Henry Steele

Just out of curiousity, do all Conner 6th graders play, i.e., do they have any 6th graders that play up and did not play for the 6th grade team? Reason being that Highlands, which only lost to Conner this year, does have a sixth grader that plays up freshman and JV for Highlands. Might be a more interesting match up in years to come when she enters the picture.

Holmes trailed the entire game, by as many as 11 in the first half, and then in the third quarter shortly after a 6 point play by Seibert (he scores on a layup and is fouled, ref calls it an intentional foul, he sinks both free throws, NCC gets the ball back and Seibert completes the sequence with a 10 foot jumper) Holmes is down 17, 54-37. Holmes hit a three at the end of the third quarter to bring it back to 54-40, but I doubt there was a soul in the building that thought Holmes could make up 14 points in the fourth against this NCC team, well disciplined, long with good ball handlers and shooters, especially since Holmes was deep in foul trouble. Enter Bolden. I am not sure of the stats - seems like he made a bunch of crazy floaters in the lane and at least 3, maybe 4, 3's in the fourth (I would think he had 16-18 points in the fourth quarter alone), and Holmes outscored NCC 29-13 setting the stage for Pangallo to hit a jumper with three seconds to go. NCC was well aware of Bolden, and had Seibert up in his grill the whole night, by the fourth quarter had extended the help double teams out 10 feet past the arc. But when a kid can weave his way through traffic and get to the hoop like he was, even double teams don't look effective. He got just enough space to get a few long jump shots off in the fourth and drained them. It was a special performance against an outstanding team.

A little perplexed by this. After an 85-82 double overtime game, you consider NewCath a "it is NCC's to lose" kind of favorite? I acknowledge I'm a Bulldog guy and all, but if Bolden's desperation three at the end of regulation or the layup at the end of the first overtime had gone in, and Holmes had escaped with a victory, I don't think - no, I KNOW - I would not be anointing Holmes the clear favorite. Two very well matched teams with contrasting styles. Could have gone either way tonight, and I would expect a similarly competitive game if they meet again.

On a local, high school scale, it was Duke-UK. Big play after big play by both teams. Best $5 worth of entertainment in a long time. Bolden is incredible, but Pangallo was soooo cool, hitting a 3 that, at the time, looked like a dagger, but Bolden's heroics gave Pangallo the opportunity to be the hero again, and he came through with the tying jump shot in regulation. Crazy cool under the circumstances. The intentional foul, 6 point play was too much of the referee impacting the game, and I thought it was the crushing blow, but Holmes come back from 17 down wouldn't have happened like it did. Great, great game. One of the 5 best, if not the very best, I've ever seen.

I agree completely. If a #2 seed can get past two #1 seeds from other districts, they should absolutely be in the finals. Weaker districts and teams need to get better if they want to compete for a regional championship, and not hope they sneak into the finals because the two best teams are in the other bracket.

Thanks LB. It was 2008 I guess I was thinking of.. Holmes, led by Arrez Henderson, came into NCC with a great record, and would go on to get to state finals against Mason County, but couldn't escape the hill with a win...

Another part of this dynamic... Newport Catholic has almost always played Holmes better than their record, even when it would have appeared Holmes should have won easily.... going back a long way here, but in 1980 NC (no "Central" in the name back then) handed Dicky Beal led Holmes its only northern Kentucky loss, and I believe that also happened recently - somebody help me with the year - either 07 or 08 - Holmes team riding high lost unexpectedly on the hill. Should be a dandy Friday...

I don't know if 1983-84 was chosen as the starting point for any particular reason, but in 1978 Holmes boys were regional champs (state runner up), JV was undefeated and, de facto regional champs (I don't think they had a tournament then), the boys frosh were conference champions, and the girls varsity were conference champions. For a long time, there were trophies and pictures of those four teams displayed together at Holmes. Eighth grade team that year was very good also (don't know what league or conference they would have been champions of), but interesting note to re-ignite the debate.... 1978 Holmes eighth grade team include future Kenton County Bluebird star Fred Terry.

Sounds like a great finish in the IHM/Conner game... at least from the IHM perspective. They get Gray now?

Very disappointing exit for Highlands 6th IMO. Very deep team that never used it to their advantage. Having said that, does anyone know what the Holmes-Newport 6th result was?

The flop was only part of it, the final act in the kid's performance. The snapping the head back, in both instances without any contact, was the real acting job. He looked like Carlo taking the punch from Sonny in the Godfather (Godfather-Garbage Can Lid Beating (not for kids, contains violence) - YouTube at 0:22). Walter posting this clip has probably derailed the kid's acting career on the court, though. Time to take it to SCPA.

Final margin correct, but score was actually 25-21. Who out there tracks standings and sets up district brackets? In 6th grade District 4, I think the seeding will be (1) Holmes 3-1, (2) Highlands 3-1, (3) Newport 2-2 (beat Campbell Co. head to head) (4) Campbell Co. 2-2 and (5) Sharp 0-4. I assume that would mean Sharp plays Campbell, winner gets Holmes, and Highlands gets Newport in first round. I'd be interested to hear district 1, 2 and 3 records and brackets in the 6th, and all four divisions in 7th and 8th.

7th graders at Woodland won the region last year as sixth graders, and I know they've been up and down some but I like their guard play with Perrin and Miller... I wouldn't count them out....

What's CCMS 6th record? Key wins? Losses? Highlands 6,7,8 take on Twenhofel tonight, should be a good one. Point guard for Twenhofel 6th, Sergent, fun to watch.

Highlands 6th final over Sharp 41-28. Highlands actually has 3 regular season losses - Holmes, Woodland and Gray. Since the early exit at the Dayton tournament, they have looked better, going 4-1 with only a loss to Gray. They could still make a run in the district and regional IMO.

Anybody know who won the Dayton 6th grade tournament? Finals last night pitted Twenhofel against Walton. Also, anybody know who was on the all-tourney team?

Gray 6th over Highlands 6th by 5. Rankin from Gray is a tough matchup for anyone.

6th grade tourney at Dayton.... Twenhofel knocked off St. Joe. St. Joe awaits the winner of Summitview vs. Walton, and the winner of the losers bracket then gets Twenhofel.

Mike Flynn's only regional title at Holmes was 1990, and they got to the state finals. 76-77-78-80-88 were all Reynolds Flynn, no relation.

It is my understanding that in the sixth grade tourney Twenhofel and St. Joe are in the final of the winners bracket, with Twenhofel having beaten Campbell County and Turkeyfoot, and St. Joe having beaten Summitview and Walton to advance. Not sure what has happened in the losers bracket other than Summitview knocking Highlands out and Campbell County knocking Dayton out. Anybody got any more detail than that?

Probably more correct to say "miseducation", but it is from Caddyshack, my generation's "Happy Gilmore". I guess I'm getting a little long in the tooth, starting to sound like my dad. Sorry, no disrespect intended.

Is that sarcasm, or is it possible that you don't know who Danny Noonan is? I will infer the answer to my question based upon whether you can answer this question.... what did the Lama give tell Carl he would receive on his deathbed? BTW, to stay with the thread, saw a good Holmes 6th grade team dismantle Highlands 6th today 42-20. A 2 point game at the half got blown open in the third quarter when Highlands could only manage a single free throw, and Holmes' Turner got red hot and hit nothing but twine on 3 straight treys. He added a 4th in the fourth. Holmes suffocating press and ability to shoot the long ball will make them very difficult to beat. Highlands falls to 8-2 with the loss.

Highlands scored 3 points in the first quarter and 1 in the third against Woodland..... agree with Q that the game was not as close as the final score. Anybody able to confirm that Holmes 6th beat Woodland by 30 last night?

Before my time, but I am pretty sure Dick Vories has to be in this conversation.... recruited and signed by Adolph Rupp (until he blew ouit hsi knee) as a basketball player, played professional baseball in the Reds organization, and was, I believe, the rarest commodity, a 3 sport, 12 letterman athlete at the college level at Georgetown.....

Amen, brother. Dicky went on to be the Most Outstanding Player of the Mideast Regional for UK..... Ervin was the second best member of his family to play at EKU and didn't last at EKU. Talent levels weren't even comparable. Taht was one of the few times a UK signee didn't get Mr. Baseketball.