By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
The only game on this week’s Northern Kentucky high school football schedule that could decide a district champion will be played at 7 p.m. Saturday when Cooper visits Conner in a Class 6A matchup that will be televised live on WSTR channel 64.
If Cooper wins, the Jaguars will take the district title and Ryle will finish second. If Conner wins, the Cougars will be in a three-way tie for first place with Cooper and Ryle and the winner will be decided according to the tie-breaker rules in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association handbook.
Each of the teams will receive one point for each game won by any four of their defeated opponents, except for the games played between any of the tied teams. The team with the most points will then be declared the district champion.
If the three-way tie occurs, the outcome of Ryle’s game against undefeated Simon Kenton on Friday could have a huge impact on the final tally that will be made at the end of the regular season.
The local teams that have already clinched district titles are Beechwood, Newport Central Catholic, Walton-Verona, Scott, Highlands and Simon Kenton. They will all play at home in the first round of the post-season playoffs.
The second-place team in each district also gets a first-round home game. The games on Friday’s schedule that will decide second-place in district standings are Bellevue at Ludlow, Holy Cross at Lloyd, Covington Catholic at Dixie Heights and Boone County at Campbell County.
High school football official to be honored before Cooper-Conner game
Joe Frank, a high school football official in Northern Kentucky for more than 40 years, will be honored before the opening kickoff at the Cooper at Conner football game at 7 p.m. Saturday.
This is Frank’s final season as an official after working more than 400 regular season games and 75 playoff games, including five state championship finals. He was named Official of the Year by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association in 2005.
Frank has also served on the board of directors for the Northern Kentucky Officials Association as president, secretary and treasurer.
Fields are set for regional volleyball tournaments involving local teams
The eight team field is set for next week’s 9th Region volleyball tournament and the first-round pairings will be decided during a draw scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday at Ryle High School.
The four district champions in the regional bracket are Cooper, St. Henry, Notre Dame and Newport Central Catholic. The other berths went to district runner-up teams Ryle, Villa Madonna, Beechwood and Highlands.
Scott and Brossart qualified for the 10th Region tournament to be played at Harrison County High School next week. Simon Kenton earned a berth in the 8th Region tournament at North Oldham High School.
The winners of the single-elimination regional tournaments will advance to the state tournament to be played Nov. 6-8 at Louisville Valley High School. Notre Dame lost in the state final the last two years.