By Terry Boehmker
NKy Tribune sports reporter
Several interesting story lines will be unfolding during the high school tennis post-season playoffs that start with the first-ever regional team tournaments.
Covington Catholic has been the boys’ 9th Region representative in the boys’ state team tournament every year since it began in 2011. With regional team tournaments being added to the format this year, the Colonels will have to win matches against other local teams to keep their streak alive. CovCath’s first challenger on Monday will be Conner, a team that upset the Colonels, 3-2, on April 2.
Notre Dame and Highlands have played in the girls’ state team tournament the last five years. On Monday, Notre Dame will face Simon Kenton in a 9th Region match and Highlands takes on Campbell County in a 10th Region match.
The Highlands boys’ tennis team that has been the 10th Region qualifier for the state team tournament four of the last five years will be playing Montgomery County in a first-round match on Monday.
The seeding meeting for the 9th Region boys’ and girls’ singles and doubles tournaments will be Monday at CovCath. The 10th Region will set its brackets later in the week.
There will be a new No. 1 seed in 9th Region boys’ singles since Austin Hussey of CovCath has graduated. He won the regional singles title the last four years. One of the candidates for the vacant top spot is CovCath junior Anthony Bosch, who has played No. 1 singles for the Colonels this spring.
Highlands senior Ben Emery will be going for his fourth consecutive 10th Region boys’ singles title and Francie Case of Notre Dame is the defending 9th Region champ in girls’ singles.
Tennis coaches often juggle their lineups for the playoffs so seeding doubles teams is hard to predict. It will also be interesting to see where 9th Region girls’ coaches seed Ellie Zureick, a seventh-grader who had a successful season playing singles for Cooper.
Three local softball teams in hunt for All “A” Classic state title
A fast-pitch softball team from Northern Kentucky has never won the Kentucky All “A” Classic state tournament, but three local teams will try to change that this weekend.
Newport Central Catholic, Bishop Brossart and Walton-Verona are among the 16 regional champions that will compete in the small-school state tournament on Saturday and Sunday at Jack Fischer Park in Owensboro.
The field was divided into four pools. After the poll play games on Saturday are completed, the top two teams in each pool will compete in a single-elimination playoff bracket on Sunday to determine the state champion.
NewCath and Brossart are both in Pool A and Walton-Verona is in Pool C. None of those teams have ever made it to the semifinals or championship finals in the first 11 years of the Kentucky All “A” Classic softball playoffs.
Beechwood vs. CovCath baseball game will resume on Monday
The high school baseball game between Beechwood and Covington Catholic that was called off Tuesday when thunderstorms swept through the area is set to resume at 5 p.m. Monday at Thomas More College.
The 35th District seeding game will be restarted in the top of the third inning with CovCath at bat and Beechwood holding a 2-1 lead. The winner will stand alone at the top of the district seeding standings.
Beechwood was unable to continue the game on its home field because construction to renovate the athletic complex at the Ft. Mitchell school is now underway.
The outcome of Monday’s game could also have an impact on the Northern Kentucky baseball coaches poll. Last week, Beechwood was voted No. 2 and CovCath was voted No. 3 in the poll.
Ryle was voted the No. 1 by local coaches. The Raiders have a 17-3 record and 11-game winning streak. Their only losses were to two teams in Ohio and one team from Lexington.
Beechwood athletic director nominated for state award
Suzy Wera of Beechwood was one of 16 nominees for the 2016 Father Harry Jansing Athletic Director of the Year Award that was presented during the Kentucky High School Athletic Directors Association conference on Friday in Louisville.
In addition to managing 23 varsity sports at the Ft. Mitchell school, Wera is supervising improvements of the athletic facilities on campus.
Notre Dame Academy is going for their 21st consecutive girls team tennis title, not ninth.