By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Coaches of the four Northern Kentucky high school football teams that made it to the semifinals of the state playoffs have scheduled a practice session on Thanksgiving Day.
That will give players at Beechwood, Newport Central Catholic, Highlands and Simon Kenton one more chance to go over the game plans their coaches put together for the final four showdowns in each class on Friday.
The four games involving local teams are: Beechwood at Russellville in Class 1A, Danville at Newport Central Catholic in Class 2A, Pulaski County at Highlands in Class 5A and Lexington Lafayette at Simon Kenton in Class 6A.
This is the first time since 2008 that Simon Kenton has been in the state semifinals. The other three teams made it that far last year with Highlands and NewCath advancing to the championship finals.
Simon Kenton coach Jeff Marksberry will have a Thanksgiving breakfast at 8:30 p.m. Thursday for players and their families before the Pioneers head out to practice.
At Beechwood, coach Noel Rash will have an early practice session followed by breakfast in the school cafeteria that’s open to players, parents, alumni and fans.
“That tradition of breakfast after practice will always live on,” Rash said.
Beechwood needs a win on Friday to return to the Class 1A state championship game for the first time since 2008. The Tigers were knocked off in the semifinals five of the last six years by Mayfield, a perennial state power that moved up to Class 2A this year.
Beechwood is the top Class 1A team in state power rankings, averaging 47.5 points per game while giving up only 13.8 this season. The Tigers have a balanced offensive attack that’s averaging 409.7 yards per game, but leading rusher Ethan Stringer missed last week’s game due to a knee injury and he could be sidelined once again on Friday.
Top two boys’ basketball teams will meet in first game of new season
The top two teams in the Northern Kentucky boys’ basketball coaches pre-season poll will face each other in the first game on their schedules.
Top-ranked Covington Catholic will play at No. 2 Cooper on Wednesday, Dec. 2 in a season-opening showdown that will also feature two of the top players in the area.
CovCath junior guard Cole VonHandorf averaged a team-high 18.2 points and shot 86 percent from the free throw line last season when the Colonels won their second consecutive 9th Region championship and made it to the semifinals of the state tournament.
Cooper junior guard Sean McNeil averaged 17 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Jaguars last season. Cooper lost in the first round of the regional tournament and finished with an 18-9 record.
A look at the top high school basketball teams in Northern Kentucky will be posted on the NKyTribune website before the 2015-16 regular season begins next week. A girls’ basketball preview is scheduled for Sunday and a boys’ basketball preview is scheduled for Monday.
Holmes basketball player makes commitment with Division II team
Amori Gulley, a starting forward on the Holmes girls’ basketball team that was 9th Region runner-up last season, has accepted a scholarship offer from University of Virginia-Wise, an NCAA Division II team that competes in the Mountain East Conference.
Gulley averaged 9.8 points and 6.0 rebounds last season for Holmes. The Bulldogs finished with a 30-3 record after losing to Holy Cross in the 9th Region championship game.
With six of the top eight players returning from last year’s team, Holmes is considered the leading contender for the 9th Region title this season. The team’s other veteran players include Jynea Harris, who averaged 14 points per game, Tyrah Englemon, Jaynice Stovall and Laila Johnson.
Coach of area’s first state soccer champions among hall of fame inductees
Sara Raaker McSorley, coach of Northern Kentucky’s first state championship team in girls’ high school soccer, is one of 12 new inductees into the Northern Kentucky High School Athletic Directors Hall of Fame.
McSorley coached the Notre Dame Academy team that won the 2004 girls’ state title. Northern Kentucky teams had a 0-5 record in girls’ state championship games before the Pandas came out on top.
Rick Barker, a three-time state champion wrestler at Newport Catholic, and Jeff Wera Jr., who passed for more than 4,000 yards as quarterback of the Beechwood football team, were also inducted into the NKHSAD Hall of Fame on Nov. 12.
Here is a complete list of this year’s inductees with their graduation years in parentheses:
Lisa Auteri McIntyre, Bellevue (1982)
Richard Barker, Newport Catholic (1975)
Sandy Bezold Windgassen, Bishop Brossart (1990)
Jessica Birkenhauer Rawe, Notre Dame (1999)
Eugene Britton Carter, Newport (1964)
Jim Cooper, Covington Catholic (1968)
Lisa Morrison Tanner, Boone County (1988)
Ken Mueller, Covington Catholic (1975)
Sara Raaker McSorley, Notre Dame (1997)
Larry Sprinkle, Newport (1961)
Phil Stephenson, Bellevue (1994)
Jeff Wera Jr., Beechwood (2004)
Tom Potter Distinguished Service Awards
Dan Frank, Dayton High School
James Weber, Sports Reporter
Ken and Jan Schmidt, Notre Dame Academy