By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Three local high schools looking for new head football coaches are at different stages in the hiring process.
Scott athletic director Casey Fisk said they’ve started interviewing candidates and plan to “hire the best coach available no matter what the timeline.” The school needs to replace Steve Hensley, who agreed to be interim head coach last July after the unexpected resignation of Jake Owens due to family matters.
Holy Cross and Brossart are two of the three local football teams in the process of hiring new head coaches. (Photo from bmustangs.com)
Holy Cross began scheduling interviews with eight applicants this week, according to athletic director Anne Julian. She didn’t divulge when the school plans to name a replacement for Bruce Kozerski, who stepped down as head coach after 20 seasons.
Brossart still has its vacant head coaching position posted on the Kentucky High School Athletic Association website with instructions for applicants to send their resumes to athletic director Ron Verst. School officials decided not to rehire Paul Wiggins Jr., who compiled a 67-43 record over the last 10 seasons.
Holy Cross and Brossart lost in the first round of the Class 1A playoffs and finished with 5-6 records. Scott did not earn a berth in the Class 5A playoffs after ending the regular season with a 2-8 record.
All three teams had promising young players last season. Freshman running back Ulysses Porter was the leading rusher and scorer for Holy Cross. Freshman defensive end Quinten Tischner made a team-high 67 tackles for Brossart. Sophomore quarterback Trey Cook was a 1,100-yard passer for Scott.
After the 2024 season, there will be a realignment of Kentucky high school football teams that compete in six classes. Proposed changes will be presented at the KHSAA Board of Control meeting in February.
Holy Cross has two nominees for Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year
Holy Cross basketball players Jacob Meyer and Julia Hunt are among the long list of nominees for Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year, an annual award that’s determined by votes from media members around the state.
Sponsored by the Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper, the award is based on sports accomplishments during the 2023 calendar year. Results of the statewide balloting with be released on Jan. 31.
Jacob Meyer
Meyer was nominated for being the leading scorer in Kentucky high school basketball with a 36.8 average and being named most valuable player at the All “A” Classic boys state basketball tournament during his senior season at Holy Cross.
Hunt made the list for leading the Holy Cross girls basketball team to the All “A” Classic state title and being named most valuable player in the girls small school state tournament as a junior.
Hunt will likely make the list of 2024 nominees next January. She was named Miss Kentucky Volleyball after leading the state in kills (658) this fall and she’s the leading scorer and rebounder on the Holy Cross basketball team that’s currently ranked No. 11 in the state.
This year’s high school nominees also include Lainey Kruger, a Notre Dame Academy swimmer who won two events at the girls state meet last February, and Walton-Verona sprinter Jackson Smith, who won three gold medals at the Class 1A state track meet in June and led his team to its first state title.
Highlands senior named All-American in girls high school soccer
Laney Smith
Highlands senior Laney Smith was among the girls high school soccer players who received All-American awards at the United States Soccer Coaches national convention in California last Saturday.
Smith is the fourth Highlands girls soccer player to achieve All-American honors, according to the team’s post on X (formally Twitter). During her varsity career, she was the Bluebirds’ top scorer four consecutive seasons and set a team record with 98 career goals.
The University of Cincinnati recruit posted 26 goals and 19 assists during her senior season. She was named 9th Region Offensive Player of the Year and first-team all-state by coaches.
Smith started playing club soccer when she was 3 years old. She was one of two Ohio Elite Soccer Academy members who received girls All-American honors last weekend.
