Saying goodbye to KHSAA’s numbers man… Well done, and be well
The Kentucky high School Athletic Association — and everybody and anybody who cares about high school athletics in the Commonwealth — will be saying goodbye over the next few months to a man who, for nearly three decades, has meant more to sports here than anyone we can think of as the man who kept score.
His name; Frank Riherd Jr. His game? Keeping all of us and you and every athlete and coach in the state up to date on who’d did what in every game, almost every play that mattered, in nearly every sport. Well, let software engineer Frank, a Georgia Tech alum, give you the numbers; “Since 1997, the Scoreboard has recorded over 650 thousand games representing almost 30 million points/runs/goals. Each of those points comes from a player competing as part of a team. And we should never lose sight of the fact that they are the reason we do all of this. That’s our North Star — the athlete.”
We know this because Frank told us so in a goodbye note to everybody the other day when he learned he’d been diagnosed with ALS — amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — better known for its other athletic connection as Lou Gehrig‘s disease — that will keep Frank from doing this past June 30.
“For this reason, and only this reason, I am discontinuing my work on the Scoreboard. I need to focus on my health and on the time I have ahead. This week has been one of the most difficult of my life, as I have shared this news with my family, the KHSAA, and now with you.”
Frank added this: “The past 29 years have been the most productive, exciting, and rewarding of my professional life. Through the Scoreboard and my work with the KHSAA, I was fortunate to contribute—if only in a small way—to high school sports in Kentucky. I am deeply grateful for that opportunity, and I especially thank Commissioner (Julian) Tackett for the trust he placed in me. Together, we did innovative and forward-looking work at a time when many were still unsure what the Internet could be used for.”
As someone who’s covered high school sports in other places around the country — Ohio, Indiana, California — that’s an all-time understatement. No one came close to Frank’s Scoreboard work. if you haven’t seen it, go to KHSAA.org and click on “Scores/Stat Leaders” and there it is — every game, every player, every result, every leader in every category.
Frank makes it clear, the family sporting goods company in Glasgow will still provide the trophies for every KHSAA sport. but he has one wish for his Scoreboard: “I hope the vendor they find shares my penchant for detail and ‘getting it right’.”
Just the way they did with Frank Jr., who we can’t send off with more good thoughts and prayers. And our own wish: that the KHSAA finds a way to honor Frank Jr. that shows just what he’s meant to all of us.
Norse back together after 30 years
As much excitement as the NKU men’s 92-89 overtime loss to Robert Morris generated Saturday, it wasn’t the No. 1 fan-pleasing event at Truist Arena. Nope, that would have been the 30-year anniversary reunion of Coach Ken Shields and his 1995-96 team that made it to the NCAA Division II national basketball championship game finishing as runner-up. Take a look at those Norse in their prime (above), as well as today (below) on their return to highland Heights.
Pat Ryan, Dave Bezold and Ryan Schrand were the assistants for that 30-5 team that featured nine Kentuckians – six from Northern Kentucky – along with three Ohioans, and no player from farther away than Columbus, Ohio. You might recognize the Listerman brothers, Andy and younger brother Kevin, now the head boys’ basketball coach at Highlands.
Here’s the roster with hometowns/high schools: Shannon Minor, Jr., Cincinnati Colerain; Jamie Pieratt, Jr., Georgetown, Ky./Scott County; Andy Listerman, Soph., Covington Catholic; Kevin Listerman, Fr., CovCath; Andre McClendon, Covington Holy Cross; Paul Cluxton, Jr., Lynchburg, Ohio, Clay; Jason James, Fr., Boone County; Leron Moore, Jr., Lexington Bryan Station; Reggie Talbert, Sr., Lexington Bryan Station; Chuck Perry, Sr., Columbus, Ohio, Wehrle; Mike Vieth, Fr., St. Henry; John Gibson, Soph., Simon Kenton.
Here are your 2026 Newport Wildcat All ‘A’ champs
They may not be the team Rod Snapp expected he’d be coaching in his 16th season at Newport. But they’re the guys he’s got in this 11-4 season. And they’re the guys who won another Ninth Region All “A” Classic title Saturday night with an upset of homestanding Holy Cross. Here are the happy Wildcats as they prepare to head to Owensboro and a first-round 5 p.m. Kentucky All “A” Classic game Thursday game against the 11th region champs, 11-8 Lexington Christian, whose most recent game against a Ninth Region team resulted in a 76-60 loss to Highlands.
Ipsaro to miss rest of unbeaten Miami’s season
With Miami of Ohio the nation’s winningest basketball team at 19-0 and ranked for the first time this season at No. 25 in the AP Poll, it’s hard not to feel especially sorry for CovCath alum Evan Ipsaro, the dynamic junior point guard who was leading the Redhawks in assists with 3.3 a game while averaging 13.9 points for 12 games. Right before Christmas, Ipsaro suffered an ACL injury against Ball State that will have him out the rest of the season.
Contact Dan Weber at dweber3440@aol.com. Follow him on X @dweber3440.