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 Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
While bulldozers lay the groundwork for new stands at Newport Stadium, the football team has been able to practice on the artificial turf field. Like the construction workers, the players are in the process of creating something that will impress fans this season.
“Everybody’s working together to get better,” said Newport junior quarterback Kyle Lee. “We’ve got a couple goals this year. We want to go to state and try to get a better record than last year.”
The Wildcats lost in the first round of last year’s Class 2A playoffs and finished with a 3-8 record. Lee was one of several underclassmen on that team who are returning with valuable varsity experience.
“Whether they got reps or not in varsity games or got as many as they wanted, they went through a whole season of high school football,” said Newport coach Ryan Hahn. “Now they’re back and these kids are saying, ‘I can play, too.’ And when you have that competition amongst your team it carries over to a real game.”
After playing wide receiver as a freshman, Lee was moved to the quarterback position last season. He passed for 1,728 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 147 yards and one TD. He finished among Northern Kentucky’s top five in passing yards per game with a 157 average.
“That wasn’t really my goal,” Lee said of his impressive stats. “I was just trying to do my job, get wins and make Newport look good.”
Newport’s top two pass receivers last season graduated along with the leading rusher. But coach Hahn said most of the starters on the offensive line return, including seniors Javon Burke, Carson Sanders, Cedric Taylor and Kahlil Barber.
“We’ve got about the same people (on the offensive line),” Lee said. “Everybody’s better this year and still working hard in practice, so I’ve got a lot of trust in them.”
On defense, coach Hahn said he has eight linebackers capable of playing in the inside and outside spots. Lee will be one of them, even though he was seldom used in that position last season.
“We’ve got big linemen and we’ve got speed everywhere else,” Hahn said. “That’s an interesting combo. When it all clicks together offensively and defensively it’s going to a fun season.”
Newport Stadium’s reconstruction will not be completed before the end of the regular season. That means the football team will play all 10 of its games on the road, including Class 1A district seeding games against Newport Central Catholic, Bellevue and Dayton.
The same thing happened last season when Newport’s historic stadium, an 86-year-old structure, was shut down after failing a building inspection.
“I was looking forward to getting some home games in, but we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do,” Lee said. “The bus is like our locker room now. We’re used to it.”
NEWPORT WILDCATS
2022 SEASON: 3-8 record, lost in first round of Class 2A playoffs.
DISTRICT: Class 1A, District 3 with Newport Central Catholic, Bellevue and Dayton.
HEAD COACH: Ryan Hahn (3-8 in one season at Newport).
2023 SCHEDULE
Aug. 19 – at Henry County, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 25 – at Holmes, 7 p.m.
Sept. 1 – at Pendleton County, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 8 – at Boone County, 7 p.m.
Sept. 15 – at Ludlow, 7 p.m.
Sept. 22 – at Lloyd, 7 p.m.
Oct. 6 – vs. Newport Central Catholic at CovCath, 7 p.m.
Oct. 13 – at Bellevue, 7 p.m.
Oct. 20 – at Dayton, 7 p.m.
Oct. 27 – vs. Holy Cross at Thomas More, 7 p.m.
OTHER 2023 PREP FOOTBALL PREVIEWS