By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
The Covington Catholic boys and Cooper girls still have high expectations going into Kentucky’s high school basketball playoffs even though they both lost their final regular season games on Friday.
CovCath, the top-ranked boys team in the statewide media poll, lost a road game to No. 4 Madison Central, 70-60, to end the regular season with a 28-2 record. It was the lowest point total of the season for the Colonels, who had won 20 games in a row. They got 20 points from point guard Athens Gillis, who was named the top senior in the 9th Region by local members of the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches.
A last-second 3-point goal gave Louisville Assumption a 68-67 win over Cooper in a season-ending matchup between girls teams ranked No. 2 and No. 8 in the statewide media poll.
The 19-7 Jaguars, who have won the last four 9th Region championships, have the talent to extend that streak with junior Haylee Noel leading the way. She scored 27 points in Friday’s game and was voted Division I Player of the Year by local coaches for the second consecutive season.
Northern Kentucky teams will compete in six boys and six girls district tournaments next week. The winner and runner-up in each district will be in brackets for the 8th, 9th and 10th Region tournaments the following week.
Last season, Cooper swept the boys and girls 9th Region championships and Simon Kenton won the 8th Region girls title.
The Simon Kenton girls enter this year’s playoffs ranked No. 4 in the state media poll with a 26-2 record. The Pioneers did not lose to an in-state opponent during the regular season, including eight teams ranked among the state’s top 20. Their average margin of victory is 19 points.
The top-seeded boys teams in the six local districts are Simon Kenton (32nd), Ryle (33rd), Lloyd (34th), CovCath (35th), Highlands (36th) and Campbell County (37th). Highlands is ranked No. 16 in the state poll and averages 78.8 points per game, but the last time the Bluebirds won a district title was 2022.
The top-seeds in the six local girls districts are Simon Kenton (32nd), Cooper (33rd), St. Henry (34th), Notre Dame (35th), Highlands (36th) and Campbell County (37th). Campbell County senior Izzy Jayasuriya was named co-winner of the 10th Region Player of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches.
The 9th Region Player of the Year in girls basketball was Ryle senior Jaelyn Jones. Her team won nine of its last 11 games to finish the regular season with an 18-9 record.
Girls basketball district tournaments
32nd DISTRICT AT WALTON-VERONA HIGH SCHOOL
Monday
Simon Kenton vs. Williamstown, 6 p.m.
Walton-Verona vs. Grant County, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday
Championship game, 7 p.m.
33rd DISTRICT AT RYLE HIGH SCHOOL
Tuesday
Cooper vs. Boone County, 5:45 p.m.
Ryle vs. Conner, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday
Championship game, 7 p.m.
34th DISTRICT AT LLOYD HIGH SCHOOL
Monday
Ludlow vs. Villa Madonna, 6 p.m.
Tuesday
St. Henry vs. Ludlow-Villa Madonna winner, 6 p.m.
Dixie Heights vs. Lloyd, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday
Championship game, 7 p.m.
35th DISTRICT AT BEECHWOOD HIGH SCHOOL
Tuesday
Notre Dame vs. Holmes, 6 p.m.
Holy Cross vs. Beechwood, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday
Championship game, 7 p.m.
36th DISTRICT AT BELLEVUE HIGH SCHOOL
Tuesday
Highlands vs. Dayton, 6 p.m.
Newport Central Catholic vs. Bellevue, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday
Championship game, 7 p.m.
37th DISTRICT AT CAMPBELL COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
Monday
Brossart vs. Scott, 7 p.m.
Wednesday
Championship game: Campbell County vs. Brossart-Scott winner, 7 p.m.
Boys basketball district tournaments
32nd DISTRICT AT WALTON-VERONA HIGH SCHOOL
Tuesday
Simon Kenton vs. Williamstown, 7 p.m.
Wednesday
Walton-Verona vs. Grant County, 7 p.m.
Friday
Championship game, 7 p.m.
33rd DISTRICT AT RYLE HIGH SCHOOL
Monday
Boone County vs. Heritage, 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Ryle vs. Boone County-Heritage winner, 5:45 p.m.
Conner vs. Cooper, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Championship game, 7 p.m.
34th DISTRICT AT LLOYD HIGH SCHOOL
Monday
Ludlow vs. Villa Madonna, 7:45 p.m.
Wednesday
Lloyd vs. Ludlow-Villa Madonna winner, 6 p.m.
Dixie Heights vs. St. Henry, 7:45 p.m.
Friday
Championship game, 7 p.m.
35th DISTRICT AT HOLY CROSS HIGH SCHOOL
Wednesday
Covington Catholic vs. Holmes, 5:30 p.m.
Beechwood vs. Holy Cross, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Championship game, 7:30 p.m.
36th DISTRICT AT BELLEVUE HIGH SCHOOL
Monday
Bellevue vs. Dayton, 6 p.m.
Wednesday
Highlands vs. Bellevue-Dayton winner, 6 p.m.
Newport vs. Newport Central Catholic, 7:45 p.m.
Friday
Championship game, 7 p.m.
37th DISTRICT AT CAMPBELL COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
Tuesday
Brossart vs. Scott, 5:35 p.m.
Campbell County vs. Calvary Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday
Championship game, 7 p.m.