By Terry Boehmker
NKy Tribune sports reporter
Ryle quarterback Tanner Morgan has made a commitment with Western Michigan University, according to a report on the hustlebelt.com website that covers Mid-America Conference football.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound junior, who was also being recruited by Louisville, Cincinnati, Wake Forest and Bowling Green, accepted the scholarship offer from Western Michigan last week. The national signing day for NCAA football recruits will be in February.
Morgan played two years of varsity football at Hazard High School before transferring to Ryle. He completed 215 passes for 2,674 yards and 21 touchdowns for the Raiders last season.
He will enter his senior year with 7,664 total passing yards. If he throws for more than 2,400 yards, he’ll become one of the few Kentucky high school quarterbacks to surpass the 10,000 mark in his career.
Morgan is ranked among the top 55 quarterbacks in the 2017 recruiting class by college football websites. He was interested in joining the Western Michigan program because the Broncos run a pro-style offense that averaged 287 passing yards per game last season.
Last December, Western Michigan captured the first bowl victory in team history by defeating Middle Tennessee State, 45-31, in the Popeye’s Bahamas Bowl. The Broncos finished with an 8-5 overall record for the second consecutive year.
Niece, Weyer voted first-team all-state in basketball coaches polls
Simon Kenton sophomore guard Ally Niece and Newport Central Catholic senior forward Ben Weyer were voted first-team all-state in girls’ and boys’ basketball in statewide coaches polls conducted by the Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper.
Niece placed ninth in voting points in the girls’ all-state balloting. She averaged 20.9 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Pioneers this season and surpassed the 2,000 mark in career scoring. She was named 8th Region Player of the Year and Division I Player of the Year in Northern Kentucky.
Weyer had the fourth highest voting total on the boys’ all-state team after leading NewCath to the semifinals of the state tournament. He finished the season with averages of 21.6 point and 11.4 rebounds per game and was named 9th Region Player of the Year by local coaches.
Covington Catholic junior guard Cole VonHandorf and Campbell County senior center Matt Wilson were voted second-team all-state in boys’ basketball. They placed 15th and 16th in voting points.
Weyer and Wilson were named to the Kentucky All-Stars boys’ team that will play a two-game series with Indiana’s top senior players. Dajah McClendon of Holy Cross is on the Kentucky All-Stars girls’ roster. The in-state games will be played Sunday, June 12 at Bellarmine University in Louisville.
Brossart sweeps 10th All “A” Classic Region titles in baseball, softball
Bishop Brossart teams won 10th Region All “A” Classic championship games in both baseball and fast-pitch softball last weekend and advance to the state playoffs in both sports.
The Brossart softball team shut out Calvary Christian, 9-0, in the regional final with winning pitcher Megan Seiter giving up only three hits. The Mustangs earned a berth in the small-school state tournament to be played April 30 and May 1 at Fischer Park in Owensboro.
In the regional baseball final, Brossart edged Paris, 5-4, to advance to the sectional round of the state playoffs. The Mustangs will play the winner of the 9th Region championship game that’s scheduled for 8 p.m. Wednesday night when Newport Central Catholic takes on Beechwood at Florence Freedom Park.
CovCath schedules dedication ceremony for on-campus tennis complex
A dedication ceremony for the Yung Family Tennis Complex at Covington Catholic High School is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday following the team’s home match against Lexington Catholic.
The six-court complex was ready in time for last year’s post-season playoffs, but it was never formally dedicated. The public is invited to join donors, players, parents, school officials and community guests for the blessing and dedication ceremony on Thursday.