Knight Owl

The list looks pretty good to me, though there a couple of names I would add including Brown. It is tough narrowing down the list to 10 with so many talented players in Northern Kentucky, not to mention all the new faces that many of the coaches have never seen play.

The Northern Kentucky Basketball Coaches Association released their pre-season top 10. I think the top 4 are pretty clear, lots of guessing after that. What does everybody else think? Cov Cath Newport Ryle Beechwood Highlands Simon Kenton (8th Region) Campbell County (10th Region) Dixie Conner Lloyd

I was able to catch a couple of Wednesday’s All A Summer Preview tournament games at Walton. The biggest takeaway is that Newport was dominant and will be a serious contender (if not favorite) to win the 9th Region. While NCC and Beechwood hung around, Newport’s loaded roster was just too much. A few other observations – St. Henry didn’t play their best game against Lexington Christian, but they will be much improved in year 2 under Sullivan. Ludlow returns all their key contributors from last year and looked pretty good (at least on offense) against Beechwood. Beechwood looked pretty good with only half their roster and will be a top 5 team in the 9th Region. Topmiller may be one of the top scorers in the state next year (I think he had at least 40 against Ludlow). I don’t know if Lexington Christian will be able to compete with the top teams in the 11th region, but they will be much improved and should be the favorite the win the regional All A. Beechwood (1) beat Ludlow by 25 Newport beat NCC by about 20 Lexington Christian beat St. Henry by about 15 Walton beat Beechwood (2) by about 15 Lexington Christian beat Walton by about 15 Newport beat Beechwood (1) by about 10 Newport beat Lexington Christian in championship game

According to NKY High School Basketball Facebook page, All "A" Summer Preview games at Walton Verona this week (Mon-Wed). In the past they have had two days of games (round robin) and then tournament on final day.

I am not certain, but it looks like games are scheduled for Sunday (not a tournament bracket). I see that Louisville Male, Christian Academy of Louisville, and George Rogers Clark all have games Sunday morning.

I was able to catch a couple of games at Scott this week. Here are a few observations - The host Eagles struggled in their two games and looked to be missing a couple of players. They did play Boone County later in the day but I didn’t stick around to see how they did. Walton Verona doesn’t have a lot of size but they have a few kids that can really shoot the 3. Holy Cross has a lot of new faces and hung around before Campbell County pulled away in the last 8 minutes or so. The Indians were without their big man (Hunt), which hurt against the Camels size. Junior-to-be point guard Amir Henderson looked good for the Indians. Nicholas County is a much different team from last year without their big men who graduated. They do have some nice guards (Peyton Hatton, Ty Simons) who play hard and shoot it well. Beechwood was impressive with wins over three 10th region teams. The Tigers have a lot of size and are physical on defense. Junior-to-be point guard Dylan Topmiller can really score it – he made a bunch of 3s and had a couple of highlight dunks in every game. I was also impressed with Pendleton County, who I believe bring back almost all of their key contributors from last season. Seniors-to-be Kamden O’Hara and JaZi Grayson were impressive shooting the ball and both made several contested 3-pointers. I don’t think Campbell County played their best games (and they have may have been missing some key players), but the Camels are a handful inside – center Braden Elam and forward Austin Davie were both as advertised. Nicholas County beat Scott by about 20 Walton Verona beat Scott by about 20 Campbell County beat Holy Cross by about 15 Beechwood beat Pendleton County by about 15 Beechwood beat Nicholas County by about 20 Beechwood beat Campbell County by about 20

The teams/schedule are posted here https://basketball.exposureevents.com/269858/kabc-bluegrass-shootout/teams. I see that a couple of 9th region teams (Beechwood, Cov Cath, Newport, and Ryle) and a few other local teams (Campbell County, Pendleton County, Simon Kenton, and Walton) will be playing.

Things have been relatively quiet in the 9th region, but wanted to highlight a couple of players that made college decisions in recent weeks: · Anthony Blaackar (Lloyd) committed to Arizona Western College (JUCO) · Finn Louden (Conner) committed to Centre College (DIII) · EJ Walker (Lloyd) signed with Western Kentucky University (DI) · Drake Landrum (Boone County) committed to Mount Vernon Nazarene University (NAIA) · Donovan Bradshaw (Cov Cath) committed to East Mississippi Community College (JUCO) · AJ Davis (Ryle) committed to Capital University (DIII) There a several All-Conference basketball players from the 9th region who are also excelling in their respective spring sports: · Malachi Kennedy (Sophomore, Dayton, Track & Field) finished 2nd in High Jump (6’0) and 110 Hurdles in Class 1A Region 4. · Dylan Topmiller (Sophomore, Beechwood, Track & Field) finished 1st in High Jump (6’2) in Class 1A Region 4 and 5th at KHSAA 1A State Meet. · Julienne Knuckles (Junior, Cooper, Track & Field) finished 1st in High Jump (6’4) in Class 3A Region 4. · Tyler Detzel (Sophomore, St. Henry, Baseball) led St. Henry in hitting with a .322 average. · Brady Bushman (Senior, Conner, Baseball) leads Conner in hitting (.393) and pitching (1.50 ERA), committed to play baseball at Wallace Community College (AL). Conner plays Beechwood in Regional semi-final today (Tuesday). · Anthony Coppolla (Senior, Ryle, Baseball) leads Ryle in hitting (.369) and is committed to play baseball at George Washington University. Ryle plays Dixie in Regional semi-final today (Tuesday). Summer basketball begins this week, and I’m hoping to catch some of the games over the next month. I’ll look around for schedules on social media, but if anyone has schedules for their teams please post them.

In many ways the 2025-2026 season played out as expected for the 9th Region, beginning with the total domination by Cov Cath. I don’t have the average margin of victory, but I’m guessing it was close to 30 per game with the closest game being against Dixie (18-point margin). The next two teams in my preseason rankings had good years, but not in the same league as the Colonels. Highlands was very good with 25 wins and Holy Cross, though maybe not as good as expected, did get 21 wins and advanced to the 9th Region tournament. What I didn’t see coming was the parity in the 9th Region after Cov Cath. It seemed that anyone ranked 2 through 12 could beat anyone else on a given night. I knew Ryle would be better than many expected, but I didn’t see them being the 2nd best team in the region and making it all the way to the regional final while winning 23 games. Lloyd and Newport were the two biggest surprise teams this season, with both winning more than 20 games after losing Division I – level players to graduation and transfer. Newport also won the Regional All A and advanced to the state semi-finals. Beechwood was another team that surprised with more than 20 wins, including beginning the season with ten straight wins. Conner and Dixie were two teams that were not quite as good as I expected, but still put together solid seasons with both advancing to the regional tournament and Conner making the regional semi-finals. The teams rounding out the top 12 were about as expected. Newport Catholic came on strong towards the end of the season after a slow start, getting wins against Newport and St. Henry and almost pulling off a few more upsets. St. Henry and Cooper both struggled as expected, but they also looked better down the stretch and will be much improved for 2026-2027 season. A Look Back at the Pre-Season Predictions (1) Covington Catholic [31W – 3L, Regional Champions, lost in 1st round of Sweet 16, Final Ranking 1] Pre-Season Prediction: With Cooper no longer being a threat and relying on their typical stellar defense and improved 3-pt shooting, Cov Cath does not lose a game within the region and wins the 9th region tournament, with the potential to make a nice run in the Sweet Sixteen in Lexington. (2) Holy Cross [21W – 10L, lost 1st round of regionals to Lloyd, Final Ranking 6] Prediction: Relying on their core group of seniors and some newcomers (keep an eye on sophomore Amir Henderson), Holy Cross wins the All “A” 9th region and makes a run at the All “A” state tournament. However, they fall just short of their first regional title since 1994, losing to Covington Catholic in the regional final. (3) Highlands [25W – 6L, lost 1st round of regionals to Conner, Final Ranking 4] Key Fact(s): The Bluebirds had no seniors on 2024-25 team; Freshman team won regional tournament Prediction: Led by their strong senior class and Lorenzon, who makes a last-minute decision to play basketball this season, coach Listerman and the Bluebirds cruise into the regional semifinals. (4) Ryle [23W – 9L, regional final to Cov Cath, Final Ranking 2] Prediction: Ryle will be the best team not named Cov Cath, Highlands, or Holy Cross in the region. But like the last two years, Ryle will fall just short of pulling off an upset in the first round of the regional tournament. (5) Conner [15W – 13L, lost in regional semi-final to Cov Cath, Final Ranking 8] Prediction: The Cougars beat Ryle in the 33rd District final and make a run to the regional semifinals where they fall to one of the top 3. (6) Dixie Heights [18W-13L, lost 1st round of regionals to Cov Cath, Final Ranking 9] Prediction: Dixie wins the 34th District but is unable to advance past the first round of the regional tournament. (7) Lloyd [23W – 5L, lost to Ryle in regional semi-finals, Final Ranking 3] Prediction: Lloyd makes it back to the regional tournament but is unable to make it out of the first round, despite the efforts of star Anthony Blaackar. (8) Beechwood [21W – 9L, lost in District to Holy Cross, Final Ranking 7] Prediction: Beechwood is in the unfortunate position of likely having to beat Holy Cross to win the 9th region All “A” or advance to the 9th region tournament. The Tigers will look to 2026-2027 to accomplish these goals. (9) Newport [21W – 10L, lost to Ryle in 1st round of regionals, Final Ranking 5] Key Fact(s): The Wildcats lost 6 of top 7 players to transfer or graduation Prediction: Though Newport will be better than expected and competitive on most nights, they will fall short in the 36th District final to Highlands and lose in the first round of the 9th region tournament. (10) St. Henry [12W – 17L, lost in District to Dixie, Final Ranking 12] Prediction: The Crusaders will be greatly improved from last season and surprise some people, but will ultimately fall short of the regional tournament. (11) Cooper [5W – 21L, lost in District to Conner, Final Ranking 11] Prediction: Holthaus has a reputation of being a very good coach, so the Jaguars will be competitive on most nights. However, I don’t expect them to make it past Ryle or Conner in the 33rd District. (12) Newport Central Catholic [12W – 18L, lost in District to Newport] Prediction: While I expect the Thoroughbreds to struggle, coach Luhn’s teams always play hard and they will find a way to surprise and win a few games against teams ranked higher than them during the season, though still fall short of the 9th region tournament. Way-to-Early 9th Region Top 12 Rankings (2026-2027) 1. Covington Catholic (31-3) 2. Ryle (23-9) 3. Beechwood (21-9) 4. Newport (21-10) 5. Highlands (25-6) 6. Lloyd (23-5) 7. Dixie Heights (18-13) 8. Holy Cross (21-10) 9. Conner (15-13) 10. Cooper (5-21) 11. St. Henry (12-17) 12. Newport Catholic (12-18) Way to Early Rankings Breakdown I’m sure it happens many years, but this year it seems that several teams are losing core groups of seniors that have been their main contributors for the past few years. By my count the region loses at least seven 1,000-point scorers (and almost eight, with Bradshaw falling just short). Between Cov Cath, Highlands, Holy Cross, and Conner, I think only five total players return that started games regularly throughout the season, meaning that there will be a lot new faces making contributions. I didn’t catch many freshman games this year, but it is likely there a couple of sophomores-to-be that seemingly come out of nowhere to make an impact. It is also almost certain that there will be player movement that could shake up the rankings, similar to what we saw this past year with Cov Cath adding Myrick from Mason County. Newport is one team to watch as there are rumors of a key player returning for his senior year. While Cov Cath (#1) loses a ton to graduation and will not be nearly as dominant, I expect the Blue Colonels to be the best team in the region again. The Colonels are loaded with young talent, not to mention bringing back All-Region 1st teamer and potential 9th Region Player of the Year Braeden Myrick and defensive stopper Teegan Stava from the starting lineup. After Cov Cath, I think there a few teams that will separate themselves as potential regional contenders, beginning with Ryle (#2). The Raiders bring back three starters including leading scorer and potential 9th Regional Player of the Year Holden Smith, the always-improving big man Grace Nsuti, and defensive player of the year Blake Broz. Next up is Beechwood (#3), who returns Kingston Brockett and Dylan Topmiller, who is another candidate for 9th Regional Player of the Year. In the four spot I have another team with a Player of the Year candidate (Amontae Lowe) in Newport (#4). The Wildcats will certainly move up in the rankings if rumors hold true of an impact player returning after a year away at prep school. I have Highlands (#5) at five with their heavy losses to graduation, though this also could be too low as the Bluebirds may return Lorenzen and have a ton of young talent, including freshman-to-be Amil Wimzie. I don’t really have a good handle on how to rank teams 6 through 12 and they could probably appear in any order. Lloyd (#6) loses star Anthony Blaackar and the under-rated Isaiah Golsby to graduation, but brings back a nice young group that performed better than expected. Dixie (#7) is another team that I may have ranked too low. They lost their leading two scorers in Max Rubemeyer and Tyson Metzger, but again will be one of the bigger teams in the region with Parks Vondehaar and Hunter Seng returning. Holy Cross (#8) will be interesting to watch. They lose a ton, including a couple of 3-year starters (Luke Arlinghaus, Brady Gabbard, Note Rominger), but bring back some nice young talent that won the regional JV championship. I have Cooper in the #9 spot. The Jaguars return two key players Julienne Knuckles and Cole Stanton, with their freshman team falling just short to a dominate Cov Cath group in the freshman regional final. At #10 I have Conner. It will be interesting to see how the Cougars look without star Finn Louden, though they do bring back multi-year starter Tyler Warner and few other young players that played key roles this past season. Coach Sullivan’s St. Henry (#11) squad will look to improve in year 2, bringing back four starters including leading scorer Tyler Detzel. Rounding out the top 12 I have Newport Catholic, who loses a few key players to graduation but does bring back two starters. Way-to-Early 9th Region Top 12 Players 2026-2027 1. Braeden Myrick, Sr (Cov Cath) 2. Dylan Topmiller, Jr (Beechwood) 3. Amontae Lowe, Sr (Newport) 4. Holden Smith, Sr (Ryle) 5. Julienne Knuckles, Sr (Cooper) 6. Tayden Lorenzen, Sr (Highlands) 7. Tyler Warner, Sr (Conner) 8. Grace Nsuti, Sr (Ryle) 9. Kingston Brockett, Sr (Beechwood) 10. Teegan Stava, Sr (Cov Cath) 11. Hunter Seng, Sr (Dixie) 12. Tyler Detzel, Jr (St. Henry)

I was late posting a regional tournament recap and late to the party for the Cov Cath - St. Xavier discussion. Making my final 9th region post here (before we get into the 2026-2027 off-season discussion). Kentucky 9th Region basketball is officially over for the 2025-2026 season. St. Xavier 75 – Cov Cath 61 I didn’t see this coming. After a fast start (leading 28-17 early in 2nd quarter), Cov Cath was dominated by a more athletic, physical St. Xavier team. Early in the game it looked like Cov Cath might run away with it, forcing turnovers and getting easy buckets in transition like they have all season. But St. Xavier responded, forcing several turnovers of their own and knocking down one 3-point basket after another. St. Xavier senior Chief Cameron was a menace, finishing with 4 steals and forcing several Cov Cath turnovers. The biggest factor in the game was St. Xavier’s shooting. They finished the game better than 60% from the field, and a blistering 12-18 from the 3-point line. Cov Cath did not shoot the ball as well as it usually does (47% FG and 8-22 3FG), which had a lot do with St. Xavier’s long, athletic defenders. That being said, I feel confident saying that no one in Kentucky (and not many teams across the country) are beating St. Xavier if they make 12 3-pointers on 18 attempts. I really do think these are the best two teams in the state and it will be interesting to see if anyone can challenge St. Xavier the rest of the way. Myrick led Cov Cath with 19 points on 6-16 shooting, while Athens McGillis finished with 11 points on 5-15 from the field. Dylan Gaiser and Teegan Stava were also in double figures for the Colonels. Donovan Bradshaw dominated inside early and finished with 8 points and 11 rebounds. Cash Harney left the game early with an injury and finished with 3 points. 9th Region Tournament Finals Review Cov Cath 82 – Ryle 51 As expected, Cov Cath cruised to a regional championship over the Ryle Raiders. Cov Cath’s dominant run through the 9th Region included wins by 30, 51, and 31 points. Cash Harney was named the MVP, with Athens McGillis and Donovan Bradshaw joining him on the All-Tournament Team. 9th Region All-Tournament Team: Cash Harney (MVP), Donovan Bradshaw, Athens McGillis (CCH); Holden Smith, Anthony Coppolla (Ryle); Finn Louden, Tyler Warner (Conner); Isiah Golsby, Anthony Blaackar (Lloyd); Amil Wimzie (Highlands); Hunter Seng (Dixie); Brady Gabbard (Holy Cross); Amontae Lowe (Newport) Final 9th Region Top 10 (2025-2026) 1. Covington Catholic (31-2) [last week 1; preseason 1] Returning starters: 2 (Braeden Myrick, Teegan Stava) 2. Ryle (23-9) [last week 2; preseason 4 (+2)] Returning starters: 3 (Holden Smith, Grace Nsuti, Blake Broz) 3. Lloyd (23-5) [last week 3; preseason 7 (+4)] Returning starters: 2 (Isiah Coleman, Jason Kabeya) 4. Highlands (25-6) [last week 4; preseason 3 (-1)] Returning starters: 1 (Tayden Lorenzen) 5. Newport (21-10) [last week 5; preseason 9 (+4)] Returning starters: 3 (Amontae Lowe, Davae Andrews-Glover, Sean Hurry) 6. Holy Cross (21-10) [last week 6; preseason 2 (-4)] Returning starters: 1 (Amir Henderson) 7. Beechwood (21-9) [last week 7; preseason 8 (+1)] Returning starters: 2 (Dylan Topmiller, Kingston Brockett) 8. Conner (15-13) [last week 8; preseason 5 (-3)] Returning starters: 1 (Tyler Warner) 9. Dixie Heights (18-13) [last week 9; preseason 6 (-3)] Returning starters: 2 (Hunter Seng, Parks Vondehaar) 10. Newport Catholic (12-18) [last week 10; preseason 13 (+3)] Returning starters: 2 (Gabe Waggoner, Andrew Verst)

9th Region Quarterfinals / Semi-Finals Review Conner 79 – Highlands 76 For the second time in a few weeks Conner was able to beat the Bluebirds. Louden had a monster game with 36 points on 10/17 shooting, including 6/8 from 3 and 10/14 from the foul line. Bushman, Warner, and Rondon were also in double figures for the Cougars. Highlands had five players in double figures, led by 8th grader Wimizie’s 19 and Lorenzen’s 18. A lot of fouls and free throws in this game – Conner finished 16/27 and Highlands 14/21. Covington Catholic 71 -- Dixie 41 Dixie was able to keep it reasonably close in the 1st half before the Colonels went on one of their huge runs to blow the game open. Cov Cath did not shoot the ball well, going 5/28 from 3. Harney led the Blue Colonels with 20, while McGillis finished with 15. Senior Max Rubemeyer had 13 to lead the Red Colonels Lloyd 63 -- Holy Cross 50 Lloyd was able to jump on Holy Cross early and weather a few Indian rallies to win by a comfortable margin. Blaackar finished with 26 to lead the Juggs on 8/16 shooting (including 3/3 from 3-point range). Lloyd’s overall shooting numbers were not great (40% FG), but they were 6/10 overall from 3 and 17/20 from the foul line. Jason Kabeya and Isiah Coleman were also in double figures for Lloyd. Holy Cross was led by senior Brady Gabbard’s 24 points (on 7/14 shooting) kept Holy Cross in the game, but the rest of the Indians were ice cold from the field (which had a lot do with Lloyd’s stellar defense), going 8/31 from the field, though the Indians did go 16/17 from the foul line. Ryle 56 – Newport 46 This game was back and forth in the 1st half before Ryle had a nice run in the 3rd quarter to put some distance between them and the Wildcats. Newport made a few runs to keep it interesting but Ryle was able to hold them off and win by 10. Ryle was led by senior Anthony Coppola’s 16 points, while AJ Davis and Holden Smith had 12 points each, and Grace Nsuti grabbed 13 rebounds. Ryle’s defense was very good, holding Newport to 36% shooting, including keeping star Amontae Lowe scoreless in the 1st half (Lowe finished with 11 on 4/13 shooting). Irvan Nichols and Davae Andrews-Glover were also in double figures for the Wildcats. Semi-Finals Cov Cath 92 -- Conner 41 This game was never close. Cov Cath jumped out to an early 15-2 lead and never looked back. The Colonels had four players in double figures led by Athens McGillis (24) and Cash Harney (18). Donovan Bradshaw dominated the paint with 12 points and 16 rebounds. Louden closed out his brilliant high school career with 12 points on 5/15 shooting. Ryle 64 – Lloyd 37 After a close 1st quarter, Ryle took control in the 2nd quarter and built a double figure lead heading into halftime and led by 15 at the end of 3. Lloyd was unable to get any closer and the Raiders extended the lead to more than 20 in the 4th. The Ryle defense was suffocating and Lloyd could not get anything to go. Ryle shot better than 60% from the field as Holden Smith (18 points) and Anthony Coppola (12) were both able to get past Lloyd’s pressure defense, get to the rim, and finish. Grace Nsuti (12 points, 4 rebounds, 5 blocks) and AJ Davis (10 points, 7 rebounds) dominated the paint. Anthony Blaackar closed out his fantastic Lloyd career with 16 points (on 6/16 shooting), while fellow senior Isiah Golsby finished with 14. Finals Preview Cov Cath vs. Ryle Cov Cath gets a chance to close out their dominant run through the 9th region against Ryle. Ryle has been the 2nd best team in the region since their slow start to the season, winning 18 of their last 20 games thanks in large part to a tough, physical defensive style. The Raiders were dominant in their semi-final win over Lloyd and will have to play even better if they want any chance of knocking off the Colonels. If Ryle can limit their turnovers and keep Cov Cath from getting easy transition buckets, they might be able to keep the game close. My prediction is that Cov Cath will be too much and after a competitive first half, the Colonels will pull away and win by 15 or more.

Given all the chaos with everyone beating everyone else (outside of CCH) during the regular season, it was a pretty quiet week with no big upsets in the 9th region. The only team ranked in the top 8 that didn’t make it to the regional was Beechwood, but we knew that one really good team was going to be left out of one of the toughest districts in the state. All the favorites won their respective districts, setting up a regional tournament where Ryle, Newport, Holy Cross, and Lloyd all have a legitimate shot to play Cov Cath for a regional championship (sorry Dixie, Highlands). 33rd District Preview (at Ryle) Mon, 2/23 at 5:30PM Boone County 68 - Heritage 39 Wed, 2/25 at 5:30PM Ryle 79 - Boone Co 33 Wed, 2/25 at 7:30PM Conner 65 - Cooper 51 Fri, 2/27 at 7:00PM Ryle 70 – Conner 58 No upsets in the 33rd. Conner took care of business against Cooper while Ryle cruised to a district championship. Ryle’s Holden Smith was named the Tournament MVP. 34th District Preview (at Lloyd) Mon, 2/23 at 7:45PM Ludlow 72 - Villa 63 Wed, 2/25 at 6PM Lloyd 74 – Ludlow 45 Wed, 2/25 at 7:45PM Dixie 52 - St. Henry 37 Fri, 2/27 at 7:00PM Lloyd 66 – Dixie 45 Dixie was able to get by upset-minded St. Henry to advance to the regional tournament. Lloyd continued their domination of the 34th, but did get a bit of scare against Ludlow (who led at the half). Lloyd dominated Dixie in the final and earned their 4th straight district title. Anthony Blaackar from Lloyd was named the Tournament MVP. 35th District Preview (at Holy Cross) Wed, 2/25 at 5:30PM Cov Cath 101 - Holmes 43 Wed, 2/25 at 7:30PM Holy Cross 45 – Beechwood 31 Fri, 2/27 at 7:30PM Cov Cath 74 – Holy Cross 44 Cov Cath won their district tournament games by 58 and 30 over Holmes and Holy Cross. In one of the best district semi-final matchups, Holy Cross survived a bloodbath against Beechwood to advance to the regional tournament. Luke Arlinghaus left the Cov Cath game early with an injury, let’s hope he’s OK. Cov Cath’s Athens McGillis was the Tournament MVP. 36th District Preview (at Bellevue) Mon, 2/23 at 6PM Bellevue 66 – Dayton 64 Wed, 2/25 at 6PM Highlands 89 – Bellevue 32 Wed, 2/25 at 7:45PM Newport 49 - Newport Catholic 47 Fri, 2/27 at 7PM Highlands 60 - Newport 50 Newport survived against a scrappy New Cath squad in the district semi-final, but Highlands was too much in the district final as the Bluebirds finally got a district title after a few years of Newport dominance. Nathan Rickard from Highlands was named Tournament MVP. 9th Region Tournament Preview Sat, 3/7 at 1PM Highlands vs. Conner These two teams played a few weeks ago and Conner was able to pull off the upset (thanks to a big game from star Finn Louden). While it wouldn’t surprise me to see Louden go crazy in this game and put up huge numbers, I think Highlands wins this game. Expect a very high scoring game that will be competitive until Highlands pulls away in the fourth quarter for a 10-point win. Sat, 3/7 at 2:30PM Covington Catholic vs. Dixie These two teams also played a few weeks ago, with Dixie playing the Blue Colonels closer than any team in the 9th region this year. I don’t expect that to happen in this game, as Cov Cath will not let Dixie hang around and will win in blowout fashion by 30 plus. Sat, 3/7 at 6:30PM Lloyd vs. Holy Cross I think this will be the best game of the day. Holy Cross has had a solid season but has not quite lived up to their lofty preseason expectations, while Lloyd has overachieved and been one of the better teams in the 9th region (and also ranked in the state). Lloyd beat up Holy Cross pretty good on the Indians home floor earlier in the year, but I think this game will be much different. I expect a low scoring, back and forth game, with Lloyd eventually escaping with a win by a few points. Sat, 3/7 at 8PM Ryle vs. Newport I also expect the nightcap to be a tightly-contested game. Ryle has been very good over the last 2 months of the season while Newport has greatly exceeded expectations with more than 20 wins. In what will also be a very low scoring game, the Raiders will use their strength and physicality to pull away from Newport in the 2nd half and win by 10 points. Semi-Finals Sun, 3/8 at 6:30PM (Predicted) Cov Cath vs. Highlands This game will be a fun one to watch, as Cov Cath may reach 100 points in the contest. If Highlands can get hot from 3 this game could get interesting. However, Cov Cath is just too good and Highlands won’t be able to eclipse the 80-point mark and the Colonels will roll into the regional final. Sun, 3/8 at 8PM (Predicted) Lloyd vs. Ryle If this game happens I think it may be the best one to watch in the whole regional tournament. They played twice during the season with each picking up a win. Both these teams have made pretty good arguments to be considered the 2nd best team in the region and the winner will earn the right to see if they can hang with (or even) beat the mighty Colonels. I predict Ryle will win this by 2 in a close, low-scoring game. Finals Tues, 3/10 at 7PM

I see a lot of agreement with my All-Region teams to the NKBBCA All-Division Teams, though one player I think I overlooked was Tyler Detzel from St. Henry, who at least is worthy of an Honorable Mention. To repeat a post from the NKBBCA thread, I think Blaackar was deserving as Co-Player of the Year in the 9th Region. Blaackar led Lloyd to a 20-4 record while putting up insane numbers (25.1 ppg, >60%FG, >50%3FG, >80%FT). Does anybody have any info on how he is being recruited? Seems to me he should be playing high-level college ball somewhere.

Congratulations to all the players on these lists! I don't have any disagreements and are pretty much in line with how I have seen things this year. Though the more I look at Blaackar's numbers (and the success that Lloyd had this year), the more I think he should have at least been 9th Region Co-Player of the Year with McGillis. The only omission I see is Teegan Stava from Cov Cath, easily my defensive player of the year (no disrespect to Blake Broz from Ryle, who is also deserving).

9th Region: Final Rankings & Post-Season Preview Only one thing remained the same throughout the season – Cov Cath is the best team in the region and one of the best in the state, though they did prove they are not invincible with a tough loss at Madison Central (also one of the best teams in the state). Congratulations to Dixie senior Max Rubemeyer who hit the 1,000 point mark this week and also to Beechwood sophomore Dylan Topmiller who broke Beechwood’s single season 3-point record (with 89 3-pointers made), which was held by Scotty Draud. With the regular season officially coming to a close, I would say that while the region may be down overall compared to previous years, Lloyd, Newport, and Holy Cross all won their 20th game of the season this week (joining Cov Cath, Highlands, and Beechwood), meaning the top seven teams in the region will have 20 or more wins (Ryle will get their 20th win this week). If you would have asked me before the season no way I would have believed Beechwood, Lloyd, and Newport would all win 20 games this year. Also, I don’t know 9th region history all that well, but I would think that there haven’t been too many years where seven or more teams reached the 20-win mark. Compared to the preseason rankings, Lloyd and Newport made the biggest moves up the rankings (Lloyd 7 to 3; Newport 9 to 5). Holy Cross, Dixie, and Conner saw the biggest declines (Holy Cross 2 to 7; Dixie 6 to 9; Conner 5 to 8). New Cath, St. Henry, and Cooper didn’t get many wins over teams ranked ahead of them, but were competitive in most games and can’t be overlooked to make some noise in the postseason. Will we see some upsets in the district tournaments (New Cath vs. Newport; Cooper vs. Conner; St. Henry vs. Dixie)? Who survives in the 35th between Holy Cross and Beechwood? Can anyone compete with Cov Cath in the Regional Tournament? Tier 1: The Favorite 1. Covington Catholic (26-2) [last week 1; preseason 1] The Colonels beat Moeller by 12 but lost at Madison Central by 10. The Madison Central game was the first one all year where Cov Cath seem to get rattled and force up some bad shots, though they also missed some open shots they usually make. Athens McGillis (22.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg), Braeden Myrick (18.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg) and Donovan Bradshaw (12.3 ppg, 6.7 rpb) led Cov Cath this season. McGillis was named 9th Region KABC and NKBBCA Division I Player of the Year and finished the season as the 3rd leading scorer in the 9th Region (tied for 25th highest in the state of KY). Colonels junior Braeden Myrick led the 9th Region in 3-pointers per game (3.3, 19th in state of KY) and made 3-pointers (91), while shooting 46.9%. Tier 2: Not Cov Cath 2. Ryle (19-8) [last week 4; preseason 4 (+2)] Ryle went 2-1 on the week, falling on the road to Great Crossing. The Raiders were led this season by junior Holden Smith (17.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and seniors AJ Davis (11.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and Anthony Coppola (11.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg). 3. Lloyd (20-4) [last week 3; preseason 7 (+4)] Lloyd beat Conner this week in a matchup of two of the region’s best players. Lloyd was led this season by seniors Anthony Blaackar (25.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Isaiah Golsby (11.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and sophomore Jason Kabeya (9.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg). Blaackar was named NKABC Division II Player of the Year and finished the season as the leading scorer in the 9th Region (tied for 11th highest in the state of KY), the leading 3-point % (54.4%) in the 9th Region (and probably in the state), and 4th in free-throw percentage (80.3%, 42nd in state of KY). 4. Highlands (23-5) [last week 2; preseason 3 (-1)] Highlands went 1-1 on the week against Simon Kenton and Beechwood. Highlands finished the regular season with five players nearly in double figures including seniors Finn Bouldin (12.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg), Nathan Rickard (10.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg), Owen Ebert (11.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg), Vincent Listerman (9.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg), and junior Tayden Lorenzen (13.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg). 5. Newport (20-8) [last week 7; preseason 9 (+4)] Newport went 3-0 on the week, including a nice home win over Beechwood to move up to #5 in the final rankings. The Wildcats were led this season by juniors Amontae Lowe (21.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and Davae Andrews-Glover (8.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg), and senior Keegan Farrell (8.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg). Lowe finished the season as the 4th leading scorer in the 9th Region (tied for 46th highest in the state of KY). 6. Beechwood (21-8) [last week 5; preseason 8 (+2)] Beechwood closed out their regular season with a loss to Newport and win against Highlands. The Tigers were led this season by sophomore Dylan Topmiller (20.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg), senior Owen McCormick (12.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg), and junior Kingston Brockett (7.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg). Topmiller was runner-up for Division II Player of the Year and finished the season as the 5th leading scorer in the 9th Region (tied for 48th highest in the state of KY), 2nd in 3-pointers per game (3.1, tied for 22nd in state of KY) and made 3-pointers (89 at 42.8%) behind Braeden Myrick, and 3rd in free-throw percentage (81.0%, 37th in state of KY) 7. Holy Cross (20-8) [last week 6; preseason 2 (-5)] Holy Cross beat rivals New Cath and St. Henry this week. The Indians were led by seniors Luke Arlinghaus (16.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg), Nate Rominger (13.6 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and Brady Gabbard (13.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg). Arlinghaus finished 2nd in the 9th Region in free-throw percentage (82.1%, 30th in state of KY). 8. Conner (13-11) [last week 7; preseason 5 (-3)] Conner beat Elder but lost to Lloyd in the final week of the regular season. The Cougars were led by senior Finn Louden (24.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg) and junior Tyler Warner (13.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg). Louden finished the season as the 2nd leading scorer in the 9th Region (19th highest in the state of KY) and leader in free-throw percentage (82.4%, 29th in state of KY) 9. Dixie Heights (17-11) [last week 9; preseason 6 (-3)] Dixie lost to Tates Creek and was upset by Cooper, before salvaging a win against Bluegrass United in their finale. Dixie was led this season by seniors Max Rubemeyer (15.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and Tyson Metzger (11.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg) and junior Hunter Seng (10.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg). 10. Newport Catholic (11-18) [last week 11; preseason 13 (+3)] NewCath lost a close one to rivals Holy Cross, while blowing out Ludlow and Brossart. The Breds were led this season by senior John Luhn (14.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg). 11. St. Henry (12-16) [last week 12; preseason 10 (-1)] The Crusaders went 0-2 in the closing week, falling on the road to Holy Cross and Campbell County. This season the Crusaders were led by sophomore Tyler Detzel (10.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and senior Caden Kunstak (8.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg). 12. Cooper (5-20) [last week 10; preseason 11 (-1)] Cooper went 2-0 on the week, finally getting a good region win by beating Dixie on the road. The Jaguars were led this season by juniors Julienne Knuckles (12.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and Cole Stanton (11.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and senior Elijah Philpot (9.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg). The Rest 13. Holmes (12-16) The Bulldogs finished their regular season with losses to Cooper and Harrison County. The Bulldogs were led this season by seniors Mark McCutchen Jr. (18.2 ppg, 9.2 rpg), Rashad Whitfield (13.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg), and sophomore Michael Chames (10.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg). 14. Ludlow (13-15) The Panthers finished their regular season with wins against Augusta and Williamstown and loss to New Cath. The Panthers were led this season by sophomore Logan Day (17.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and juniors Jayden Stone (14.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and Gage Grider (10.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg). 15. Dayton (17-10) The Greendevils finished their regular season with a win over Boone County and loss to Newport. Dayton was led this season by sophomores Malachi Kennedy (18.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and Mykah Foster (11.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg) and junior Anthony Hull (11.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg). 16. Boone Co (6-23) The Rebels finished their regular season with losses to Gallatin County and Dayton. The Rebels were led this season by sophomore Joel Montanya Brown (9.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg). 17. Bellevue (9-16) The Tigers finished their regular season with a win against Bracken County and a loss to New Cath. The Tigers were led this season by seniors Adam Kues (12.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg) and Arion Stuckey (9.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg) and sophomore Jordan Watson (10.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg). 18. Villa Madonna (6-23) The Vikings finished their regular season with a loss to Newport and wins over Robertson County and Heritage. The Vikings were led by senior Michael Popham (14.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg). 19. Heritage (7-21) The Eagles finished their regular season with losses to Brown and Villa and a win against Landmark Christian. The Eagles were led this season by Trent Stone (17.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and Oscar Kawanishi (13.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg).

Thanks all! I'd love to hear others thoughts on who I may have overlooked.

It's not likely I'll make it there to watch in person, but hope to catch a livestream via hudl.

I'm looking forward to watching this one. I also expect a close game with two of the top underclassmen in the region (Lowe and Topmiller) battling it out.

9th Region Player of the Year & All-Region Teams With award announcements coming in the next week, it seems like a good time to hand out the Bluegrass Preps 9th Region Player of the Year Award and name the All-Region teams. [Note: Individual statistics are through 2/15] It looked like it would be a 3-person race for 9th Region Player of the Year when the season started and it certainly has played out that way. Seniors Athens McGillis, Anthony Blaackar, and Finn Louden all had phenomenal seasons and put up huge numbers, despite being the focal point on defense of every opponent they played. What is most impressive about all three of these players is how efficient they were – all three shot well above 50% from the field and above 60% for effective field goal percentage (which gives more weight to 3-point shots). Blaackar averaged 25.1 ppg (66.5% eFG, 60.6% FG, 54.4% 3FG, 80.3% FT) and 6.4 rpg for a surprising Lloyd squad that exceeded expectations as they approach 20 wins and have only 4 losses. Blaackar was my pre-season 9th Region Player of the Year pick and he did not disappoint. While Conner did not get as many wins as Lloyd and struggled with consistency throughout the season, it is hard to fault Louden. He overcame an early season injury to average 24.8 ppg (65.9% eFG, 56.6% FG, 45.6% 3FG, 81.8% FT) and 4.5 rpg for Conner. Finally, we have Athens McGillis. McGillis has led the top-ranked Cov Cath Colonels to a 25-1 record on the season, including going undefeated within the region and beating every team by at least 18 points. McGillis averaged 23.1 ppg (62.6% eFG, 55.6% FG, 38.1% 3FG, 80.2% FT) and 2.7 rpg while playing one of the tougher schedules in the state. All three are deserving and I considered a 3-person co-9th Region Player of the Year Award(s), but I decided to pick one. My choice for 9th Region Player of the Year goes to Athens McGillis, the best player on the best team in the 9th Region (and maybe the best team in the state of Kentucky). 9th Region Boys Player of the Year Athens McGillis (Sr), CCH In addition to the big 3 mentioned above, many other players in the 9th Region had great seasons worthy of recognition. I had pre-season first and second teams (top 10) that I decided to expand to three teams and fifteen players. I feel pretty good about the top 4 but I think there could be lots of debate about who should be included for the last spot on the 1st team as well as the 2nd and 3rd teams. [Note: Individual statistics are through 2/15] All-Region Teams (Top 15) 1st Team 1. Athens McGillis, CCH (Sr.) 23.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg [Pre-season 1st Team] 62.6% eFG, 55.6% FG, 38.1% 3FG (56 made 3s), 80.2% FT 2. Anthony Blaackar, Lloyd (Sr) - 25.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg [Pre-season Player of the Year] 66.5% eFG, 60.6% FG, 54.4% 3FG (43 made 3s), 80.3% FT 3. Finn Louden, Conner (Sr.) 24.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg [Pre-season 1st Team] 65.9% eFG, 56.6% FG, 45.6% 3FG (47 made 3s), 81.8% FT 4. Braeden Myrick, CCH (Sr.) 18.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg [Pre-season 2nd Team] 71.1% eFG, 56.5% FG, 48.6% 3FG (86 made 3s), 86.7% FT 5. Donovan Bradshaw, CCH (Sr.) 12.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg [Pre-season 2nd Team] 68.4% eFG, 67.1% FG, 50% 3FG (5 made 3s), 60% FT I’ve already covered the clear top 3 players in the region, but Braeden Myrick is easily the next player on my list. Myrick has helped transform Cov Cath from a really good team to an elite squad and one of the favorites to bring home a state title. In addition to scoring 18.1 ppg, Myrick led the region in 3-point field goals made and second in 3-point percentage, shooting almost 50 percent (Myrick’s effective field goal percentage was better than 70%). The final spot on the first team came down to three players – Dylan Topmiller, Amontae Lowe, and Donovan Bradshaw. I chose Bradshaw, who was the one of the most improved players that I saw this year and has been a dominant inside presence for Cov Cath. 2nd Team 6. Dylan Topmiller, Beechwood (So.) 20.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg [Pre-season Honorable Mention] 61.1% eFG, 51% FG, 41.6% 3FG (79 made 3s), 80.9% FT 7. Amontae Lowe, Newport (Jr), 21.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg [Pre-season Honorable Mention] 51.5% eFG, 44.8% FG, 34.4% 3FG (45 made 3s), 74.5% FT 8. Holden Smith, Ryle (Jr.) 17.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg [Pre-season Honorable Mention] 54.3% eFG, 49.7% FG, 27.9% 3FG (29 made 3s), 72.7% FT 9. Tayden Lorenzen, Highlands (Jr.) 13.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg 60.6% eFG, 58.2% FG, 25.7% 3FG (9 made 3s), 78.0% FT 10. Luke Arlinghaus, Holy Cross (Sr.) 17.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg FT [Pre-season 2nd Team] 54.9% eFG, 45.9% FG, 37.7% 3FG (55 made 3s), 84.3% The second team is headlined by sophomore Dylan Topmiller and junior Amontae Lowe. Topmiller led a surprising Beechwood team to 20 wins while scoring 20 points per game (and doing so efficiently as the primary ball handler), while Lowe stepped up in a big way (after the departure of several Division I players) to average more than 21 points per game despite constant double teams, and leading Newport to an All A Regional Championship and state semi-final appearance. After a slow start, Holden Smith led Ryle to a Bluegrass Preps #2 regional ranking and 15 wins after the calendar flipped to 2026. Smith averaged more than 17 points per game and shot close to 50 percent from the field. Lorenzen surprised many by deciding to play basketball, and Highlands is happy he did so. Lorenzen averaged about 14 points (58% FG, 78% FT) and 6 rebounds per game for a balanced Bluebird team that won more than 20 games. After a hot stretch early in the season (including 30+ points against Scott County and Montgomery County), Arlinghaus cooled off for the Indians but did lead the team in scoring at 17.1 points per game and was again one of the top free throw shooters in the state (84.3%). 3rd Team 11. Nate Rominger, Holy Cross (Sr.) 13.7 ppg, 7.7 ppg [Pre-season 2nd Team] 55.1% eFG, 54.0% FG, 25% 3FG (6 made 3s), 78.3% FT 12. Max Rubemeyer, Dixie (Sr.) 15.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg [Pre-season Honorable Mention] 62.3% eFG, 60.1% FG, 30.3% 3FG (10 made 3s), 70.9% FT 13. Anthony Coppola, Ryle (Sr.) 11.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg [Pre-season Honorable Mention] 44.6% eFG, 39.3% FG, 26.6% 3FG (21 made 3s), 76.5% FT 14. Isaiah Golsby, Lloyd (Sr.) 11.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg [Pre-season Honorable Mention] 55.4% eFG, 49.7% FG, 44.0% 3FG (22 made 3s), 78.0% FT 15. Finn Bouldin, Highlands (Sr.) 12.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg [Pre-season Honorable Mention] 54.4% eFG, 50.6% FG, 30.6% 3FG (19 made 3s), 67.5% FT I think you can make an argument for about 15 players to fill out the 3rd team, but I settled on the five seniors above based on their statistics, team success, and their performance when I was able to see them play. Rominger put together a solid season for the Indians and was dominant inside in several games I saw this season, while Max Rubemeyer was the best player for an under-the-radar Dixie Heights team that won more games than expected. The statistics don’t quite capture the impact that Anthony Coppola has on winning games in terms of leadership, ball-handling, and defense. The same can be said about Isaiah Golsby of Lloyd, who is a major reason (along with Blaackar) that Lloyd has had so much success this season. Honorable Mention (Next 15, alphabetically by team) Owen McCormack, Beechwood (Sr.) 12.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg Kingston Brockett, Beechwood (Jr.) 7.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg Julienne Knuckles, Cooper (Jr.) 12.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg Tyler Warner, Conner (Jr.) 12.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg Teegan Stava, CCH (Jr.) 3.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg Cash Harney, CCH (Sr.) 9.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg Tyson Metzger, Dixie (Sr.) 11.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg Hunter Seng, Dixie (Jr.) 9.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg Vincent Listerman, Highlands (Sr.) 10.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg Owen Ebert, Highlands (Sr.) 11.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg Nathan Rickard, Highlands (Sr.) 10.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg Mark McCutchen Jr, Holmes (Sr.) 18.2 ppg, 9.6 rpg Brady Gabbard, Holy Cross (Sr.) 13.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg John Luhn, New Cath (Jr.) 14.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg AJ Davis, Ryle (Sr.) 11.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg Too many players had seasons worth recognizing here, so I’ve added an additional 15 names, many of which were considered for the 3rd team. Outside of Myrick, Owen McCormack might be the best pure shooter that I saw this season, while the numbers for teammate Kingston Brockett don’t adequately reflect the impact he has on games, especially on the defensive end. Julienne Knuckles (Cooper), Tyler Warner (Conner), and Teegan Stave (CCH) are three other players whose numbers don’t capture the impact they have on the floor. Stava and Brockett are the two best on-ball defenders that I saw this season. I expect all four of these players to be among the top 10 players in the region next season. Cash Harney has sacrificed personal statistics for team success, but his defense, ball handling, and passing are essential for Cov Cath to compete for a state title. Metzger and Seng both had solid years for Dixie, while any (or all) of Listerman, Ebert, or Rickard could have put up big numbers for other teams in the region if not for the deep, unselfish, and balanced approach of Highlands. Mark McCutchen put together another great year for an undermanned Holmes team (that did capture the NKAC Conference Championship), and Brady Gabbard battled injuries all season to finish with solid numbers for Holy Cross. John Luhn was the leading scorer for a scrappy New Cath squad, and finally, AJ Davis did a little bit of everything (scoring, rebounding, defense) to help Ryle put together a dominant second half of the season. Top Players for Other Teams (not already mentioned) Arion Stuckey, Bellevue (Sr.) 9.9 ppg, 9.3 rpg Joel Montana Brown, Boone Co. (So.) 9.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg Malachi Kennedy, Dayton (So.) 18.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg Trent Stone, Heritage (Sr.) 17.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg Logan Day, Ludlow (So.) 16.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg Michael Popham, Villa (Sr.) 14.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg I didn’t get a chance to catch many of the games for schools in the bottom third of the rankings this season, but above are few names worth recognizing for their strong seasons. *Effective Field Goal Percentage (eFG)* eFG% = [FGM + (0.5 X 3FGM)] / FGA FGM -> All field goals made (both 2 and 3 point FGs) FGA -> All field goal attempts (both 2 and 3 point FGs) 3FGM -> 3-point field goals made

9th Region: Week 11 Total chaos in the 9th region. Outside of clear #1 Covington Catholic (who continues to dominate), I should probably just give up trying to rank the teams and I’m throwing out my 3/4 Tiers as it’s clear that any team ranked 2 through 12 can beat each other. This week #2 is Ryle. I know that #3 Lloyd beat previous #2 Highlands this week, but Ryle is playing so well and has won 13 of 14 (with only loss to Cov Cath). #3 Lloyd could have easily lost to Highlands and Dixie but give Coach Walker and the Juggs credit as they continue to find ways to win close games. Highlands slots in at #4 after a tough week, falling to Conner and Lloyd but rebounding to beat #6 Holy Cross. #5 Beechwood was able to win a few close road games against #10 New Cath, #11 St. Henry, and #12 Cooper, but will need to play better if they want to beat #6 Holy Cross and advance to the regional tournament. #6 Holy Cross continues to struggle with consistency as they were blown out by Cov Cath, got beat pretty good by Highlands, but got a good win against Walton. #7 Newport got big wins against #8 Conner and #9 Dixie by a combined two points, and competed well before falling short against a good Boyd County team. I was ready to move #8 Conner up in the rankings with their big win against Highlands, before they fell to Newport and Boyd County (though it was a close game). Tough week for #9 Dixie, who lost to Newport by 1, to Lloyd in overtime, and to Cov Cath by 18 in a game closer than expected. #10 New Cath came up just short against #5 Beechwood, as did #11 St. Henry, who beat #12 Cooper on a Caden Kunstek 3-pointer at the buzzer. What a way for Coach Sullivan to get a win in his first game against his old team! Congratulations to Holmes on their NKAC Conference Tournament Championship, beating Ludlow in the finals. Tier 1: The Favorite 1. Covington Catholic (25-1) [last week 1; preseason 1] Another dominant week for the Colonels, blowing out Holy Cross, beating Dixie by 18, and Great Crossing by 16. Athens McGillis (23.1 ppg) continues to lead Cov Cath, while Braeden Myrick (18.1 ppg) and Donovan Bradshaw (12.4 ppg, 6.8 rpb) are also in double figures. The Blue Colonels close out their regular season schedule with two really tough road games against perennial Ohio power Moeller and (previously #1) KY state-ranked Madison Central. Tues, 2/17 at Moeller (OH); Fri, 2/20 at Madison Central Tier 2: Not Cov Cath 2. Ryle (17-7) [last week 4; preseason 4] Ryle continues to play great basketball beating up on two 10th region teams (Campbell County and Brossart) and has now won 13 of 14 games. Ryle has been impressive since their slow start and right now are the #2 team in the region (though a significant gap with CCH). Holden Smith (17.2 ppg) averaged 20 ppg in their two wins, with AJ Davis (11.9 ppg) and Anthony Coppola (11.9 ppg) also contributing. Three road games this week to close out the season against Nicholas County, East Central (IN), and defending KY state champion Great Crossing. Mon, 2/16 at Nicholas County; Tues, 2/17 at East Central (IN); Thurs, 2/1 at Great Crossing 3. Lloyd (19-4) [last week 3; preseason 7] Lloyd went 3-0 on the week, somehow pulling off a win at Highlands while outlasting Dixie in overtime. Senior Anthony Blaackar continues to put up monster numbers, scoring 38 points on 10 3-pointers in their blowout win against Cincinnati Trailblazers. Blaackar is now averaging 25.1 ppg (while shooting 54.4% from 3FG).. The Juggs close their season out with a tough road game at Conner. Thurs, 2/19 at Conner 4. Highlands (22-4) [last week 2; preseason 3] While Highlands doubled their season loss total with a last-minute loss to Lloyd and beat down at Conner, they salvaged their week with a convincing win against Holy Cross. Highlands has five in double figures including Finn Bouldin (12.0 ppg), Nathan Rickard (10.1 ppg), Owen Ebert (11.7 ppg), Vincent Listerman (10.1 ppg), and Tayden Lorenzen (13.4 ppg). Highlands closes out their regular season with two tough road games at Simon Kenton and at Beechwood. Tues, 2/17 at Simon Kenton; Thurs, 2/19 at Beechwood 5. Beechwood (20-7) [last week 5; preseason 8] Beechwood picked up three wins this week against #10-12 teams in the region. Topmiller (20.4 ppg) was held to 7 points against St. Henry but scored 32 (on 8 3-pointers) and 26 against New Cath and Cooper. The Tigers conclude their season with a tough road game at Newport and a home matchup against Highlands. Mon, 2/16 at Newport; Thurs, 2/19 Highlands at Beechwood 6. Holy Cross (18-8) [last week 6; preseason 2] This week Holy Cross got blown out by Cov Cath, beat up on Walton Verona, and then got beat by double figures by Highlands. Luke Arlinghaus (17.3 ppg) continues to lead Holy Cross in scoring, with Rominger (13.5 ppg) and Brady Gabbard (13.5 ppg). Holy Cross finishes out their regular season with a couple of home games against New Cath and St. Henry. Tues, 2/17 New Cath at Holy Cross; Thurs, 2/19 St. Henry at Holy Cross 7. Newport (17-8) [last week 8; preseason 9] Newport had two thrilling 1-point wins (against Dixie and Conner) before falling to Boyd County on Saturday afternoon. Junior Amontae Lowe (21.6 ppg) continues to put up big numbers for the Wildcats. Three home games for the Wildcats as they close out their season against Beechwood, Villa, and Dayton. Mon, 2/16 Beechwood at Newport; Tues, 2/17 Villa at Newport; Thurs, 2/19 Dayton at Newport 8. Conner (12-10) [last week 7; preseason 5] Conner got a good win against Highlands by 14, before falling to Newport by 1 and Boyd County in a close game. Louden (24.1 ppg) had 35 against Highlands. Two tough home games to finish out their season with the Cougars welcoming Elder (OH) and Lloyd. Mon, 2/16 Elder (OH) at Conner; Thurs, 2/19 Lloyd at Conner 9. Dixie Heights (16-9) [last week 9; preseason 6] Dixie went 0-3 on the week, losing two close home games against Lloyd and Newport and losing by 18 to Cov Cath. No stats reported for games two games this week. Dixie is led by Max Rubemeyer (15.7 ppg) and Tyson Metzger (12.1 ppg). The Red Colonels close out their season with three home games against Tates Creek, Cooper, and Bluegrass United. Mon, 2/16 Newport at Dixie; Tues, 2/17 Cooper at Dixie; Fri, 2/20 Bluegrass United at Dixie 10. Newport Catholic (10-16) [last week 11; preseason 13] NewCath beat Boone and Dayton this week while also losing a close one to Beechwood. John Luhn (14.4 ppg) continues to lead the Breds. Three games again this week for the Breds as they close out their season with Holy Cross and Ludlow on the road and rival Bishop Brossart at home. Tues, 2/17 at Holy Cross; Wed, 2/18 at Ludlow; Fri, 2/20 Brossart at Newport Catholic 11. St. Henry (12-14) [last week 12; preseason 10] The Crusaders lost to Beechwood and South Oldham but also won a thrilling game against Cooper on a last second 3-pointer by senior Caden Kunstek. The Crusaders are led by sophomore Tyler Detzel (10.4 ppg) and senior Caden Kunstak (8.4 ppg). St. Henry concludes their season with tough road games at Campbell County and at Holy Cross. Tues, 2/17 at Campbell; Thurs, 2/19 at Holy Cross 12. Cooper (3-20) [last week 10; preseason 11] Cooper went 0-2 on the week, a heartbreaking loss at St. Henry and 17-point loss to Beechwood on senior night. The Jaguars are led by Julian Knuckles (12.3 ppg), who scored 21 in the loss to Beechwood. Cooper has two games to finish out their season, a road matchup with Dixie and a home game against Holmes. Tues, 2/17 at Dixie; Wed, 2/18 Holmes at Cooper The Rest 13. Holmes (12-14) Bulldogs went 3-0 this week, beating Williamstown, Bellevue, and Ludlow to win the NKAC Tournament Championship. The Bulldogs finish regular season with a road game at Cooper and home game against Harrison County. 14. Boone Co (6-21) The Rebels went 0-3 on the week, losing to New Cath, Pendleton County, and Portland Christian. The Rebels conclude their season with games against Gallatin County and Dayton. 15. Ludlow (12-14) Ludlow went 2-1 on the week, beating Villa and Heritage before falling to Holmes in the NKAC Tournament Championship. The Panthers have three games to finish out their regular season – Williamstown, New Cath, and Augusta. 16. Bellevue (8-15) The Tigers went 1-2 this week, beating rival Dayton before falling to Holmes in the NKAC Tournament. Bellevue concludes their season with home games against Bracken County and Brossart. 17. Dayton (16-9) The Greendevils went 2-3, losing to rival Bellevue and New Cath and beating Cov Latin and Robertson County. Tough final week for the Greendevils with games against Boone County and Newport. 18. Villa Madonna (4-22) Villa went 0-3 on the week. Last three regular season games for the Vikings include Newport, Robertson County, and Heritage. 19. Heritage (6-19) Heritage upset Calvary Christian before falling to Ludlow by 2 in the NKAC Tournament. The Eagles finish out their season with games against Brown (Louisville), Villa, and Landmark Christian (OH).

I'm getting out my weekly review now, Ryle at #2, though I think Highlands, Lloyd, Beechwood, Holy Cross, Conner, Dixie, or Newport could find themselves playing for 2nd place in the regional championship.

9th Region: Week 10 A busy week of games in the 9th Region despite the surprising snow we got early and late in the week. (Tier 1) Cov Cath had only one game this week, beating Ryle (#4) by 20. The game was intense (just like every Cov Cath game I have been to this year) and felt closer than the score. I don’t think anyone wants to face off against Ryle in the postseason, who I have added to a new Tier 2, along with Highlands (#2), who continues to win, and Lloyd (#3), who continues to surprise. I think these three teams have separated themselves a little bit from 5-9, but that is subject to change with many of these teams playing each other this week and next. Congratulations to Lloyd’s Anthony Blaackar who had a school-record 51 points in their win against Mason County. Blaackar now leads the region in scoring and is trying to close the distance between him and Athens McGillis for 9th Region Player of the Year (apologies to Finn Louden, who is also part of that conversation). Beechwood (#5) is the first team in Tier 3 after getting a big win over Holy Cross (#6), followed by Dixie (#7), Newport (#8), and Conner (#9). I think these teams could be ranked in any order. Tier 4 is now led by Newport Catholic (#10), who has now beaten Cooper (#11) and St. Henry (#12) in the last two weeks. These three teams will get a chance to move up in the rankings as they all face Beechwood (#5) this week. Tier 1: The Favorite 1. Covington Catholic (22-1) [last week 1; preseason 1] Only one game this week for the Colonels, a 20-point victory over Ryle. You know you are a dominant team when the other team loses by 20 and it feels like a victory for them. Braeden Myrick (18.2 ppg) led the Colonels with five 3-pointers (28 points) while Donovan Bradshaw (12.3 ppg, 6.9 rpb) was again a major inside presence with 16 points and 9 rebounds against the Raiders. Athens McGillis (23.3 ppg) didn’t have his best shooting night (9-21) but still finished with 22 points. Three big games this week, including a district matchup at Holy Cross, a home game against the other Colonels (Dixie), and a Valentine’s Day road trip to Great Crossing. Tues, 2/10 at Holy Cross; Fri, 2/13 Dixie at CCH; Sat, 2/14 at Great Crossing Tier 2: Good/Solid Teams that are Not Cov Cath 2. Highlands (21-2) [last week 2; preseason 3] Highlands got a big district win against Newport (80-57) in their only game of the week. Despite the stellar record, the Bluebirds seem to flying under the radar a little bit due to Cov Cath’s dominance. Highlands continues to be led by Finn Bouldin (12.4 ppg), Nathan Rickard (10.1 ppg), Owen Ebert (12.0 ppg), Vincent Listerman (9.3 ppg), and Tayden Lorenzen (13.4 ppg). Highlands has a big week to show that they belong as the #2 team in the region, facing off against Lloyd, Conner, and Holy Cross. Mon, 2/9 Lloyd at Highlands; Tues, 2/10 at Conner; Fri, 2/6 Holy Cross at Highlands 3. Lloyd (16-4) [last week 3; preseason 7] Lloyd beat up on district rival St. Henry at home, before blowing out Villa and Mason County on the road. Senior Anthony Blaackar scored 51 points in the win against Mason (on 20-26 shooting) and is now leading the region in scoring, averaging 24.6 ppg. Sophomore Jason Kabeya (10.2 ppg) and senior Isiah Golsby (11.9 ppg) are also in double figures. After a tough game at Highlands, the Juggs will go on the road to face district rival Dixie on Friday. Mon, 2/9 at Highlands; Thurs, 2/12 at Dixie; Fri, 2/13 Trailblazers (OH) at Lloyd 4. Ryle (15-7) [last week 4; preseason 4] Ryle picked up good wins against Simon Kenton and Holy Cross this week, and gave Cov Cath everything they had before falling by 20. Ryle has been impressive since their slow start and belong in the conversation as the #2 team in the region. (No stats for last two games) The Raiders are led by AJ Davis (12.6 ppg), Holden Smith (16.7 ppg), Anthony Coppola (12.1 ppg), and junior Grace Nsuti (7.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg). Ryle begins their tour of the 10th region this week, with games at Campbell and Brossart. Wed, 2/11 at Campbell; Fri, 2/13 at Brossart Tier 3: These teams could be ranked in any order 5. Beechwood (17-7) [last week 9; preseason 8] Beechwood beat up on Lockland (OH) and Boone County this week while also getting a convincing win against district rival Holy Cross. The Tigers dominated the Indians for 3 quarters before inexplicably playing stall-ball in the 4th and almost letting Holy Cross back in the game. Topmiller (20.4 ppg) continues to lead the Tigers in scoring while junior big man Kingston Brockett is anchoring the defense. The return of senior Owen McCormack has been huge as he knocked down 10 3-pointers this week and is averaging 12.7 ppg. The Tigers have three road games this week against the three Tier 4 teams. Tues, 2/10 at St. Henry; Thurs, 2/12 at New Cath; Sat, 2/14 at Cooper 6. Holy Cross (17-6) [last week 5; preseason 2] After picking up a good win against Campbell County, the Indians had a tough couple of games falling to Beechwood and Ryle. Consistency is definitely an issue for Holy Cross, as they look like they could beat anyone one game and then struggle in the next. After Beechwood led by 30 late in the 3rd quarter the Indians made a run to make it somewhat interesting, then Coach Johnson pulled the starters. Maybe a little motivational ploy to get Holy Cross ready to avenge the loss in the likely district tournament opening round matchup? Luke Arlinghaus (17.5 ppg) continues to lead Holy Cross in scoring, with Rominger (13.5 ppg) and Brady Gabbard (14.1 ppg). Gabbard is dealing with a shoulder issue, let’s hope he can get healthy in time for the postseason. Tough week for Holy Cross as they get Highlands, Cov Cath, and Walton Verona. Tues, 2/10 Cov Cath at Holy Cross; Thurs, 2/12 Walton at Holy Cross; Fri, 2/13 at Highlands 7. Dixie Heights (16-6) [last week 6; preseason 6] Dixie picked up two wins this week against Holmes and Villa, though the Holmes game was much closer than the Colonels would have liked. No stats reported for games this week. Dixie is led by Max Rubemeyer (16.5 ppg), Tyson Metzger (12.0 ppg), and Hunter Seng (9.7 ppg). Really tough week for the Red Colonels – they get Newport and district rival Lloyd at home before a big road matchup with rival Cov Cath. Mon, 2/9 Newport at Dixie; Thurs, 2/12 Lloyd at Dixie; Fri, 2/13 at Cov Cath 8. Newport (15-7) [last week 7; preseason 9] Newport went 1-1 on the week, beating up on Ludlow and falling to district rival Highlands by 20. Junior Amontae Lowe (21.1 ppg) leads the Wildcats. Three tough games this week beginning with Dixie on the road and then two home games against Conner and (state-ranked) Boyd County. Mon, 2/9 at Dixie; Thurs, 2/12 Conner at Newport; Sat, 2/14 Boyd County at Newport 9. Conner (11-8) [last week 8; preseason 5] Conner picked up two good wins this week against Newport Catholic and Taft (OH). No stats posted for these games. Louden leads the Cougars (23.6 ppg) and junior Tyler Warner is also in double figures (12.4 ppg). Three really tough games this week for the Cougars – they face off against Highlands and (state-ranked) Boyd County at home and also get Newport on the road. Tues, 2/10 Highlands at Conner; Thurs, 2/12 at Newport; Fri, 2/13 Boyd County at Conner Tier 4 10. Newport Catholic (8-15) [last week 11; preseason 13] NewCath pulled off an upset at Newport this week, before falling on the road to Moeller (OH). John Luhn (14.4 ppg) and Thomas Messmer (8.3 ppg) both had 16 points in the victory over the Wildcats. Three games again this week for the Breds, including an interesting home matchup against #9 Beechwood. Mon, 2/9 at Boone County; Thurs, 2/12 Beechwood at Newport Catholic; Sat, 2/14 Dayton at Newport Catholic 11. Cooper (3-18) [last week 10; preseason 11] Cooper went 0-3 on the week, falling to New Cath, Scott County, and Walton Verona. With the loss the New Cath, I’ve moved Cooper out of Tier 3 and into Tier #4 slotted behind the Breds. The Jaguars are led by Julian Knuckles (11.7 ppg), Elijah Philpot (10.2 ppg) and Cole Stanton (11.2 ppg). Cooper has two games this week, including a road matchup against #12 St. Henry and home game against #9 Beechwood. Thurs, 2/12 at St. Henry; Sat, 2/14 Beechwood at Cooper 12. St. Henry (11-12) [last week 12; preseason 10] The Crusaders fell to district rival Lloyd but did pick up good wins against 10th region foes Scott and Brossart. The Crusaders are led by sophomore Tyler Detzel (10 ppg), senior Caden Kunstak (8.0 ppg) and junior Blake Stevens (7.5 ppg). St. Henry has three games this week, including home games against teams ranked just above them. Can they get a couple wins and move up in the rankings? Tues, 2/10 Beechwood at St. Henry; Thurs, 2/12 Cooper at St. Henry; Fri, 2/13 at South Oldham The Rest 13. Holmes (9-14) Bulldogs went 2-1 this week, beating Ludlow and Scott before losing a close one to Dixie. Only one game this week, a road trip to Williamstown. 14. Boone Co (6-18) The Rebels went 0-3 on the week, losing to Beechwood, Brossart, and Jackson County. The Rebels will face New Cath, Pendleton County, and Portland Christian this week. 15. Ludlow (10-13) Ludlow went 1-2 on the week, losing to Newport and Holmes and beating Dayton. The Panthers have one game this week, at home against Villa. 16. Dayton (13-6) The Greendevils went 1-1, losing to Ludlow and beating Williamstown. This week the Greendevils have four games, including a matchup with Bellevue in the NKAC conference tournament. 17. Bellevue (7-13) The Tigers went 0-1 this week, falling to Calvary Christian. This week Bellevue has two games, including a matchup with Dayton in the NKAC conference tournament 18. Villa Madonna (3-17) Villa went 1-2 on the week, beating Heritage before losing to Dixie and Lloyd. Three games this week for the Vikings, including a matchup with Ludlow in the NKAC conference tournament. 19. Heritage (5-18) Heritage went 1-2 this week, losing to Villa and Pineville and beating Cov Latin. The Eagles have one this week, a matchup with Calvary Christian in the NKAC conference tournament

9th Region: Week 9 We are heading into the home stretch of the season and districts will be here before we know it. While some of the games were cancelled last week with the snow and extreme cold, most teams were able to get their games in (unlike some other parts of KY). Cov Cath (Tier 1) stayed hot with blowout wins over Campbell County and Conner. Congrats to Cash Harney for getting his 1,000th point with the Colonels, only the 2nd ever CCH football player to achieve the milestone (the first, Bill Topmiller, grandfather of Beechwood sophomore Dylan Topmiller). No movement in the Tier 2/3 teams. Highlands (#2) was undefeated on the week, but needed overtime to get past Austin Davie (40 points, 16 rebounds) and Campbell County. No games for Lloyd (#3), who will have to wait a few weeks to face off against district rival Dixie (#6), who lost to Holy Cross (#5) by 3 points. Congrats to Nate Rominger of Holy Cross who also got his 1,000th point in the victory. Ryle (#4) extended their winning streak with a win over St. Henry. In one of the more surprising results of the year, Newport (#7) lost to New Cath (#11) before falling in overtime to eventual All A State Champion Lyon County. Conner (#8) lost their only game of the week to Cov Cath, while Beechwood remains at #9 with a win over Holmes. Shoutout to Holmes on their last-second win over Scott at home. Cooper (#10) had a tough trip to DeSales, losing their only game of the week. New Cath (#11) pulled off an upset against Newport and will get some chances in the coming weeks to show they belong in the top 10. St. Henry stays put at #12 with their loss to Ryle. Tier 1: The Favorite 1. Covington Catholic (21-1) [last week 1; preseason 1] Just like about every week prior to this, Cov Cath dominated their games – beating Campbell County and Conner by more than 30 points. The Blue Colonels went 12-25 from 3-point land in the Conner game. Athens McGillis (23.4 ppg) continues to put up big numbers for the best team in the region. Braeden Myrick (17.8 ppg) led the Colonels with five 3-pointers (25 points) while Donovan Bradshaw (12.1 ppg, 6.8 rpb) dominated inside with 17 points and 13 rebounds against the Cougars. Only one game this week for the Colonels as they get Ryle (#4) at home. Fri, 2/6 Ryle at CCH Tiers 2/3: Good/Solid Teams that are Not Cov Cath 2. Highlands (20-2) [last week 2; preseason 3] Highlands got three wins this week against Dayton, Boone County, and Campbell County. Highlands needed overtime to get past the Camels though they were up at least 15 during one point in the game. The Bluebirds continue to show great balance (stats from Campbell game not posted yet) - Finn Bouldin (13.0 ppg), Nathan Rickard (10.0 ppg), Owen Ebert (11.8 ppg), Vincent Listerman (9.2 ppg), and Tayden Lorenzen (12.3 ppg). Highlands has just one game this week, a tough district matchup at Newport. Fri, 2/6 at Newport 3. Lloyd (13-4) [last week 3; preseason 7] No updates for Lloyd as their lone game of the week against district rival Dixie did not happen and will be played in a couple of weeks. Blaackar leads for the Juggs averaging 22.8 ppg. Sophomore Jason Kabeya and senior Isiah Golsby are also in double figures. Busy week for Lloyd with four games, including a district matchup against St. Henry at home. Tues, 2/3 St. Henry at Lloyd; Thurs, 2/5 at Villa; Fri, 2/6 TBA at Lloyd; Sat, 2/7 Mason County at Bracken County 4. Ryle (13-6) [last week 4; preseason 4] Ryle has now won nine straight after defeating St. Henry this week. Ryle had three double-digit scorers in the St. Henry game, AJ Davis (12 pts, 12.5 ppg), Holden Smith (15 pts, 16.7 ppg), and Anthony Coppola (10 pts, 12.5 ppg), while junior Grace Nsuti (7.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg) had 8 points and 11 rebounds. The Raiders have three games this week, including tough road matchups with #6 Dixie and #1 Cov Cath. Mon, 2/2 Simon Kenton at Ryle; Tues, 2/3 at Dixie; Fri, 2/6 at Covington Catholic 5. Holy Cross (16-4) [last week 5; preseason 2] Holy Cross was able to schedule a game against Dixie and come away with a 3-point victory. Luke Arlinghaus (17.6 ppg) led the Indians against Dixie with 15 points and leads Holy Cross in scoring. Sophomore Amir Henderson contributed 12 points in the victory, with Nate Rominger (13.7 ppg) adding 11 (including his 1,000th point). Brady Gabbard (14.7 ppg) left the game early with injury, let’s hope he is OK. Busy week for the Indians with three games, including a big district matchup with Beechwood on the road. Tues, 2/3 at Scott; Wed, 2/4 Campbell at Holy Cross; Fri, 2/6 at Beechwood 6. Dixie Heights (14-6) [last week 6; preseason 6] Dixie did not play district rival Lloyd this week, but did get a game against Holy Cross, falling by 3 points, and beat Grant County later in the week. Parks Vondehaar had 19 points in their loss and is now averaging 9.1 ppg. Dixie is also led by Max Rubemeyer (16.5 ppg), Tyson Metzger (12.0 ppg), and Hunter Seng (9.7 ppg). The Red Colonels have three games this week, including a tough home matchup with Ryle. Tues, 2/3 Ryle at Dixie; Fri, 2/6 at Holmes; Sat, 2/7 at Villa 7. Newport (14-5) [last week 7; preseason 9] Perhaps looking ahead to Owensboro, the Wildcats were upset by rival NewCath before falling in overtime to Lyon County in the All A State Tournament. Junior Amontae Lowe (21.1 ppg) scored 23 points in the Lyon County loss while Irvan Nichols (8.5 ppg) had 11 points and 11 rebounds in the game. Newport has two games this week, including a big district battle with Highlands. Fri, 2/6 Highlands at Newport; Sat, 2/7 at Ludlow 8. Conner (9-8) [last week 8; preseason 5] Conner put up a good fight but Cov Cath was just too much as they lost by 30+. Louden had a tough game (13 points) but continues to lead the region in scoring, averaging 23.6 ppg. Junior Tyler Warner scored 22 in the loss (12.4 ppg), while sophomore Juan Rondon (6.9 ppg) was also in double figures with 12. Two games this week for the Cougars – they get New Cath at home before facing off against Taft at Bracken County. Thurs, 2/5 Newport Catholic at Conner; Sat, 2/7 Taft at Bracken County 9. Beechwood (14-7) [last week 9; preseason 8] Beechwood beat district rival Holmes in their only game of the week. Topmiller (20.5 ppg) had 24 points in the victory (including 3 dunks and 4 3-pointers) and continues to lead the Tigers in scoring. Owen McCormack returned from injury for the Tigers. The Tigers go to Boone (makeup game) and get three home games this week, including a district matchup with Holy Cross. Tues, 2/3 Mason County at Beechwood; Thurs, 2/5 at Boone; Fri, 2/6 Holy Cross at Beechwood; Sat, 2/7 Lockland at Beechwood 10. Cooper (3-15) [last week 10; preseason 11] Cooper lost their only game of the week on the road to DeSales 76-47. The Jaguars are led by Julian Knuckles (11.5 ppg), Elijah Philpot (10.6 ppg) and Cole Stanton (11.9 ppg). Cooper has two games this week, road games against Newport Catholic and Walton Verona. Tues, 2/3 at Newport Catholic; Sat, 2/7 at Walton Verona Tier 4 11. Newport Catholic (6-13) [last week 11; preseason 13] NewCath pulled off an upset at Newport this week, before falling on the road to Moeller (OH). John Luhn (14.4 ppg) and Thomas Messmer (8.3 ppg) both had 16 points in the victory over the Wildcats. Three games this week for the Breds and opportunities to move up in the rankings, facing off against Cooper (#10), Conner (#8), and Campbell County Tues, 2/3 Cooper at Newport Catholic; Thurs, 2/5 at Conner; Sat, 2/7 Campbell at Newport Catholic 12. St. Henry (9-11) [last week 12; preseason 10] The Crusaders beat Cincinnati Trailblazers and lost to Ryle by 20. St. Henry continues to play solid defense but can’t seem to get things going offensively. The Crusaders are led by sophomore Tyler Detzel (9.4 ppg) and junior Blake Stevens (7.7 ppg). St. Henry has two games this week, including a district road matchup at Lloyd. Tues, 2/3 at Lloyd; Fri, 2/6 at Brossart The Rest 13. Holmes (7-13) Bulldogs went 2-1 this week, including a last second three-pointer to beat Scott at home. Three home games for the Bulldogs this week before they make the trip to Augusta on Saturday. 14. Boone Co (6-15) The Rebels went 1-1 on the week, losing to Highlands and beating Williamstown. The Rebels go to Brossart and get Jackson County and Beechwood at home this week. 15. Ludlow (9-11) Ludlow went 1-1 on the week, losing to Calvary and beating Bellevue. The Panthers have Holmes, Newport, and Dayton this week. 16. Dayton (13-6) The Greendevils went 0-2, losing to Holmes and Highlands. This week the Greendevils have rivals Bellevue and Ludlow on the road. 17. Bellevue (7-12) The Tigers went 1-2 this week, beating Villa before losing to Newport and Ludlow. This week Bellevue has rival Dayton at home before facing Calvary and Robertson County on the road. 18. Heritage (4-16) Heritage doubled their season win total this week, beating Williamstown and Highlands Latin. The Eagles will look to keep the momentum going against Villa, Cov Latin, and Pineville this week. 19. Villa Madonna (3-17) Villa went 0-3 on the week. Tough week ahead for the Vikings facing off against Heritage, Lloyd, and Dixie.

9th Region: Week 8 Hope everyone is enjoying the snow and staying safe. Another week of great games in the 9th region, including a couple of thrilling game-winning (or tying) buzzer beaters. Let’s hope the snow clears, but it looks likely that the Monday (and maybe Tuesday) games will be postponed or cancelled. Cov Cath continues to look like one of the best in KY with wins over St. Xavier (OH), McNick, and Trinity (Louisville) and remains far and away the best in the 9th (Tier 1). Some movement this week among Tier 2/3 teams, as Highlands (#2) got easy wins in a couple of district games and Lloyd (#3) barely got past a shorthanded Beechwood team. I did bump Ryle (#4) up a spot, who continued their winning streak by beating district foe Conner. Holy Cross (#5) fell one spot after losing to Simon Kenton. Newport moves up to #6, ahead of Dixie (#7), who needed a miracle to beat Beechwood, and Conner (#8), who fell to Ryle. Beechwood remains at #9 though they could have easily gone 3-0 on the week and moved up a couple of spots. I’m adding Cooper to Tiers 2/3 in the #10 spot – I think they are clearly better than St. Henry (#12), who lost to New Cath(#11), who I’m adding to Tier 4 with St. Henry. Tier 1: The Favorite 1. Covington Catholic (19-1) [last week 1; preseason 1] Cov Cath is so good. After a slow start, they beat a good St. Xavier (OH) team by 17 and then got big wins over McNick (OH) and Louisville Trinity. Athens McGillis (23.8 ppg) continues to put up big numbers for the clear best team in the region. Braeden Myrick (17.1 ppg) and Donovan Bradshaw (11.8) both are playing well and scoring in double figures. The Colonels get an out-of-region game against Campbell County at home before facing 9th region foe Conner on the road. Tues, 1/27 Campbell County at CCH; Thur, 1/29 at Conner Tiers 2/3: Good/Solid Teams that are Not Cov Cath 2. Highlands (17-2) [last week 2; preseason 3] Highlands got three big wins this week against Cooper, Bellevue, and New Cath. The Bluebirds continue to show great balance - Finn Bouldin (13.3 ppg), Nathan Rickard (10.5 ppg), Owen Ebert (11.6 ppg), Vincent Listerman (9.9 ppg), and Tayden Lorenzen (12.6 ppg). Highlands has four games this week, including Walton (on Monday, likely to be cancelled/postponsed) and Campbell County on Sunday. Mon, 1/26 Walton at Highlands; Wed, 1/28 Dayton at Highlands; Thurs, 1/22 at Boone County; Sun, 2/1 Campbell County at NKU 3. Lloyd (13-4) [last week 3; preseason 7] Lloyd picked up three wins this week, including coming back in the last few minutes to knock off Beechwood at home. Anthony Blaackar leads for the Juggs and is now averaging 22.8 ppg. Sophomore Jason Kabeya and senior Isiah Golsby are also in double figures. Just one game this week, a big district road matchup with Dixie. Mon, 1/27 at Dixie 4. Ryle (12-6) [last week 5; preseason 4] Ryle continues to stay hot, winners of eight straight, and got a nice come from behind win over district rival Conner. Ryle has three double-digit scorers, AJ Davis (11.9 ppg), Holden Smith (16.7 ppg), and Anthony Coppola (12.4 ppg). The Raiders have three games this week, including home games with St. Henry and Simon Kenton and Bourbon County on the road. Tues, 1/27 Simon Kenton at Ryle; Fri, 1/30 St. Henry at Ryle; Sat, 1/31 at Bourbon County 5. Holy Cross (15-4) [last week 4; preseason 2] Only one game for Holy Cross this past week, a loss to Simon Kenton on the road. Luke Arlinghaus (18.9 ppg) continues to lead Holy Cross in scoring with Nate Rominger (13.8 ppg) and Brady Gabbard (15.2 ppg) also scoring in double figures. No games schedule for this week. No Games 6. Dixie Heights (12-5) [last week 6; preseason 6] Dixie won their only game of the week over Beechwood that included miracle play by Tyler Metzger to send the game into overtime (Dixie trailed by 5 with 2 seconds left). Dixie is led by Max Rubemeyer (16.5 ppg), Tyson Metzger (12.2 ppg), and Hunter Seng (10.1 ppg). The Red Colonels have two home games this week, including a big district matchup with Lloyd at home. Tues, 1/27 Lloyd at Dixie Heights; Fri, 1/30 at Grant County 7. Newport (11-4) [last week 9; preseason 9] It wasn’t easy, but Newport is heading to the All A State Semifinals with two last second wins over Lexington Christian and Harlan. Junior Amontae Lowe (21.1 ppg) went coast-to-coast in the final 6 seconds to steal the first round win, and Irvan Nichols (8.5 ppg) got a last second basket to beat Harlan. Other players making contributions include Keegan Farrel (9.1 ppg, 6.4 rebounds) and Davae Andrews-Glover (7.7 ppg). Newport will have to wait till next Sunday to try and bring home a state championship, where they get Lyon County in the semi-finals (also Bellevue and New Cath this week). Tues, 1/27 New Cath at Newport; Thurs, 1/29 at Bellevue; Sun, 2/1 Lyon County at Owensboro Sportscenter; Sun, 2/1 TBD at Owensboro Sportscenter 8. Conner (9-7) [last week 7; preseason 5] Conner lost to district rival Ryle in their only game of the week. Louden scored 31 in the loss and continues to lead the region in scoring, averaging 24.4 ppg while Tyler Warner (11.9 ppg) is also scoring in double figures. Just one game again this week, but it is a big one as they go on the road to face Cov Cath. Fri, 1/23 Ryle at Conner 9. Beechwood (13-7) [last week 8; preseason 8] Beechwood went 1-2 on the week and have lost 7 of their last 10. The Tigers would probably like to have the last minute or so of both of their losses back, as they somehow blew a 5-point lead with 2 seconds against Dixie, and lost in the last 30 seconds at Lloyd. Topmiller, 20.0 ppg continues to lead the Tigers in scoring, who lost another starter (Knasel) in the Dixie game to injury. Two games this week for Beechwood, including a home district matchup with Holmes. Tues, 1/27 at Boone County; Fri, 1/30 Holmes at Beechwood 10. Cooper (3-14) [last week 10; preseason 11] Cooper went 1-1 on the week, falling to Highlands and blowing out district rival Boone County. The Jaguars (through 14 games) are led by Julian Knuckles (11.5 ppg), Elijah Philpot (10.6 ppg) and Cole Stanton (11.9 ppg). Cooper has just one game this week, a tough road matchup at DeSales. Wed, 1/28 at DeSales Tier 4 11. Newport Catholic (5-13) [last week 13; preaseason 13] NewCath lost to Lloyd and Highlands and beat St. Henry this week. The Breds are led by John Luhn with 14.8 ppg. This week the Breds get road games against Newport and Ludlow. Tues, 1/27 at Newport; Fri, 1/30 at Ludlow. 12. St. Henry (8-10) [last week 11; preseason 10] The Crusaders got wins against Holmes and Boone County while also falling to Newport Catholic. St. Henry is led by sophomore Tyler Detzel (8.8 ppg) and junior Blake Stevens (8.2 ppg). St. Henry has three games this week, including a tough road matchup at Ryle. Tues, 1/27 Scott at St. Henry; Thurs, 1/29 Cincinnati Trailblazers at St. Henry; Fri, 1/30 at Ryle The Rest 13. Holmes (5-12) Bulldogs went 1-2 this week, including a loss to Bellevue. This week the Bulldogs will look to get wins against Calvary Christian, Dayton, Beechwood, and Scott. 14. Boone Co (5-13) The Rebels went 0-3 on the week. Three games this week. 15. Ludlow (7-10) Ludlow went 2-1 on the week. The Panthers have Calvary, New Cath, and Bellevue this week. 16. Dayton (12-4) The Greendevils won their only game of the week against Heritage. This week the Greendevils have three games. 17. Bellevue (6-10) The Tigers went 1-1 this week. This week Bellevue has four games. 18. Heritage (2-15) Heritage lost to Dayton and Ludlow. The Eagles have three games this week. 19. Villa Madonna (3-14) Villa went 0-2 on the week. The Vikings have three games this week.

Simon Kenton is a solid team, but I'm pretty surprised by this outcome. Holy Cross has some things to figure out before districts come around.