By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Will Cooper’s three-year reign as 9th Region girls basketball champion come to an end this season?
In a preseason poll of 9th Region coaches, four teams received first-place votes on the 15 ballots that were submitted. Cooper did get the most total voting points to earn the No. 1 ranking, but the Jaguars were only three points ahead of No. 2 Notre Dame and six points ahead of No. 3 Highlands.
The other team that received first-place votes was Ryle, region runner-up the last three years. The Raiders are ranked No. 4 going into preseason practice that starts on Tuesday for all Kentucky high school basketball teams.
Cooper made it to the state semifinals last season with four seniors in the starting lineup. The team’s lone returning starter is sophomore forward Haylee Noel, who averaged 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds during the team’s 31-5 campaign.
Notre Dame and Highlands both have most of their starters returning and their lineups include two of the top three players in the coaches poll.
Highlands senior center Marissa Green was voted No. 1 by the coaches after averaging 15.6 points and 9.0 rebounds for last season’s 22-9 team that made it to the 9th Region semifinals.
Notre Dame senior center Sophia Gibson, who averaged 13.1 points and 7.8 rebounds, was voted No. 3, one spot behind Newport Central Catholic senior guard Caroline Eaglin, the 9th Region’s leading scorer last season with a 21.9 average.
Here are the results of the Northern Kentucky Girls Basketball Coaches Association polls that selected the top teams and top players in both the 9th Region and the three-county Northern Kentucky area.
TOP 10 TEAMS IN 9th REGION
(First-place votes in parentheses)
1 – Cooper (5) 131, 2 – Notre Dame (3) 128, 3 – Highlands (4) 125, 4 – Ryle (3) 109, 5 – Dixie Heights 92, 6 – Holy Cross 82, 7 – Newport Central Catholic 50, 8 – Conner 37, 9 – Bellevue 25, 10 – St. Henry 22.
TOP 10 TEAMS IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY
(First-place votes in parentheses)
1 – Notre Dame (5) 165, 2 – Cooper (7) 157, 3 – Highlands (6) 153, 4 – Simon Kenton 113, 5 – Ryle (2) 108, 6 – Campbell County 90, 7 – Holy Cross 77, 8 – Dixie Heights 73, 9 – Conner 26, 10 – Brossart 21.
TOP 10 PLAYERS IN 9th REGION
Marissa Green (Highlands), Caroline Eaglin (NewCath), Sophia Gibson (Notre Dame), Haylee Noel (Cooper), Jaelyn Jones (Ryle), Aumani Nelson (Holy Cross), Catherine Buddenberg (Dixie Heights), Maya Lawrie (Notre Dame), Aniyah Carter (Holy Cross), Joslyn LaBordeaux-Humphrey (Notre Dame).
TOP 10 PLAYERS IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY
Marissa Green (Highlands), Caroline Eaglin (NewCath), Sophia Gibson (Notre Dame), Brynli Pernell (Simon Kenton), Haylee Noel (Cooper), Jaelyn Jones (Ryle), Aumani Nelson (Holy Cross), Isabella Jayasuriya (Campbell County), Catherine Buddenberg (Dixie Heights), Braylin Terrell (Walton-Verona).