By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Total attendance for the first girls’ state high school basketball tournament ever held in Northern Kentucky was 31,947, based on attendance figures posted on the Kentucky High School Athletic Association website from each of the eight sessions played at BB&T Arena from last Wednesday to Sunday.
That figure is more than 6,500 below the total attendance of 38,489 posted for last year’s state tournament held at Dibble Arena in Bowling Green.
But Julian Tackett, commissioner of the KHSAA, said attendance is not the only factor used to evaluate the girls’ tournament because it largely depends on the 16 teams that make the field and the fans who follow them.
“We’re a little down (in attendance), but last year we had a team within 20 minutes of Bowling Green that played four games,” Tackett said of state runner-up Allen County-Scottsville.
“The girls’ tournament, even after all these years, is still based on the draw. That’s the part you just don’t worry about. Attendance is not how you measure a tournament by itself. That’s one of the factors, but how was the arena, how did the venue treat people, how were the hotels, how were the restaurants? All of that factors in.”
The sessions that drew the largest crowds were the ones that involved Campbell County and Holmes, the two local teams in the state tournament. There was 5,697 fans at the first-round session on Wednesday and 6,056 fans at the quarterfinal session on Friday that involved those two teams.
In an interview during Sunday’s state’ championship game, Tackett said he got a lot of positive feedback from participating teams and fans during this year’s tournament that was sponsored by St. Elizabeth Heathcare. He also said that conducting the five-day event at a new arena for the first time in more than 10 years went “very smoothly” for his staff.
“Everybody at this facility has just been super and that’s helped us get over any hurdles that have come up,” Tackett said.
When the state tournament returns to BB&T Arena next year, Tackett hopes to see a little more support from the Northern Kentucky business community.
“We got great cooperation from the Northern Kentucky CVB (Convention and Visitors Bureau). They couldn’t be better partners,” he said. “But we’ve got to engage the business community more if we’re really going to promote this. I think the event is bigger than some people thought. They now know the size of the tiger they’ve got by the tail and maybe we can see how we can improve it.”
Weyer voted 9th Region Player of the Year by local coaches
Ben Weyer of Newport Central Catholic received another award for his impressive senior season Sunday when he was named 9th Region Player of the Year at the Northern Kentucky Boys Basketball Coaches Association banquet.
Weyer led the Thoroughbreds to their first 9th Region post-season championship in 16 years and their fourth consecutive 9th Region All “A” Classic title by averaging 22 points and 11 rebounds per game. He received the most valuable player award after both of those tournaments and was named 9th Region Player of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches. Local coaches also voted him the top player in the Division II conference this season.
Ron Dawn was named 9th Region Coach of the Year at Sunday’s banquet. He’s taking his team to the state tournament for the first time since 2000 after upsetting two-time defending champion Covington Catholic in the 9th Region final.
The Coach of the Year award-winners in each division were Tim Sullivan of Cooper in Division I, Dawn and Erik Goetz of Beechwood in Division II and Randy Wofford of Ludlow in Division III.
Coaching milestone awards went to Trent Steiner of Simon Kenton for getting his 200th career victory this season and to Sullivan for posting his 100th win. The association also inducted Benny Clary of Ludlow into its Court of Distinction.
Here’s a rundown of the award-winning players in each division:
DIVISION I
Matt Wilson (Campbell County), Adam Kunkel (Cooper), Michael Scott (Conner), Sean McNeil (Cooper), Cole VonHandorf (CovCath), Jake Ohmer (Scott), Spencer Hemmerich (Conner), Andy Flood (CovCath), Austin Fries (Simon Kenton), Hunter Meyer (Dixie Heights), Reed Bradfield (Dixie Heights), C.J. Fredrick (CovCath), Tyrek Owens (Ryle).
Best Defensive Player – Dante Hendrix (Cooper).
Mr. Hustle Award – Kyler Padgett (Conner).
Academic Award – C.J. Seay (Scott).
DIVISION II
Ben Weyer (NewCath), Tyler Bezold (Holy Cross), Adam Goetz (St. Henry), Markel McClendon (Holmes), Ethan Snapp (Newport), Jackson Crawford (Brossart), Leighton Schrand (Holy Cross), Dan Toebbe (Beechwood), Sterling Hamilton (Lloyd), Kedan Davis (Newport), Luke Moeves (NewCath), Brandon Hall (NewCath).
Best Defensive Player – Eric Anderson (NewCath).
Mr. Hustle Award – Mitchell Cain (Highlands).
Academic Award – J.T. Toebbe (Beechwood).
DIVISION III
Kalib Mitchell (Ludlow), Akeem Riley (Calvary Christian), Thomas Schutzman (Villa Madonna), Randy Kuntz (Silver Grove), Cameron Chase (Bellevue), Darven Garcia (Dayton), Michael Camarena (Ludlow), Matt Fryman (Bellevue), Justin Wade (Calvary Christian), Adrian Hall (Dayton).
Best Defensive Player – Akeem Riley (Calvary Christian).
Mr. Hustle Award – Cameron Chase (Bellevue).
Academic Award – Alex Kenkel (Villa Madonna).
Feldmann stepping down as Brossart girls’ basketball coach
Josh Feldmann sent an email to Northern Kentucky girls’ basketball coaches this week informing them that he will not be returning as head coach of the Brossart team next season.
In the email, Feldmann said he’s stepping down after six seasons with the Mustangs because his wife is expecting their third child in September.
“My family has taken a back seat to allow me to pursue my dream of being a varsity coach, but now it is time to move them to the front seat,” he said.
Brossart compiled a 115-62 record in six seasons under Feldmann. His teams won three 10th Region All “A” Classic championships and made it to the 10th Region post-season tournament four times. The Mustangs finished with an 11-16 record this year.
Feldmann is the second Northern Kentucky girls’ basketball head coach to announce their resignation. Tara Smith is leaving the Dixie Heights program after five seasons