2019 - Covington Catholic

What were the CovCath v Highlands JV and Frosh regular season results this year?

St. Henry/Ludlow point taken. Any possibility Lloyd competes as well? Really like Jayla Labordeaux, didn’t know what the results of those matchups have been this year. Conner beat Ryle early this year, I think by a lot. Any details on that game? Scherr play the whole game? Highlands beat Dixie. Highlands beat Notre Dame. Highlands beat Conner. Highlands lost by 7 to Ryle, but it was a competitive, 1 possession game until late in 3rd quarter, and even then it was not out of reach until the final minute. Ryle has beaten Notre Dame and Dixie by 25+ the last couple of weeks. Holtman has been Ryles leading scorer OF LATE. Looking at those results and the way Ryle has been playing, what team has demonstrated a realistic chance at knocking off Ryle? Anything can happen, and Ryle is undoubtedly the top dog, but Highlands has proven itself against everyone in the Ninth, and everyone that had the Bluebirds a distant fifth just six weeks ago was clearly off the mark.

With the Ninth Region regular season schedule pretty much wrapped up, Ryle emerges as clear number 1, with Holtman emerging as their leading scorer. Highlands is a clear number 2, the only team that can play within single digits of Ryle. Next is Notre Dame who will grind out a win in the 30s or 40s against everyone else, followed by Dixie and Conner. The District winners will be Ryle, Dixie, Notre Dame and Highlands, with Conner, St. Henry, Holy Cross and Newport Catholic as district runners up. Conner has a chance of pulling off a first round win in the regional, but there is a strong likelihood that the region's final four are Ryle, Dixie, Notre Dame and Highlands. From there it all depends on the draw.