By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
The last time a Highlands boys’ basketball team finished the season with a winning record was 2009-10, but coach Kevin Listerman expects the Bluebirds to “take a big step forward” this year.
With four returning starters and more experienced depth on the roster, Highlands has the potential to reverse the recent trend of disappointing seasons that includes last year’s 7-17 record.
“We’ve got a good group in terms of skills that complement each other,” Listerman said. “Until we get that first win on the board before Christmas, I’m not going to go out on a limb too far, but I do think we’re going to take a big step forward.”
The returning senior starters for the Bluebirds include 6-foot-5 senior center Kyle Finfrock, senior guard Bradley Greene, senior forward Luke LaFrange and junior point guard Braden Posey.
Listerman said they all played well in Tuesday’s season-opening 68-61 loss to a Holmes team that’s coached by his father, Mike.
“We were down seven with two minutes left and made a couple plays that cut it to three,” Listerman said. “Then we got (Holmes) to turn it over and had a wide open look on a three-pointer and missed it. So it was a closer game than it appeared.”
Finfrock scored a game-high 22 points and pulled down 15 rebounds in the game. Holmes couldn’t focus on stopping him inside because his teammates also shot the ball well. LaFrange and senior Bryce Traylor both made three 3-point goals and Posey hit one. LaFrange nearly had a double-double, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds.
Developing a more balanced offense should help the Bluebirds improve on last season when they shot 38 percent from the field and averaged a modest 51 points per game.
“We could not surround (Finfrock) with enough shooters (last season) to stretch the defense and give him the space to operate inside,” Listerman said. “That really hurt us. This year, it’s a little bit different because we’ve got more shooters and we’ve got more experience in the point guard position with Braden Posey and Brock Gabbard both being juniors. They recognize situations much better and find ways to get him the ball.”
Finfrock is an offensive lineman on the Highlands football team and will likely get more scholarship opportunities in that sport. But he’s an imposing inside player on the basketball court and Listerman plans to take full advantage of that.
“Having that combination of size and guys who can shoot it certainly makes us more dangerous than we have been,” the coach said.
Several of the other Highlands basketball players were on the football team that struggled through a 3-8 season. Listerman said they’re highly competitive in either sport and want to make this basketball season a success.
“I wouldn’t say the downside of the football season has fueled it because they were already there, but it’s definitely given it more of an edge,” Listerman of the players’ desire to win.
Scott senior guard opens season with 40-point game
Jake Ohmer resumed his quest to score 2,000 points in his high school basketball career on Tuesday when the Scott senior guard netted 40 points in a 76-67 overtime win against 10th Region rival Pendleton County on his team’s home court.
Ohmer raised his career total to 1,772 points in the season opening victory. It was the fifth time in his varsity career that the 5-foot-10 guard scored 40 or more points in a game. Last season, he set a single-game team record with 54 points against Clark County.
In Tuesday’s game, Pendleton County sophomore forward Dontaie Allen was the leading scorer with 51 points. Ohmer made 15 field goals, including four 3-pointers, and six free throws to account for his 40 points. He also had 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Eagles.
“There was a point (in the game) when I thought, ‘If I don’t get him the ball, I’m stupid,” said Scott coach Steve Fromeyer, who was happy to get the win in his head coaching debut.
Ohmer needs 229 points to become the first Scott boys’ basketball player to break the 2,000 mark and there’s no reason to think he can’t accomplish that. He was the leading scorer in Northern Kentucky the last two seasons, averaging 26.2 and 22.2 points per game.
Holmes basketball standouts among Hall of Fame inductees
Jack Jennings and Erica Hallman, two Holmes basketball players who led teams to the state tournament, were among the recent inductees into the Northern Kentucky High School Athletic Directors Hall of Fame.
Jennings averaged 34 points per game for the Holmes boys’ basketball team that won the 1988 9th Region championship and made it to the quarterfinals of the state tournament. He earned a spot on the state all-tournament team by scoring 39 and 41 points in his final two high school games.
Hallman was named Miss Kentucky Basketball after leading the Holmes girls’ basketball team to the semifinals of the 2002 state tournament. She was also named most valuable player in the 9th Region tournament that year after scoring 64 points in the Bulldogs’ three victories.
Tony Harden of St. Henry was one of the local coaches inducted into the Hall of Fame. His teams have won numerous Class A state and regional championships in girls’ cross country and track.
The other members of this year’s Hall of Fame induction class were Greg Batsche, Emily Brunemann, Garren Colvin, Tammy (Schlarman) Freihofer, Enid Kemp, Chad McCarter, Artie McGuffin, Jenna Neduchal, Nick Repka and Tom Spritzky.