The NKyTribune is featuring players on each of the 21 high school football teams in Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties leading up to the first games of the 2023 season on Friday, Aug. 18. We will then provide focused coverage of local teams throughout the regular season and into the playoffs.
By Sarah Mae Wilson
NKyTribune sports reporter
Newport Central Catholic running back Demetrick Welch set a couple of personal goals for the upcoming football season that could help make the Thoroughbreds a top contender in Class 1A once again.
Last year, NewCath made it to the state semifinals with an offense that averaged 316.6 yards and 34.9 points per game. One of the star performers was Welch, who rushed for 1,346 yards and scored 20 touchdowns.
The 6-foot, 180-pound senior expects to do even better this season, even though the Thoroughbreds lost all but one of their starting offensive linemen to graduation.
“The team is going to be explosive, make big plays at any given moment, and score lots of points,” Welch said.
His personal goals this season are to break NewCath’s single-season rushing record of 2,502 yards and single-season touchdown record of 32. A lot of that depends on how the new offensive line comes together.
Welch said the front line is shaping up fine under the guidance of assistant coach Dave Schneider. He’s rebuilding it around lone returning starter Mason Neff, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound guard who has a couple of college offers.
NewCath also has a veteran quarterback in senior Kolton Smith, who has passed for 3,567 yards and 41 touchdowns over the last two seasons. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound pocket passer completed 105 of 172 passes for 1,371 yards and 15 touchdowns during last year’s 11-3 campaign under head coach Steve Lickert.
The top returning tacklers on NewCath’s defensive unit are linebackers Kaleb Cole and Welch and cornerback Mitch Doeker. Last season, Welch was credited with 56 tackles, two quarterback sacks and two interceptions.
In the Class 1A region finals, Welch had seven tackles and picked off a pass in the end zone during NewCath’s 28-21 win over Kentucky Country Day. After his team’s 50-14 loss to Pikeville in the state semifinals, he decided to work harder during his senior year so the Thoroughbreds could have another shot at the state title.
“Every week of the playoffs we’ll have to execute at a high level and play with a sense of urgency,” Welch said.
NewCath will compete in a new Class 1A district with Bellevue, Dayton and Newport. Six of the other seven teams on the schedule are against teams in higher classes. One of them is Campbell County, a Class 6A team that defeated the Thoroughbreds in the season opener the last two years.
NEWPORT CENTRAL CATHOLIC THOROUGHBREDS
2022 SEASON: 11-3 record, lost in semifinals of Class 1A playoffs.
DISTRICT: Class 1A, District 3 with Bellevue, Dayton, Newport.
HEAD COACH: Steve Lickert (117-103 in 19 seasons overall, 43-20 in five seasons at NewCath).
2023 SCHEDULE
(All home games at Covington Catholic H.S.)
Aug. 18 – at Lloyd, 7 p.m.
Aug. 25 – WALTON-VERONA, 7 p.m.
Sept. 1 – SCOTT, 7 p.m.
Sept. 8 – at Conner, 7 p.m.
Sept. 15 – at Campbell County, 7 p.m.
Sept. 22 – at Raceland, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 6 – NEWPORT, 7 p.m.
Oct. 13 – DAYTON, 7 p.m.
Oct. 20 – at Bellevue, 7 p.m.
Oct. 27 – at Holmes, 7 p.m.
OTHER 2023 PREP FOOTBALL PREVIEWS