By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
A project to build a multi-purpose athletic field adjacent to the Dayton High School building is underway, but there is no timetable in place for its completion.
Jay Brewer, superintendent of Dayton Independent Schools, said the project began with demolition of a building and apartment houses on property purchased by the school district. The property is located on Clay Street between Dayton High School and Lincoln Elementary School.
The project to build Dayton’s new athletic field began with demolition of a building and apartment houses on the property.
“Obviously, we’re excited about the project,” Brewer said. “We’re working toward a vision Jack Moreland had back in the 1980s.”
Moreland is a former superintendent of Dayton Independent Schools. After the high school was relocated to Clay Street in 1983, the football team continued to play its games at O.W. Davis Field located more than a mile away from the new high school building.
Davis Field is one of the oldest high school stadiums in the Northern Kentucky area. It was built by the WPA, a national program that provided work for U.S. citizens during the Great Depression of the late 1930s and early 1940s.
Moreland wanted to build an athletic field closer to the high school, but finding enough property was always a problem. The school district began buying parcels of land nearby and finalized the purchase of the Advertiser Printers Inc. building on Clay Street in January.
School board members decided to use the property for an on-campus multi-purpose athletic field earlier this year. When it’s completed, the high school and elementary school will be able to use the synthetic turf field for physical education classes and sports, including football.
“By no means are we looking at this being the last season at Davis Field,” Brewer said. “There’s a lot of things we have to have in place before beginning the next phase.”
Cooper golfer among top 25 scorers at international tournament
Cooper golfer Reagan Ramage tied for 23rd place in the girls 15-18 age group at the World Teen Championships that concluded Saturday at Pinehurst Country Club in North Carolina.
Reagan Ramage
There were more than 100 golfers from all parts of the United States and 12 other nations in the three-day tournament. Ramage carded rounds of 77, 70 and 76 on the par-72 course. Her 223 total was 12 strokes higher than medalist Olivia Hasselbach of Florida.
Ramage was tied for 14th place going into the final round. She got off to a rough start and made the turn at 6-over, but she had two birdies and seven pars on the back nine to finish with a 76.
Earlier this summer, the 16-year-old junior also qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship Aug. 7-13 at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles.
After that tournament, Ramage will rejoin the Cooper team that won last year’s Region 7 championship and placed third in the girls state tournament. She was medalist in the region tournament and tied for fifth place in the state tournament.
Soccerama scrimmages are final rehearsal for local girls teams
The Highlands girls soccer team that won the 9th Region championship four of the last five years and was state runner-up in 2018 and 2019 will play Conner in one of 10 preseason scrimmage games on this week’s Soccerama schedule at the Brossart High School athletic complex.
This will be the Bluebirds’ third season under head coach Chris Norris. He guided last year’s team to a 15-7-3 record that included a win over Notre Dame in the region final that was decided by a penalty kick shootout.
Highlands had mostly underclassmen in the starting lineup last season, including goalkeeper Natalie Hindgardner and leading scorer Laney Smith, who was named second-team all-state among players in regions 9-16.
The first day of the Kentucky high school soccer season begins Monday, Aug. 7 for both boys and girls teams.
GIRLS SOCCERAMA SCRIMMAGE GAMES AT BROSSART
THURSDAY
Scott vs. Holy Cross, 6 p.m., Campbell County vs. Newport Central Catholic, 7:45 p.m.
FRIDAY
Beechwood vs. Simon Kenton, 6 p.m., Brossart vs. Ryle at 7:45 p.m.
SATURDAY
Ludlow vs. Pendleton County, 9 a.m., Boone County vs. Grant County, 10:45 a.m., Cooper vs. St. Henry, 12:30 p.m., Villa Madonna vs. Walton-Verona, 5 p.m., Highlands vs. Conner, 6:45 p.m., Notre Dame vs. Dixie Heights, 8:30 p.m.
Calvary Christian names new head coach for boys basketball
Ben Mulling is the new head coach of the Calvary Christian boys basketball team that compiled a 78-74 record over the last four seasons with Orlando Donaldson in charge of the program.
The Cougars had a 74-47 record in Donaldson’s first three seasons as head coach. With mostly underclassmen on last year’s roster, Calvary got off to an 0-14 start and ended up with a 4-27 record.
Mulling’s son, Ethan, was a double-figure scorer on Calvary teams that posted back-to-back 20-win seasons in 2021 and 2022. He was recruited by Thomas More University after averaging 20.2 points and 8.3 rebounds in his senior season.
The Cougars’ top player last season was junior guard Race Zachary, who averaged 11.5 points and 4.3 rebounds.
