By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Classrooms in Northern Kentucky high schools will be vacant during the holiday break, but several gyms will be bustling with activity because tournaments for wrestling, archery and basketball teams are scheduled over the next two weeks.
The Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference wrestling championships will take place this Thursday at Cooper High School. It’s the first time each season that local wrestlers compete against each other in weight class brackets. The championship finals are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. if the earlier matches are completed on time.
The field includes three wrestlers who made it to the state finals last season. Campbell County senior Tanner Yenter won the 113-pound state title and Simon Kenton senior Casey Cornett finished first in the 170-pound weight class. Cooper senior Cody Huston placed second at 145.
Campbell County has won the conference wrestling team title for eight consecutive years, but that streak almost ended last December. The Camels placed first with 148.5 points and Cooper placed second with 143 in the 11-team standings.
Covington Catholic will host its first archery tournament on Wednesday, Dec. 28, with hundreds of archers participating in high school, middle school and elementary school divisions.
Each archer will shoot 15 arrows from two distances. Targets will be placed 10 meters and 15 meters from the firing line. Each arrow will be scored by its accuracy to the bullseye. Spectators are welcome. Admission charge will be $5 per adult and $3 per student with children 10 years and younger free.
Shooters of a different sort will be playing in boys’ and girls’ basketball tournaments over the next two weeks. The boys’ tournaments getting under way this Wednesday are the Simon Kenton Invitational and the Mike Swauger Invitational at Bellevue.
Bellevue is also hosting the Stephanie Wilson Memorial Tournament for girls next week with proceeds going to a scholarship fund named after the former player who passed away in her sleep from a seizure.
The Villa Madonna Invitational and LaRosa’s Classic at Conner are the other girls’ basketball tournaments on next week’s schedule along with the Lloyd Invitational for boys.
Here are the schedules for holiday basketball tournaments in Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties:
Boys’ basketball tournaments
SIMON KENTON INVITATIONAL
Wednesday, Dec. 21
GAME 1: Scott vs. Central Hardin, 2 p.m.
GAME 2: Dixie Heights vs. Aiken, 3:45 p.m.
GAME 3: Lloyd vs. Gallatin County, 5:30 p.m.
GAME 4: Simon Kenton vs. Highlands, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 22
GAME 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 2 p.m.
GAME 6: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 3:45 p.m.
GAME 7: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 5:30 p.m.
GAME 8: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 7:15 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 23
GAME 9: Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser, 2 p.m.
GAME 10: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 3:45 p.m.
GAME 11: Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 loser, 5:30 p.m.
GAME 12: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 7:15 p.m.
MIKE SWAUGER INVITATIONAL
(at Bellevue High School)
Wednesday, Dec. 21
GAME 1: Grant County vs. Brossart, 1 p.m.
GAME 2: John McGregor vs. Bellevue, 3 p.m.
GAME 3: Western Hills vs Newport , 5 p.m.
GAME 4: Pendleton County vs. Dayton, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 22
GAME 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 1 p.m.
GAME 6: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 3 p.m.
GAME 7: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 5 p.m.
GAME 8: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 7 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 23
GAME 9: Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser, noon
GAME 10: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 2 p.m.
GAME 11: Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 loser, 4 p.m.
GAME 12: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 6 p.m.
LLOYD INVITATIONAL
Wednesday, Dec. 28
GAME 1: Conner vs. Holmes, 3:45 p.m.
GAME 2: Campbell County vs. Newport, 5:15 p.m.
GAME 3: Dayton vs. Ryle, 7 p.m.
GAME 4: Lloyd vs. Woodford County, 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 29
GAME 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 3:45 p.m.
GAME 6: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 5:15 p.m.
GAME 7: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 7 p.m.
GAME 8: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 30
GAME 9: Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser, 3:45 p.m.
GAME 10: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 5:15 p.m.
GAME 11: Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 loser, 4 p.m.
GAME 12: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 8:30 p.m.
Girls’ basketball tournaments
LaROSA’S HOLIDAY CLASSIC
(at Conner High School)
Wednesday, Dec. 28
GAME 1: Clark County vs. Dixie Heights, 2 p.m.
GAME 2: Highlands vs. Nelson County, 3:45 p.m.
GAME 3: Lexington Lafayette vs. Brossart, 5:30 p.m.
GAME 4: Conner vs. Corbin, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 29
GAME 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 10 a.m.
GAME 6: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 11:45 a.m.
GAME 7: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 1:30 p.m.
GAME 8: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 3:15 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 30
GAME 9: Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser, 10 a.m.
GAME 10: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 11:45 a.m.
GAME 11: Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 loser, 1:30 p.m.
GAME 12: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 3:30 p.m.
STEPHANIE WILSON MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT
(at Bellevue High School)
Monday, Dec. 26
GAME 1: Beechwood vs. Lloyd, 1 p.m.
GAME 2: Ludlow vs. Woodward (Ohio), 3 p.m.
GAME 3: Dayton vs. Henry County, 5 p.m.
GAME 4: Bellevue vs. Newport, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 27
GAME 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 3 loser, 1 p.m.
GAME 6: Game 2 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 3 p.m.
GAME 7: Game 1 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 5 p.m.
GAME 8: Game 2 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 28
GAME 9: Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser, 1 p.m.
GAME 10: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 3 p.m.
GAME 11: Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 loser, 5 p.m.
GAME 12: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 7 p.m.
VILLA MADONNA INVITATIONAL
Wednesday, Dec. 28
Barbourville vs. Augusta, noon
Calvary Christian vs. Louisville Collegiate, 1:45 p.m.
Frederick Fraize vs. Villa Madonna, 3:30 p.m.
Louisville Western vs. Robertson County, 5:15 p.m.
St. Patrick vs. Villa Madonna, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 29
Barbourville vs. Robertson County, noon
Louisville Western vs. Augusta, 1:45 p.m.
Frederick Fraize vs. St. Patrick, 3:30 p.m.
Calvary Christian vs. Augusta, 5:15 p.m.
Louisville Collegiate vs. Villa Madonna, 7 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 30
Calvary Christian vs. Frederick Fraize, noon
Louisville Western vs. Barbourville, 1:45 p.m.
Louisville Collegiate vs. St. Patrick, 3:30 p.m.
Western vs. Villa Madonna, 5:15 p.m.
Augusta vs. Robertson County, 7 p.m.