By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Bishop Brossart boys’ head basketball coach Mike Code is among this year’s inductees into the 10th Region Basketball Hall of Fame.
In 14 years as head coach of the Mustangs, Code has compiled a 258-134 record with only one losing season. Ten of his teams won the 10th Region All “A” Classic and his 2006-07 team won the small-school state championship.
In the post-season playoffs, Brossart has made it to the 10th Region tournament six times under Code. He was voted 10th Region Coach of the Year after the 2012-13 season when his team posted a 26-6 record, won a district title and made it to the regional semifinals.
Code was named 10th Region Coach of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches for the 2006-07 and 2015-16 seasons. The 2006-07 team made it to the regional semifinals and finished with a best-ever 28-5 record.
The list of former players being inducted into the 10th Region Basketball Hall of Fame this year includes Kellen Smith of Scott and Nate McGovney of Campbell County.
Smith was named to the all-region team three times during his varsity career. He scored 1,294 points for the Eagles and holds the team record for most career assists with 663. He played professional basketball in Australia last spring.
McGovney was a first-team all-region selection as a junior. His senior season was cut short by a knee injury and he ended his varsity career with 1,558 points, 517 rebounds, 206 assists and 158 steals for the Camels.
The inductees will be recognized between the semifinal games of the 10th Region boys’ basketball tournament at Mason County High School and formally inducted during a post-season awards banquet.
Local girls among top five players in 10th Region basketball
Scott senior guard Anna Clephane, the third leading scorer in Kentucky girls’ high school basketball this season, was one of the top five players selected to the 10th Region coaches all-star team.
Clephane, a Ball State University recruit, is averaging 26.8 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting over 48 percent from the field for the Eagles. She needs three points to reach 2,500 in her career and move into second place on the team’s all-time scoring list.
Campbell County senior point guard Taylor Clos and senior forward Mackenzie Schwarber were also voted first-team all-region by the 10th Region coaches.
Clos is averaging 22.2 points and 4.9 assists while shooting 51.7 percent from the field for the 25-3 Camels, who are ranked among the state’s top teams.
Schwarber is currently averaging 15 points and 8.9 rebounds. She’s one of the few Campbell County players to surpass 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in her career.
Alexis Stapleton of Campbell County and Summer Secrist of Scott were voted second-team all-region. The honorable mention list included Maria Keifer of Brossart and Laci Reinhart of Scott.
Basketball teams have seniors back in action for playoffs
After missing most of the season due to knee injuries, Ally Niece of Simon Kenton and A.J. Mayer of Covington Catholic returned to action over the last few weeks and could help their teams make playoff runs.
Niece, a first-team all-state guard in girls’ basketball the last two seasons, has played in the last seven games for the Pioneers. She scored 16 and 11 points in the last two games and will likely be in the starting lineup in the final home game of her career on Friday.
Mayer, the leading rebounder for CovCath the last two seasons, has come off the bench in the last five games and contributed 41 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists and eight steals.
CovCath sweeps freshman, junior varsity championships
Covington Catholic teams won championship games in the Northern Kentucky freshman and junior varsity boys’ basketball tournaments on Monday.
Teams from Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties were in the brackets for both tournaments. CovCath defeated Cooper, 48-40, in the junior varsity title game and CovCath defeated Highlands, 59-25, in the freshman final.
Here are the players named to the freshman all-tournament team:
CovCath – Reece Murphy, Sam France, Joseph Eubank, D.J. Skinner. Highlands – Zach Barth, Luke Muller, Cameron Hergott. Holy Cross – Brandon McClendon, Jeremiah Hicks. Beechwood – Will Downton, Cameron Decker. Walton-Verona – Cameron Christy. Simon Kenton – Leon Cleary.
Scott – Nick Brown. St. Henry – Matthew Setters. Ryle – Tyler Oswald. Newport – KeAndre Nelson. NewCath – Brandon Hambrick. Ludlow – Noah Hoffmeister. Lloyd – Zaire Monroe. Holmes – Tayquan Colloway. Dixie Heights – Ian Snelling. Cooper – Jonas Moore. Conner – Luke Couzins. Boone County – Parker Fields.