Thor of Asgard

Willie was a very good player, but he was a few years ahead of Deron and the 9th Region was a bit down in Willie's junior and senior years. That does not take away from his accomplishments, but Deron played against a loaded 9th Region his entire Highlands career. Both are very good choices.

I don't remember a fight, but Moore, Schloemer and Morris made big play after big play in that win over NewCath. It had been a few years since Holmes had won a regional, and with the game being played at Conner, many thought NewCath would win. Holmes center Tilley played very physical on that game against the NewCath center, possible that caused a fight? I believe Craddock was the player for NewCath, or a Devoto? One of the great wins in Holmes history, followed by a blowout win against Holy Cross to win the '76 regional at Conner. Great memories for all Bulldog fans!

Tough call between those two, in my opinion. Different types of players. Blasingame was a great outside shooter and could score in bunches. Willie was an all-around player, great hustle and a winner. They both played college ball at D-2 level. Close call.

I would go: 1. Scott Draud 2. Derek Smith 3. Mike Vories 4. Deron Blasingame Coach: Ken Shields

I'm a Holmes grad, would never put Pittman near a list like this. Here is my list: 1. Dicky Beal (2 regional titles, played at UK) 2. Doug Schloemer (Mr. Basketball, 3 regional titles, UC) 3. Jack Jennings (WKU, led Sun Belt in scoring) 4. Mike Moore (captain of 1976 regional champ Holmes) Coach: Reynolds Flynn (regional titles 1976, 77, 78, 80) I put Moore No. 4 because he willed the Bulldogs to the 1976 regional title. They beat three-time defending champ NewCath in the semis that year at Conner and bested Holy Cross in the championship.

Have to go with Dave "Elmer" Faust as No. 2 at NewCath. Great player, been a tremendous coach at St. Henry for years, the ultimate gentleman.

No, they still had/have to say they live in Covington to go to Holmes. Happened with Turney and Marshall years ago, both played football at Holmes but lived in Newport. They just had to claim residence in Covington (they had aunts and grandparents there) and everything was fine. Not sure if that works in the modern era, but that was late 80s or early 90s with those two.

No, it's about 200 feet closer, according to the online map. I suggest you learn how to use correctly.

Forget the math of online mapping, and keep on yelping.

If Newport football only had just half the interest the old Shortway Bridge has generated today on BGP. I remember Holmes used to take the bus across that bridge to play Newport on Friday nights during football season and the security guy on the bridge always cheered for the Bulldogs to win! I don't recall if the bridge was part of Newport or Covington. He made us Holmes people feel right at home coming over to Newport.

It was the Westside Cafe! JOAT mentioned it. Right next to the toll bridge.

It was called the Shortway Bridge. The state bought it in the mid 1980s and did away with the toll. A furniture store called Finkelman's also used to be down that way in Newport and a family restaurant right next to the toll bridge that had great soup. Can't think of its name. Maybe @lawildcat will remember having a few drinks in there.

He was here 24/7 during my days at Holmes in the media to late 1970s. He even wore a cheesy uniform that made him look like policeman, even though he had no badge or anything official. If you drove over the bridge, he made you dump change into a basket. Remember him well!

Sorry the math and reality of distance causes you so much distress.

They had a security guy stationed in the toll bridge 24/7 back in the day, and he would have stopped you from drinking there at 2 a.m. He tried to stop us from diving into the Licking River at night during the summer (that's what we used to do to cool off on summer nights!).

1981. That's when my cousins left Newport for Holmes.

Wow! Herringer's was a landmark of west Newport. Even a Holmes grad like me knew of that place. The legendary 1976 Newport football team of Scott Harris, Randy Griffith, Don Starnes, Duncan Campbell, Dan Whitaker, Jim Ross, Bill Weier, etc., would be proud you mentioned that place. Hope I didn't forget anyone from the '76 Newport squad that beat CovCath 49-6. Yes, 49-6! Made even a Holmes guy like me proud!

Might be surprised. Ursuline is giving him cause to leave, if what I am told is correct. Stay tuned.

See below for the online map mileage.

Did you graduate high school, and if so, from where?

This is correct. Big Daddy's is WAY off the grid from where I'm talking about. The old toll bridge is another half-mile to the southwest of Big Daddy's. I just did the online map from the Newport Salvation Army Building to both: 1.91 miles to Newport High School, 1.87 miles to Holmes. Looks like Holmes is closer. Mic drop.

Keith Starks, former UC basketball player? And his daughter to NDA? Anyone?

You just lost any credibility right there with that statement. I went to Holmes from 1974-78 and can assure you the distance to Holmes from the Newport projects was MUCH closer than to the east end of Newport, which borders Bellevue. Back in the day it was a toll bridge, today it's a freebie, that separates Newport and Covington. You drive over that bridge, turn left, and you're at Holmes in a couple of minutes. The old Newport High School was in the west end and there was not the same back and forth you mentioned. I had cousins who attended Newport until they opened the new school in 1981. At that point, they saw it was closer to simply cross the toll bridge in the west end and go to Holmes. Residency was never an issue in those days, you just said you lived in Covington and that was that.

Holmes is definitely helped by the fact Newport built its new high school in the city's east end. Many of the west end residents of Newport chose to go to Holmes because it is closer than the high school up in the east end. Before that when Newport's high school was in the west end, you rarely heard of Holmes getting any Newport kids.

We ended with 32 kids on the varsity/JV level. We certainly had more players than Newport for that game because I remember thinking the numbers for Newport were even lower than ours. But we did not have a lot of players for sure.