By Terry Boehmker
NKy Tribune sports reporter
Tyler Bezold got an idea of what it takes to play major college basketball last week and the Holy Cross senior decided he’s up for the challenge.
After playing in an open gym scrimmage with members of the West Virginia University men’s basketball team last Wednesday, Bezold said one of the assistant coaches invited him to join the team as a walk-on.
“I told him I’d make my decision by the weekend,” Bezold said. “On my way back home, I talked with my dad and West Virginia had too many things for me and for my life to play out the way I wanted it.”
Bezold’s father, Dave, was the men’s basketball coach at Northern Kentucky University for 11 years. He got to know West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins and his staff because their teams played each other in preseason and regular season games.
That coaching connection helped the younger Bezold get invited to the open gym scrimmage at West Virginia last week and he made the most of the opportunity. He plans to join the Mountaineers program this summer along with the other new recruits.
Bezold averaged of 15.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game for Holy Cross in his senior season even though he was hampered by an ankle injury. The 6-foot-4 forward ended up shooting 52.6 percent (171 of 325) from the field overall and 41.1 percent (44 of 107) from behind the 3-point line
Bezold said several NCAA Division III teams were recruiting him before he accepted the invitation to join West Virginia as a walk-on. He wants to be a basketball coach and said he’ll be “learning from one of the best” under Huggins, one of five active NCAA Division I coaches with more than 700 career victories.
Bezold will be joining a West Virginia team that includes Holmes graduate James Bolden, who sat out last season with a knee injury.
“We’ve been texting a little bit,” Bezold said of Bolden. “He said he loves it (at West Virginia). It’s a lot for hard work, but they treat you good and make sure you turn into a great man.”
CovCath players seeded No. 1 in singles, doubles for regional tennis
Covington Catholic is expected to sweep the singles and doubles titles in the 9th Region boys’ tennis tournament that begins Thursday at CovCath.
The top-seeded singles player selected by local coaches is CovCath junior Anthony Bosch and two of his teammates, Jake and Jared Haught, are seeded No. 1 in doubles.
Bosch, who won a regional title playing doubles last season, became the Colonels’ No. 1 singles player following the graduation of Austin Hussey, who was regional singles champion the last four years.
The top seeds in 9th Region girls’ tennis are Elizabeth Hamilton of Ryle in singles and Francie Case and Kylie Moellering of Notre Dame in doubles. Opening round matches in both of those brackets will be Thursday at Lloyd High School.
Case won the regional singles title last year, but she decided to play doubles with Moellering, who was regional runner-up in doubles last year with a different partner.
Here is a complete list of the top seeds for the 9th Region tennis brackets:
GIRLS SINGLES – 1. Elizabeth Hamilton (Ryle), 2. Ellie Zureick (Cooper), 3. Brooke Warden (Dixie Heights), 4. Aubrey North (St. Henry), 5. Alaina Moore (Dixie Heights), 6. Claire Johnson (Beechwood), 7. Evonne Vandenberg (Notre Dame).
GIRLS DOUBLES – 1. Francie Case-Kylie Moellering (Notre Dame), 2. Annie Atkinson-Kristen Snider (Dixie Heights), 3. Liz Pawsat-Katerine Taylor (Beechwood), 4. Ally Elleman-Grace Eberhard (Conner), 5. Emma Finn-Jo Meyer-Hogan (Notre Dame), 6. Olivia Bowling-Emily Montgomery (Simon Kenton), 7. Natalie Hahn-Lauryn Reckner (Simon Kenton).
BOYS SINGLES – 1. Anthony Bosch (CovCath), 2. Max Cook (CovCath), 3. Cole Moss (Calvary Christian), 4. Sheldon Preissler (Boone County), 5. David Gibson (Villa Madonna), 6. Cameron Shi (Scott), 7. Randy Wiseman (Cooper).
BOYS DOUBLES – 1. Jake and Jared Haught (CovCath), 2. Nate Eberhard and Nick Elleman (Conner), 3. Max O’Leary-Jonah Shields (Ryle), 4. Blake Heimbrock-Benito Trojani (CovCath), 5. Scott McQueen-Jon-Michael Schulte (Villa Madonna), 6. Richardson-Fey (Beechwood), 7. Freudberg-Knaley (Simon Kenton).
Newport names new head coach for girls’ basketball team
Davey Johnson is making the move from assistant to head coach with the Newport girls’ basketball team.
Johnson was a varsity assistant and junior varsity head coach at Newport Central Catholic the last four seasons. Newport hired him to succeed Joe Hornback, who resigned after compiling a 29-27 record as head coach of the Wildcats over the last two seasons.
Newport made it to the 9th Region playoffs last March and finished with a 13-15 record. The top three scorers on that team will graduate this spring.
“Our goal will be to play together and play hard,” Johnson said of his first season as Newport’s head coach. “If we can do that, then winning will take care of itself.”
Bishop Brossart is the other local high school looking for a new girls’ head basketball coach. Scott and Ludlow are in process of finding new boys’ head basketball coaches.
Beechwood taking impressive record into small-school state baseball tournament
The Beechwood baseball team that posted its 20th win of the season earlier this week will play West Carter in the opening game of the All “A” Classic state tournament at 10 a.m. Saturday at Whitaker Bank Ballpark in Lexington.
The Tigers won the small-school state title in 2014 and made it to the semifinals last year. They earned a berth in this year’s state tournament by winning the 9th Region championship and knocking off Bishop Brossart in the sectional round.
Three local softball teams – Brossart, Newport Central Catholic and Walton-Verona – qualified for the All “A” Class state tournament that was held last weekend in Owensboro.
The pool play round was cancelled due to heavy rain so the 16 softball teams played in a single-elimination tournament on Sunday. In the first round, Raceland defeated Walton-Verona, 11-0, and Newport Central Catholic defeated Brossart, 5-3. NewCath then lost to Lyon County, 1-0, in the quarterfinals.