By Jake Dickman
NKyTribune sports reporter
As one of the premier football programs in Northern Kentucky, Covington Catholic strives for the same result each year. “As always, compete at the state level for a championship,” coach Eddie Eviston said in a preview form sent to the NKyTribune.
The Colonels have won eight state titles under three coaches, including Eviston, but they came up short of that perennial goal last year. They finished 9-4 after a 49-14 loss to Boyle County in the Class 4A region finals.
CovCath’s three losses during the regular season were the most since 2021, but the final margins were eight points against Cincinnati Elder, six against Ryle and three against Highlands.
Seven starters on both sides of the ball from that highly competitive team graduated, including quarterback Cash Harney and running back Dylan Gaiser, who provided 321 of the offensive unit’s 375 yards per game.
Replacing those numbers is going to be tough, but Eviston has faith in the way his coaching staff develops talented underclassmen to fill varsity vacancies.
“I’m super excited about some of these young kids that are coming up that aren’t really names that people recognize right now,” said Eviston. “By the end of the season, or maybe in just a few weeks, some of these names will start popping up.”
Two players that Eviston thinks can make a big difference are junior quarterback Dylan Courtney and senior running back Mac Cogswell. They both competed in varsity games last season, but they had reduced roles behind the stellar play of Harney and Gaiser.
“We’ve got a little different tools in the toolbox,” Eviston said when describing Courtney and Cogswell. “Very productive tools though, and we have expectations for them to perform. It might just look a little different.”
This year’s CovCath lineup isn’t all new faces. The most notable big-name players returning are tight end/linebacker Owen Pitzer and two-way lineman Jonny Lind, who have both made commitments with NCAA Division I college teams.
Pitzer, a Ball State University recruit, was the second-leading receiver for the Colonels last year, snatching 17 passes for 349 yards and four scores. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound senior also made 56 tackles on defense.
Lind, a West Point recruit, is a 6-foot-2, 270-pound force to be reckoned with on both sides of the ball. The senior made a team-high four quarterback sacks and 58 tackles on defense last season.
“Those guys have to be our leaders,” Eviston said of Pitzer and Lind. “They know what to expect, they’ve been there before, so you look to them to lead. Be the calm within the chaos.”
The top returning player on the CovCath defensive unit is middle linebacker Cash Myers, who made a team-high 112 tackles in his first varsity season last year. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound junior posted double-digit tackles in six games, included 22 in a playoff game against Johnson Central and 14 against Highlands and Indianapolis Cathedral.
“The thing about Cash is that he’s such an intelligent player,” Eviston said. “He’s a tremendous athlete. We put a lot on his shoulders last season, and not only did he carry that weight, he carried it freaking fantastically.”
COVINGTON CATHOLIC COLONELS
2025 SEASON: 9-4 record, lost to Boyle County, 49-14, in Class 4A region finals.
STARTERS RETURNING: 3 offense, 3 defense.
DISTRICT: Class 4A, District 5 with Highlands, Harrison County, Mason County.
HEAD COACH: Eddie Eviston (120-30 in 11 seasons at CovCath, 154-38 in 13 seasons overall).
Aug. 21 – at Ryle, 7 p.m.
Aug. 28 – CINCINNATI ELDER, 7 p.m.
Sept. 4 – SIMON KENTON, 7 p.m.
Sept. 11 – at Dixie Heights, 7 p.m.
Sept. 18 – BEECHWOOD, 7 p.m.
Sept. 25 – LOUISVILLE CENTRAL, 7 p.m.
Oct. 2 – HIGHLANDS, 7 p.m.
Oct. 9 – at Indianapolis Cathedral, 7 p.m.
Oct. 16 – at Harrison County, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 23 – MASON COUNTY, 7 p.m.