By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
The two most successful teams in the 32-year history of the 9th Region All “A” Classic girls basketball tournament will meet in the quarterfinal round of the small-school playoffs this week at Newport High School.
Newport Central Catholic has won the region tournament 15 times and Holy Cross has claimed 13 championship trophies. The winner of their quarterfinal game at 6 p.m. Tuesday will move a step closer to securing another region title and berth in the Kentucky All “A” Classic state tournament that begins Jan. 25 at Eastern Kentucky University.
Holy Cross won last year’s region tournament and has four starters back from that team. The Indians are off to a 10-4 start this season with junior forward Julia Hunt and senior forward Nejai Lewis averaging 13.1 and 10.5 points per game. They also have a veteran point guard in senior Aleah Arlinghaus.
NewCath (8-4) is riding a four-game winning streak and defeated all four teams it faced in the Stephanie Wilson Memorial Tournament at Bellevue last week by double-digit margins. Sophomore guard Caroline Eaglin scored 77 points in the last three games to raise her season average to 24.1.
The 8th Region All “A” Classic boys and girls tournaments will be played at Gallatin County High School this week.
Walton-Verona is the boys defending champion and has one of the state’s highest team scoring averages this season at 82.7 points per game. The Bearcats (8-3) have five players with double-figure scoring averages. The team leader is junior Julian Dixon at 17.4 points per game, followed by Aaron Gutman and Carter Krohman at 15.8.
First-round games in the 10th Region All “A” Classic will be played Friday and Saturday at Paris High School. The 9th Region boys tournament is scheduled for next week at Beechwood High School.
All “A” Classic basketball region tournaments
9TH REGION GIRLS AT NEWPORT HIGH SCHOOL
Monday
St. Henry vs. Beechwood, 7 p.m.
Tuesday
Newport Central Catholic vs. Holy Cross, 6 p.m.
Dayton vs. St. Henry-Beechwood winner, 7:45 p.m.
Wednesday
Newport vs. Ludlow, 6 p.m.
Villa Madonna vs. Bellevue, 7:45 p.m.
Friday
Semifinal games, 6 and 7:45 p.m.
Saturday
Championship game, 7 p.m.
8TH REGION BOYS AT GALLATIN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
Monday
Walton-Verona vs. Williamstown, 5 p.m.
Owen County vs. Carroll County, 6:30 p.m.
Gallatin County vs. Trimble County, 8 p.m.
Wednesday
Eminence vs. Walton-Verona-Williamstown winner, 6 p.m.
Owen County-Carroll County winner vs. Gallatin County-Trimble County winner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship game, 5 p.m.
8TH REGION GIRLS AT GALLATIN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
Tuesday
Williamstown vs. Carroll County, 5 p.m.
Walton-Verona vs. Eminence, 6:30 p.m.
Owen County vs. Gallatin County, 8 p.m.
Thursday
Trimble County vs. Williamstown-Carroll County winner, 6 p.m.
Walton-Verona-Eminence winner vs. Owen County-Gallatin County winner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Championship game, 8 p.m.
10TH REGION BOYS AT PARIS HIGH SCHOOL
Friday
Paris vs. Augusta, 8 p.m.
Saturday
Robertson County vs. Bracken County, 12:30 p.m.
Brossart vs. Nicholas County, 3:30 p.m.
St. Patrick vs. Calvary Christian, 5 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 9
Paris-Augusta winner vs. Robertson County-Bracken County winner, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 10
Brossart-Nicholas County winner vs. St. Patrick-Calvary Christian winner, 8 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 12
Championship game, 8 p.m.
10TH REGION GIRLS AT PARIS HIGH SCHOOL
Friday
Paris vs. Augusta, 6 p.m.
Saturday
Robertson County vs. Bracken County, 11 a.m.
Brossart vs. Nicholas County, 2 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 9
Paris-Augusta winner vs. Robertson County-Bracken County winner, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 10
St. Patrick vs. Brossart-Nicholas County winner, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 12
Championship game, 6 p.m.
9TH REGION BOYS AT BEECHWOOD HIGH SCHOOL
Monday, Jan. 9
Newport Central Catholic vs. Bellevue, 6 p.m.
Dayton vs. Villa Madonna, 7:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 10
St. Henry vs. Newport Central Catholic-Bellevue winner, 6 p.m.
Newport vs. Beechwood, 7:45 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 11
Ludlow vs. Dayton-Villa Madonna winner, 6 p.m.
Holy Cross vs. Heritage, 7:45 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 13
Semifinal games, 6 and 7:45 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 14
Championship game, 7 p.m.