By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Three high school basketball teams are taking a break to celebrate Christmas after getting off to an 8-0 start during the first three weeks of the regular season.
Highlands and Newport are the boys teams with perfect records and the Brossart girls have matched them by winning eight straight games in December.
This is the best start in 12 years for the Highlands boys, and a pair of high-scoring juniors have led the way. Sam Vinson is averaging 22.8 points for the Bluebirds and Luke Muller is right behind him at 20.0. The Bluebirds are averaging 82.8 points per game behind those two players. The team’s average margin of victory in the first eight games was 24 points.
Last season, Vinson averaged 9.6 points on a team that lost nine seniors to graduation. Highlands coach Kevin Listerman needed him to increase his offensive production this season and he responded by getting 19 points or more in six of the first eight games.
Muller has provided a second scoring threat for the Bluebirds by improving on his 1.8 average from last season. In the first eight games, he has knocked down 32 3-point shots to account for 96 of his 160 total points.
Newport’s early success has come as a surprise since the top three scorers on last year’s team graduated. But the Wildcats have rallied around senior guard DaeShawn White, who has team-high averages of 21.6 points and 7.4 rebounds after the first eight games.
The other Newport players with double-figure scoring averages are senior guards KeAndre Nelson (13.4) and Cameron Daniels (10.0). They were both reserve players last season and averaged just two points per game.
The return of senior Kaleal Davis has also helped the Wildcats. He’s averaging seven points and six rebounds even though he missed most of preseason practice while playing on the Newport football team that made it to the playoffs.
The strong inside play of 6-foot junior forward Marie Kiefer is a big reason the Brossart girls won their first eight games by double-digit margins. She is averaging 17 points and nine rebounds while shooting 67.1 percent (53 of 79) from the field.
Kiefer has posted a double-double in three games. Her best single-game totals were 27 points and 18 rebounds in a win over St. Ursula of Cincinnati.
The lone senior on the Mustangs’ roster is forward Lily Cropenbaker, who is averaging 8.6 points. Sophomore guard Lauren Macht is a first-year starter averaging 8.5 points and 3.2 rebounds.
All three of the 8-0 teams will be back in action later this week. Brossart will play a first-round game in the Berea Holiday Classic on Thursday. Highlands is hosting the CareSpring Holiday Classic and Newport is headed to the Lake Cumberland Classic that both begin on Friday.