Not a bad week-and-a-half for the Florence Y’alls, Through Wednesday night, the 44-30 Y’alls had gone on a 10-game winning streak highlighted by longtime fan favorite Hank Zeisler winning Frontier League Player of the Week honors, the first for a Y’slls’ player this season.
Zeisler, the Y’alls’ captain, went on an amazing 15-for-24 (.625 average) hitting spree on a seven-game homestand that included an absolutely unbelievable eight home runs with 19 RBI and 11 runs scored. That home run number allowed Zeisler to break the all-time franchise record of 46 with his 52 now.
Zeisler, a Kentfield, Calif. native, capped off his week’s homer heroics with a three-run walk-off home run in a 6-3 over the Joliet Slammers. It’s his first Player-of-the-Week selection since June, 2025.
Interesting in-state NIL numbers
Thanks to a Courier-Journal survey, we know what most of the state universities are spending on NIL (name, image and likeness) compensation for their athletes. UK was the lone state school not to respond but it’s obvious that the Wildcats, who reportedly paid some $22 million for last year’s basketball team, were No. 1. Louisville was a clear No. 2 with its reported $32.93 million total NIL payroll followed by Western Kentucky’s $2.475 million.
NKU’s $389,414 is slotted behind Eastern Kentucky’s $865,338 with the Norse the highest for non-football schools and well ahead of Morehead State’s $99,941.
They’re back . . . and with another big scorer
Earlier in the summer, Covington Catholic basketball coach Jake Thelen was telling folks that despite losing four senior starters from last year’s basketball team that was ranked second or third in the state for most of the year, this year’s team might well be better with the way the underclassmen were performing in the summer.
And that was before he learned that Scott freshman Benjamin Brown, the No. 23 scorer in the state last season, would be transferring to the Park Hills school for this coming season. The 6-foot-3 Brown, the quintessential shooting guard with good size and a strong handle, averaged 22.8 points a game in 17 games for the Eagles. His presence along with 6-4 senior sharp-shooter Braeden Myrick (17.0 ppg) will make it tough to zone the Colonels.
The physicality of CovCath’s all-court pressure defense should work well in developing Brown’s all-around skill set. The development of 6-8 senior center John Brecount (2.8 ppg) along with starter Teegan Stava’s (4.1) return and junior backup Dylan Courtney (3.1) could make CovCath a tough out again this season.
Big bucks from the NKSHOF Golf Outing
A sold-out Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame Golf Outing at Kenton County Golf Course last month raised $7,000 for college scholarships again. Next item on the schedule for the NKSHOF is the annual Summer Reunion Aug. 19 from 5-9 at The Gardens of Park Hills with the awarding of a number of special awards.
NKSHOF Award Winners 2026
• Thomas John Fricke Service Award – Sean Nichols
• Patricia “Pat” Scott Lifetime Achievement Award – Sally Meng
• Joe Brennan Leadership Award – Ken Shields
• Jim Claypool Pioneer Award – Chuck Korzenborn
• James E. Steffen “Tiny” Humanitarian Award – Dick Mallie
• Kenny Shields Award Coach of the Year – Ted Arlinghaus
• Jack Aynes Award Academic Development – Bob Marsh
• Bill Cappel Community Contribution Award – Charlie Coleman
Contact Dan Weber at dweber3440@aol.com. Follow him on X @dweber3440.