By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Cooper will play Meade County in the championship game of the Queen of the Commonwealth girls basketball tournament at 7 p.m. Friday at Bullitt East High School.
The Jaguars defeated tournament host Bullitt East, 60-34, in a semifinal game on Thursday to push their record to 7-3. The two-time defending 9th Region champions won games against Owensboro Catholic and McCracken County in the first two rounds of the 16-team holiday tournament.
Liz Freihofer
In a statewide preseason coaches poll, the top 10 teams included No. 4 Cooper, No. 5 McCracken County and No. 8 Owensboro Catholic. Meade County (8-1) was voted No. 18.
Two big scoring runs carried the Jaguars to victory in the semifinal game. They outscored Bullitt East, 20-5, in the second quarter when senior forward Bella Deere got seven of her 12 points. In the third quarter, senior guard Liz Freihofer made four 3-point goals during a 16-5 spurt and ended up with 17 points.
In the quarterfinals of the King of the Bluegrass boys tournament at Louisville Fairdale, Great Crossing edged Newport, 48-46, in a game between teams ranked No. 2 and No. 9 in a statewide preseason coaches poll.
Newport sophomore guard Taylen Kinney scored a game-high 29 points, including a basket that gave the Wildcats a 46-45 lead with 48 seconds left. A 3-point goal put Great Crossing back on top and a steal prevented the Wildcats from getting a final shot.
Kinney was 10 of 18 from the field overall and 5 of 9 from behind the 3-point line. He also made all four of his free throws, snagged four rebounds and had two assists.
Great Crossing (8-0) will play tournament host Fairdale (9-1) in a semifinal game at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Newport (7-2) will meet Spencer County (4-5) in a consolation bracket game at 6 p.m.
Kozerski ends 20-year career as Holy Cross head football coach
Bruce Kozerski
Bruce Kozerski has announced that he is stepping down as head coach of the Holy Cross football team after 20 years.
A former offensive lineman for the Cincinnati Bengals, Kozerski helped start the Indians’ football program as an assistant coach before taking charge in 2004. His teams compiled an 84-144 record overall and were 14-18 in playoff games. Holy Cross won the Class 2A state championship in 2011 and finished with a 12-3 record.
The Indians posted a 5-6 record last season with nine seniors on its 34-player roster. The team’s leading rusher and scorer was freshman Ulysses Porter, who picked up 928 yards and scored 110 points.
Two local wrestlers win weight class titles at Ohio tournament
Two local wrestlers won close matches in the championship round of the Southwest Ohio Wrestling Coaches Association Classic on Monday at Middletown High School.
In the 126-pound title match, Walton-Verona junior TJ Meyer won a 9-8 decision over Jared Johnston of Moeller. Ryle senior Caleb Duke made it to the 175-pound final and came away with a 4-2 win over Caleb Heilman of Loveland.
In last year’s Kentucky state wrestling finals, Meyer was runner-up at 120 pounds and Duke had a 2-2 record in the 175-pound bracket.
