By Terry Boehmker
NKy Tribune sports reporter
Jake Ohmer became the Scott boys’ basketball team’s all-time scoring leader Friday night when he netted 42 points in a win at Bracken County to give him a career total of 1,621 points in three varsity seasons.
Scott coach Brad Carr also had a reason to celebrate after the victory. He became the winningest coach in the history of the Eagles program with a 182-169 record in 12 seasons.
Ohmer, the leading scorer in Northern Kentucky with a 27.6 average, surpassed the team’s previous career scoring record of 1,596 points that was set by 1992 graduate Chris Haynes.
Earlier this season, Ohmer also set a new team record for most points in a single game when he scored 54 in a win over Clark County on Dec. 5. It was the second time in his career that he scored more than 50 points in a game.
Scott has posted a winning record in seven of the 12 seasons that Carr has been head coach. The Eagles have also won four 37th District titles and played in two 10th Region championship games during his tenure.
Four local players named to Kentucky All “A” Classic state all-tournament teams
Newport Central Catholic seniors Ben Weyer and Ansley Davenport were named to the Kentucky All “A” Classic boys’ and girls’ state all-tournment teams for their impressive performances last week at Frankfort Convention Center.
Weyer’s three-game totals included 70 points, 42 rebounds, 14 blocks and nine assists. In one game, he tied a tournament record with 22 rebounds while also scoring a career-high 38 points.
Davenport was a double-figure scorer in all three of NewCath’s games with a career-high 35 points in the quarterfinals. Her three-game totals were 66 points, 24 rebounds, five assists and seven steals.
The other local players named to the state all-tournament teams were Walton-Verona senior forward Hailey Ison and NewCath sophomore guard Brennan Hall.
This was the first year since 2011 that a Northern Kentucky team did not win an All “A” Classic boys’ or girls’ state championship. Murray defeated Owensboro Catholic, 45-28, in the girls’ state final and Cordia defeated Murray, 62-45, in the boys’ state final on Sunday.
Cooper boys keep on winning while leading scorer recovers from injury
The Cooper boys’ basketball team won all three of its 33rd District seeding games without leading scorer Sean McNeil, who is recovering from a fractured bone in his right wrist.
The Jaguars clinched the No. 1 seed in the district playoffs with wins over Boone County, Conner and Ryle that raised their overall record to 18-2.
McNeil watched those games from the bench with a cast on his right hand. Doctors will evaluate the injury next week to see how it’s healing, according to Cooper coach Tim Sullivan.
“Right now, there is not a definite timetable, but we’re hoping to get him back for the post-season,” Sullivan said in an email. “All depends on the healing process.”
The Jaguars have managed to win without McNeil, who was averaging 16.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. In each of the last three games, senior forward Trevor Rohlman and sophomore more guard Adam Kunkle have been double-figure scorers to help offset the loss of their team leader.
“This group is special in the fact they pull for one another and have really taken their game to another level,” coach Sullivan said. “Sean has been great in dealing with his injury as he is focused solely on helping his teammates as well as staying in shape in case he is able to get back on the court.”
KHSAA will conduct Sweet 16 state tournament draws on Thursday
Pairings for the boys’ and girls’ post-season state tournaments will be decided on Thursday during a draw conducted by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.
The St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet 16 will take place March 9-13 at BB&T Arena in Highland Heights and the Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16 is set for March 16-20 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
Champions of 16 regional tournaments across the state will compete in each of the tournaments. Region numbers will be selected in two separate draws on Thursday to set the brackets.
A live telecast of the draws will be streamed online at khsaa.tv and wkyt.com. When the brackets are completed, they will be posted on the khsaa.org website.
This is the first year that the girls’ state basketball tournament will be held in Northern Kentucky. Ticket packages for both tournaments will be available on Feb. 8 on the khsaa.org website.